Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Determination of Selected Organic Contaminants in the Port of Gdynia Sediments: Towards Cleaner Baltic Ports

Researchers assessed dioxin and microplastic contamination in bottom sediments from the Port of Gdynia on the Baltic Sea, providing preliminary baseline data on organic pollutants and plastic particles in a major European seaport. Polyolefins were the dominant plastic types identified by spectroscopic analysis.

2024 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastics in the surface waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga

Microplastic abundance and composition were compared between the Gulf of Riga and the Eastern Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea, with higher concentrations in the Gulf of Riga near river mouths and urban coasts, and polypropylene and polyethylene dominating the polymer composition at most sites.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic contamination of sandy beaches along the southern Baltic – a one season field survey results

Researchers surveyed microplastic and macroplastic contamination along the Polish Baltic Sea coast, finding microplastic concentrations of 118–1,382 pieces/kg in beach sand and 0.61–2.76 pieces/dm3 in coastal waters, with sub-1 mm blue fibers dominating across all sites and suggesting a common fibrous source throughout the Polish coastal zone.

2022 Oceanologia 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in Surface Freshwater and Wastewaters of Latvia and Lithuania

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in surface water and wastewater across four Baltic cities in Latvia and Lithuania, finding an average of 16.63 particles/L with fibers as the dominant shape and polyethylene terephthalate as the most common polymer, with municipal and hospital wastewater identified as the primary contamination sources.

2023 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Variability of Microplastics in the Eastern Baltic Sea

Researchers documented spatiotemporal variability of microplastics in the eastern Baltic Sea over five years, finding concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 2.45 particles per cubic meter with patterns linked to proximity to urban areas and riverine inputs.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics at the sea surface – A year-long monitoring case study from the urban Kiel Fjord, southwest Baltic Sea

Researchers conducted a year-long monthly survey of microplastic abundance at eight sites within and around Kiel Fjord in the Baltic Sea, finding an overall low and stable load of 0.04 particles per square meter compared to other urban coastal areas. No strong relationship was found between microplastic abundance and weather parameters, though unusually high counts consistently followed rainfall and snowmelt events linked to storm drain inputs.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Article Tier 2

The first report on the occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish species and surrounding water from the Baltic Sea (Poland)

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive study of microplastic occurrence in commercial fish species and surrounding water from the Polish Baltic Sea, characterizing particle abundance and properties while examining the poorly understood relationship between microplastic concentrations in organisms and their surrounding habitat.

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

Microplastics on sandy beaches of the southern Baltic Sea

Microplastics were detected on all 12 beaches along the Polish Baltic coast at concentrations of 76 to 295 items per kilogram of sediment, with fibers and fragments dominant and no strong relationship to sediment grain size. Urban beaches had the highest concentrations, though beach hydrodynamics also played a significant role in structuring local microplastic distribution.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 141 citations
Article Tier 2

The first report on the occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish species and surrounding water from the Baltic Sea (Poland)

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive study of microplastic contamination in both seawater and commercial fish species from the Baltic Sea, collecting surface and water-column samples from multiple sub-regions and examining fish caught as bycatch of Baltic herring, finding microplastics were detected in 100% of fish examined.

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

Microplastics in seawater and fish acquired from the corresponding fishing zones of the Baltic Sea

Microplastics were detected in 100% of seawater and 61% of fish samples collected from corresponding fishing zones of the Baltic Sea, with mean abundances of 19,984 items/m³ in seawater and 3.3 items per fish. The co-sampling design linking fish MP loads to their water column environment provided direct evidence of aquatic exposure driving tissue contamination.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic content variation in water column: The observations employing a novel sampling tool in stratified Baltic Sea

Researchers developed a novel sampling tool capable of collecting several cubic metres of water from predefined depth layers down to 100 m and used it to investigate microplastic distribution in the stratified Baltic Sea during spring thermocline formation. They found strong vertical microplastic stratification at all stations, with fibre-rich surface layers near terrestrial sources and offshore variability linked to thermohaline structure.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in marine bivalves from the Nordic environment

Microplastics were found in four out of five bivalve species sampled at 100 sites across Nordic coastal waters from Norway to the Baltic Sea. Urbanized areas and harbors had the highest concentrations, with 11 different polymer types identified, pointing to diverse urban and industrial sources of plastic contamination.

2020 TemaNord 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploration of occurrence and sources of microplastics (>10 μm) in Danish marine waters

Microplastics larger than 10 micrometers were quantified in Danish marine waters of the Kattegat and southern Skagerrak, an area receiving Baltic Sea inflow and urban runoff from Copenhagen and Malmö. The study establishes baseline concentrations and identifies urban and riverine inputs as key sources to these regional seas.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution of the Vistula Lagoon and Baltic Sea: A comparison study

Researchers compared microplastic levels in the Vistula Lagoon and the nearby Baltic Sea, finding higher concentrations in the more enclosed lagoon where particles accumulate rather than dispersing. Fibers were the dominant type in both locations, with notably longer fibers trapped in the lagoon, establishing a first baseline for plastic pollution in this understudied region.

2025 Environmental Pollution and Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Microplastics in North-Western Mediterranean Harbors: Seasonality and Biofilm-Related Metallic Contaminants

Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in three Mediterranean harbors across seasons, finding higher levels in summer (coinciding with peak boating activity) and detecting heavy metals associated with plastic biofilms. Harbors are identified as significant hotspots for microplastic pollution that spreads into surrounding coastal waters.

2021 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tourism on microplastic pollution amount in Baltic Sea Region lakes

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments from 10 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland across spring, summer, and autumn 2023, finding that tourism pressure in lake catchment areas correlates with elevated microplastic contamination levels.

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

Plastic debris composition and concentration in the Arctic Ocean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Researchers sampled plastic debris in the Arctic Ocean rim, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea using Manta trawls, finding microplastics at all 11 locations with generally low concentrations averaging 0.06 particles/m3, but with highest concentrations near the Arctic Ocean and polystyrene and polyethylene as dominant polymers.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Surface Waters of the Russian Arctic Seas: Distribution, Concentration, Identification, and Eco-Risks for Fish

Microplastics were detected across surface waters of the Russian Arctic seas, with concentrations and polymer types varying by region and season. The findings document that even high-latitude Arctic waters are not spared from microplastic contamination, likely transported by ocean currents and rivers.

2025 Journal of Ichthyology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban Microplastics Emissions: Effectiveness of Retention Measures and Consequences for the Baltic Sea

Researchers estimated that 6.7 x 10^13 microplastic particles enter the Baltic Sea annually from urban sewage pathways, with stormwater runoff accounting for 62% of emissions, and modeled scenarios showing that improved retention measures in wastewater infrastructure could substantially reduce these inputs.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by small coastal fish in the northern Baltic Sea, Finland

Researchers found microplastics in 9% of 424 small coastal fish examined in the northern Baltic Sea, with urban Helsinki sites showing the highest prevalence (27.5%), and no relationship found between fish size or species and microplastic ingestion, suggesting coastal urbanization as a key driver.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the composition, concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics: A case study of the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France)

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in surface water and sediment at nine locations across the Bay of Brest, France, and found that pollution levels were highest near population centers and wastewater outfalls. The study identified both polymer types and size distributions, helping to trace the sources of microplastic contamination in this coastal bay.

2017 Environmental Pollution 422 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Mesoplastic Monitoring on Beaches: Understanding Seasonal and Spatial Distribution Patterns

Researchers monitored microplastic abundance and composition across 11 Latvian Baltic Sea beaches over four seasons from autumn 2022 to summer 2023, finding that seasonal climate patterns and proximity to the Gulf of Riga influence both microplastic load and spatial distribution along the northeastern European coastline.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics distribution in bottom sediments of the Baltic Sea Proper

Researchers found microplastics in Baltic Sea Proper bottom sediments ranging from 103 to 10,179 items per kg dry weight across 53 samples, with abundance increasing significantly with water depth. Fibrous particles dominated at 74.5% and appeared to behave as a distinct type of 'synthetic sediment,' following erosion-transition-accumulation patterns similar to natural sediment.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in ports worldwide: Environmental concerns or overestimated pollution levels?

This review analyzed microplastic pollution data from 78 ports worldwide and found that port environments can harbor significant concentrations of microplastics in water, sediment, and marine life. About 23% of studied ports had microplastic levels in sediment above the threshold predicted to cause ecological harm. Since ports are connected to fisheries and coastal communities, this pollution could affect both marine ecosystems and the seafood supply chain.

2024 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 10 citations