Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the surface seawater in Zhongsha Atoll, South China Sea

The first comprehensive survey of microplastics in Zhongsha Atoll in the South China Sea documented the occurrence and distribution of plastic particles in surface seawater across temporal and spatial scales. The study extends microplastic monitoring to a remote atoll environment and identifies ocean current transport as the main driver of plastic accumulation at this distant location.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in remote coral reef environments of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea: Source, accumulation and potential risk

Scientists mapped microplastic contamination across 13 islands in the remote Xisha Islands of the South China Sea and found an average of 682 particles per kilogram of sediment. The study identified local sewage, fishing waste, and industrial runoff from nearby countries as the main sources. This shows that even remote coral reef ecosystems far from population centers are not safe from microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and influencing factors for the microplastics in continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea surface sediments from the South China Sea

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in surface sediments across the continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea floor of the northern South China Sea. The study found an average abundance of about 131 particles per kilogram, with distribution patterns influenced by ocean currents, water depth, and proximity to river inputs.

2022 Environmental Pollution 63 citations
Article Tier 2

The spatial distribution of microplastic in the sands of a coral reef island in the South China Sea: Comparisons of the fringing reef and atoll

Microplastic abundance in coral reef island sands of the South China Sea was measured at fringing reef sites (90–530 items/kg) and atoll sites (60–610 items/kg), with the lower-human-activity Xisha Islands atoll showing higher concentrations attributed to oceanic current accumulation. The study reveals that even remote coral reef ecosystems are contaminated with microplastics and that oceanographic factors can outweigh local human activity.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean current modulation of the spatial distribution of microplastics in the surface sediments of the Beibu Gulf, China

Researchers conducted a large-scale survey of microplastics in seafloor sediments of the Beibu Gulf in China and found that ocean currents play a major role in where microplastics accumulate. The study provides important data on how water circulation patterns transport and concentrate microplastic pollution in coastal marine environments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics and transport pathways of soil microplastics in coral reef islands with different developmental stages and human activities

Researchers mapped microplastic contamination in the soil of coral reef islands in the South China Sea and found 1,068 to 1,616 particles per kilogram across islands at different stages of development. More developed islands with greater human activity had higher contamination levels, and ocean currents and monsoons were the main forces spreading microplastics to less developed islands. The study shows that even remote island ecosystems are not safe from microplastic pollution, which can affect the soil and water these communities depend on.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in deep seafloor of the South China Sea

Researchers documented the abundance, distribution, and transport of plastics in the South China Sea using over 100 manned submersible dives combined with video analysis, finding that large plastics concentrate in canyon geomorphological units while microplastics predominate in coastal sediments via distinct transport mechanisms.

2024
Article Tier 2

Distribution and controlling factors of microplastics in surface sediments of typical deep-sea geomorphological units in the northern South China Sea

Researchers collected surface sediments from typical deep-sea geomorphological units — sand dunes, sediment drifts, and submarine canyon channels and levees — in the northern South China Sea to examine how sedimentary dynamic conditions control the distribution of microplastics in deep-sea environments.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments and organisms of the Western Pacific Ocean

Researchers collected deep-sea sediment and organism samples from multiple sites in the western Pacific Ocean and found microplastics at all locations sampled, with depth, distance from land, and current patterns influencing accumulation, confirming the western Pacific deep sea as a significant microplastic sink.

2020 Environmental Pollution 378 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of the presence of microplastics in intertidal sediments of deception island, antarctica

Researchers determined the presence and characteristics of microplastics in intertidal sediments of Deception Island, Antarctica, providing evidence that plastic contamination has reached one of Earth's most remote environments and documenting the role of marine sediments as sinks for persistent microplastic pollution.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination on the Beaches of South China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across 14 beaches along the South China coast, finding microplastics ubiquitously present in sandy sediments, predominantly as small fragments under 1 mm, with distribution patterns linked to coastal urbanization and ocean current dynamics.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments

Researchers analyzed deep-sea sediment cores and found microplastics present at depth, providing early evidence that deep-sea sediments globally accumulate microplastic pollution far from coastlines and at the seafloor.

2013 Environmental Pollution 1521 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the Deep-sea Sediment of Southwestern Sumatran Waters

Researchers found microplastic particles in deep-sea sediments off the coast of southwestern Sumatra, Indonesia — a country that ranks among the world's largest plastic waste producers. The presence of microplastics in deep-sea sediments confirms that plastic particles sink and accumulate even in remote ocean floor environments far from land.

2016 Marine Research in Indonesia 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution of microplastics around an inhabited coral island in the Maldives, Indian Ocean

Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation across fore reef, reef flat, and beach sediment environments surrounding a small inhabited coral island in the Maldives, finding 1,244 individual microplastic pieces across 22 sampling sites. The study reveals that even remote inhabited islands in the Indian Ocean show significant microplastic contamination, with spatial distribution patterns reflecting local hydrodynamics and human activities.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean

Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Microplastics from Deep-Sea Antarctic and West Coast North American Sediments

Microplastics were identified in deep-sea sediments from both Antarctic and North American Pacific sites, confirming that plastic pollution has reached even the most remote ocean floor environments far from human activity.

2023 Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University)
Article Tier 2

Vertical Stratification and Driving Factors of Microplastics in the South China Sea: Distributions, Mechanisms, and Ecological Risks

Researchers collected water samples from 15 stations across the South China Sea to map the vertical distribution of microplastics through the water column. They found that depth, ocean currents, and biological activity strongly influenced microplastic stratification, with ecological risk higher in surface and subsurface layers.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Coral Reef Systems from Xisha Islands of South China Sea

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in seawater, fish, and corals across three atolls in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea. They found microplastics present in all sample types, with lagoons showing the highest water concentrations and fibrous rayon and polyethylene being the dominant polymer types. The findings indicate that even relatively remote coral reef systems are contaminated with microplastics, which may threaten reef health.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 290 citations
Article Tier 2

Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

Researchers discovered that deep-sea ocean currents, not just vertical settling from the surface, play a major role in concentrating microplastics on the seafloor, creating pollution hotspots with the highest concentrations ever recorded in any seafloor setting. These thermohaline-driven bottom currents sort and accumulate microplastics in the same areas where they deliver oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea life. The findings suggest that the most biologically rich areas of the deep ocean floor are likely also the most contaminated with microplastics.

2020 Science 754 citations
Article Tier 2

Delving into South China Sea microplastic pollution: Abundance, composition, and environmental risk

Researchers characterized microplastic abundance, composition, and environmental risk across four typical islands in the South China Sea, filling a knowledge gap in a region of high ecological and fisheries importance. The study found significant microplastic contamination with polymer types and concentrations posing measurable ecological risk to the archipelago's marine ecosystems.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Assessment into the Prevalence and Distribution of Microplastics in North and South Pacific Island Beaches

Researchers conducted a preliminary investigation into microplastic prevalence on eight beaches across North and South Pacific Island locations in New Zealand and Hawaii, analyzing contamination as a function of beach location, sand type, and microplastic morphology. The study found microplastics at all eight sites, highlighting the widespread distribution of plastic pollution across remote Pacific Island shorelines.

2023 Microplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution and Quantification of Microplastic Contamination in Sediments of Kaliratu Coastal Waters, Kebumen, Indonesia

Researchers found microplastics in sediments along Kaliratu Beach in Indonesia at concentrations of 25–57.5 particles/kg, with fibres, fragments, films, and pellets all present, and used hydrodynamic modelling to trace how seasonal monsoon currents distribute them along the coastline. The findings highlight that even relatively remote Indonesian coastal areas near shrimp ponds and other anthropogenic activity are accumulating measurable plastic pollution.

2026 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution and Influence Factor Analysis of Seawater and Surface Sediments in a Typical Bay With Diverse Functional Areas: A Case Study in Xincun Lagoon, China

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution in Xincun Lagoon in China, finding that different human activities such as tourism, fishing, and aquaculture directly influenced the type and level of microplastic pollution in seawater and sediments.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the deep-sea microplastic Odyssey: Characteristics, distribution, and ecological implications in Pacific Ocean sediments

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in deep-sea sediments from the Pacific Ocean at depths reaching nearly 7,000 meters. They found microplastics at every sampling site, predominantly polyester and rayon fibers, with the highest concentrations in the Western Pacific. The study highlights that microplastic pollution has reached some of the most remote deep-sea environments on Earth, raising concerns about its ecological impact.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations