Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics on Santos Beach: Sources of Pollution, Waste Characteristics and Possible Collection Solutions

This Brazilian study mapped and characterized microplastic contamination on Santos beach near submarine sewage outfalls and storm drains, finding plastic pollution hotspots linked to coastal discharge infrastructure. The authors estimated that ~60 tons of solid waste enter the sea daily in the region and identified possible collection solutions.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Litter assessment on sandy beaches along the Brazilian coast: a large-scale analysis of macrolitter and microplastics

Researchers conducted a large-scale assessment of macrolitter and microplastic contamination on sandy beaches along the Brazilian coast, characterizing pollution patterns, dominant polymer types, and potential anthropogenic sources across multiple sites.

2025 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in brazilian marine environments: a study on beaches in São Francisco do Sul - SC

Beach surveys along São Francisco do Sul in southern Brazil confirmed widespread microplastic presence in coastal sediments, with polymer composition reflecting regional plastic waste streams. The study adds to the body of evidence that Brazilian coastlines are significantly contaminated and calls for national monitoring standards to track and manage the problem.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Contaminação Por Microplásticos Em Praias Arenosas No Brasil: Uma Revisão Sistemática

This review systematically examines microplastic contamination studies on sandy beaches across Brazil, covering publications from the first Brazilian study in 2009 onward and identifying that sediment (76% of studies), water (12%), and biota (12%) are the primary compartments investigated. The review finds tourism, fishing, and river discharge as the main microplastic sources, and identifies significant methodological gaps that limit cross-study comparisons.

2023 Oecologia Australis 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence, distribution, and zonation at Paraná’s beaches—South of Brazil

Researchers conducted the first survey of microplastic distribution and zonation on beaches in Paraná state, southern Brazil, characterizing MP concentrations, polymer types, and morphologies across multiple beach zones to establish a baseline for this understudied South American coastline.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Characterization of Microplastics in Coastal Beach Sand: Insights from a Case Study at Praia Vermelha, Brazil

Researchers developed and validated a standardised protocol for collecting, processing, and characterising microplastics in beach sands at Praia Vermelha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using flotation extraction and systematic sampling to demonstrate the methodology's effectiveness for identifying microplastics from coastal plastic waste disposal.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Article Tier 2

Meso- and microplastic composition, distribution patterns and drivers: A snapshot of plastic pollution on Brazilian beaches

A standardized survey of plastic pollution across 22 sandy beaches spanning over 4600 km of Brazilian coast found widespread contamination in coastal sediments, with polymer type, size, and distribution patterns reflecting diverse sources including fishing activity and urban runoff.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the occurrence of microplastics in beach sand on the Brazilian coast

Researchers evaluated microplastic occurrence in beach sand along the Brazilian coastline using a simplified methodology. The study found widespread microplastic contamination and identified potential pollution sources linked to coastal urbanization and ocean currents.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic and marine debris on the beaches of Niterói Oceanic Region, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Researchers evaluated microplastic and marine debris on ocean beaches of Niterói, Brazil, across winter and summer seasons, finding seasonal variation in abundance with fragments and films predominating and highlighting recreational beaches as significant accumulation zones.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Hotspots on a Tropical Estuarine-Bay System

Researchers mapped microplastic hotspots in the Santos Estuarine System in Brazil — the most populous estuary and largest seaport in the country — characterizing accumulation and export dynamics of microplastics in a high-traffic coastal environment.

2025
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastics distribution at an Amazon macrotidal sandy beach

Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination at a macrotidal sandy beach on the Amazon coast of Brazil, detecting an average of 492.5 particles per square meter with fibers dominating across three depth strata down to 60 cm.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Rethinking the Environmental Quality of Brazilian Beaches: The Incidence of Microplastics as Indicator for Sea Water and Sand Quality

This paper proposes using microplastic levels in beach sand and seawater as indicators of beach environmental quality, arguing that current assessments in Brazil focus too narrowly on microbial contamination. The authors present evidence that microplastic contamination poses health risks to swimmers and coastal communities that should be incorporated into beach quality standards.

2020 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters of tropical estuaries around a densely populated Brazilian bay

Researchers found extremely high microplastic concentrations (up to 33,000 items per cubic meter) in ten estuaries around Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, largely driven by deficient domestic wastewater treatment serving over 3 million residents.

2023 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Caracterização de microplásticos em amostras marinhas e estuarinas

This study characterized microplastics collected from marine and estuarine samples in Brazil, classifying them by size, shape, and polymer type. The findings document the widespread presence of microplastic contamination in these coastal ecosystems and provide baseline data for future monitoring.

2021
Article Tier 2

Microplastic levels on sandy beaches: Are tourism and coastal recreational activities effects really important?

Researchers assessed microplastic levels at six sites across three Argentine sandy beaches with varying tourism intensity, finding concentrations averaged 1,133 items/kg in sand and 12.7 items/m3 in seawater, dominated by PE films and PET/cotton fibers. Contrary to expectations, the highest microplastic concentrations and smallest particles were found at a low-activity 'pristine' site, suggesting river proximity and coastal drift rather than tourism are the dominant local pollution drivers.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the sediments of a highly eutrophic tropical estuary

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in sublittoral sediments of Guanabara Bay, a highly eutrophic tropical estuary in Brazil, finding widespread contamination with fibers and fragments at concentrations reflecting the bay's heavy urbanization and poor waste management.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Brazil's coastal marine surface waters: The first macroregional baseline from the global south

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic survey in the Global South, sampling 4,134 surface water sites across 7,500 km of Brazilian coastline, finding the highest concentrations in the Eastern Coastline (16.87 MPs/L) and lowest in the Amazonian Equatorial region (1.29 MPs/L), with spatial patterns driven by hydrodynamic conditions, salinity, proximity to sewage, and anthropogenic inputs.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal evaluation of macro, meso and microplastics in surface waters, bottom and beach sediments of two embayments in Niterói, RJ, Brazil

Researchers evaluated macro, meso, and microplastic distribution across surface waters and sediments in two Brazilian embayments, finding microplastics comprised 83% of collected waste with highest concentrations (138.41 items/kg) in beach sediments dominated by HDPE, polypropylene, and styrene. Beach sediments showed elevated microplastic concentrations during the rainy season and were identified as the most informative compartment for tracking plastic waste dynamics over time.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics and microplastics on recreational beaches in Punta del Este (Uruguay): Unseen critical residents?

Researchers assessed plastic and microplastic pollution on recreational beaches in Punta del Este, Uruguay, finding contamination levels that reflected tourist activity and coastal currents, and raising concerns for beach users and coastal ecosystems.

2016 Environmental Pollution 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of environmental microplastics present in unconsolidated sediments in coastal waters of 9 beaches on shoreline of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Researchers characterized environmental microplastics in unconsolidated sediments from nine beaches along the southern coast of Brazil, identifying particle abundance, morphology, color, and polymer composition. The study documented widespread microplastic contamination at all sampled coastal sites, with fragments and fibers being the dominant morphological types found in the sediment samples.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Pollution by microplastic in highly crowded sandy beaches in Lima, Peru

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination at three heavily visited sandy beaches in Lima, Peru, finding fragments and fibers of polypropylene and polyethylene as the most common particles, with abundance varying by season and beach characteristics.

2023 Environmental Quality Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastic pollution in mangrove soils of Todos os Santos Bay, northern Brazil

Researchers found widespread microplastic pollution in mangrove soils around Todos os Santos Bay in Brazil, detecting contamination at multiple depths and distances from the tidal area, highlighting mangroves as previously overlooked sinks for microplastic accumulation.

2022 Environmental Research 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, characteristics and short-term variability of microplastics in beach sediment of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil

Researchers conducted daily beach sediment sampling on Fernando de Noronha Archipelago in Brazil, documenting large spatial and temporal variability in microplastic concentrations (0.6-1,059 particles/m) and finding that remote island beaches are not protected from microplastic contamination.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Litter on Beaches With Different Levels of Development and Use: A Snapshot of a Coast in Pernambuco (Brazil)

Beach litter was surveyed at nine sites in northeastern Brazil, finding plastic dominated at all beach types but with differences in litter composition linked to local activities. Characterizing litter sources at specific beaches is essential for targeted waste reduction policies.

2018 Frontiers in Marine Science 76 citations