Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Deciphering the seasonal dynamics of microplastic morphotypes and associated co-contaminants along the northwest coast of India

Researchers studied seasonal variations in microplastic abundance along the northwest coast of India bordering the Arabian Sea. The study found dramatically higher microplastic concentrations during monsoon season compared to pre- and post-monsoon periods, with polypropylene and high-density polyethylene as the dominant polymer types.

2024 Chemosphere 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphometric characteristics and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of microplastics on the north-east coast of India

Survey of surface waters along the northeast coast of India found microplastics present in all sampled water masses, with higher concentrations during the monsoon season than the post-monsoon period, and fragments and fibers making up the vast majority of particles. The seasonal pattern suggests land-based runoff is a major delivery pathway, with implications for the many coastal communities in the region that depend on these waters for fishing and livelihoods.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal distribution and abundance of microplastics in the coastal sediments of north eastern Arabian Sea

Researchers documented seasonal variation in microplastic abundance along India's North Eastern Arabian Sea coast, finding 4,400 to 15,300 items per kilogram of dry sediment with fibers as the dominant form across ten identified polymer types.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Pelagic microplastics in surface water of the Eastern Indian Ocean during monsoon transition period: Abundance, distribution, and characteristics

Pelagic microplastic concentrations were measured in surface water of the eastern Indian Ocean at 36 stations during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons. The study found spatial variation linked to ocean circulation patterns, expanding knowledge of open-ocean microplastic distribution in one of the least-studied major ocean regions.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 127 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variations in the abundance and distribution of microplastic particles in the surface waters of a Southern Indian Lake

Researchers documented seasonal variations in microplastic abundance in a southern Indian lake, finding higher concentrations during monsoon season due to stormwater runoff, with fibers and fragments as the dominant particle types linked to nearby urban and agricultural activities.

2022 Chemosphere 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation of microplastics in tropical mangrove waters of South-western India

Researchers measured seasonal variations in microplastic contamination within tropical mangrove waters in South-Western India. They found that post-monsoon concentrations were highest at 1.42 microplastics per liter, while monsoon season had the lowest levels at 0.19 per liter. Fibers were the most common particle type, with polymers including polypropylene, PET, and polyethylene identified, likely originating from local tourism, aquaculture, and marine industries.

2023 Regional Studies in Marine Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Zonal Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics in the Southern Indian Ocean and the Influence of Ocean Current

Microplastic concentrations were measured in seawater across the southern Indian Ocean along transects influenced by major ocean currents, finding that plastic distribution was shaped by circulation patterns with higher concentrations in convergence zones. The study provides baseline data on microplastic pollution in a relatively understudied and remote ocean region.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastic pollution in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

Researchers conducted the first systematic field survey of microplastic pollution at the surface of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, finding concentrations spanning two orders of magnitude and identifying polyethylene as the dominant polymer type, with the highest concentrations associated with convergence zones shaped by the Kuroshio Current and adjacent eddies.

2019 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic debris (> 500µm) concentration gradient detected across the Southwest Indian Ocean

Researchers investigated plastic debris concentration and composition across the Southwest Indian Ocean using 19 oceanographic campaigns and 153 uninhabited beach surveys, identifying a gradient in floating macroplastic distribution and characterizing the sources and polymer types of 101,055 litter items.

2024
Article Tier 2

Systematical insights into distribution and characteristics of microplastics in near-surface waters from the East Asian Seas to the Arctic Central Basin

Researchers systematically mapped microplastic distribution in near-surface waters from the East Asian Seas to the Arctic Central Basin, detecting particles at 93.9% of sites with an average of 2.91 items/m3 and finding that fragments and fibers dominated across the entire transect.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in coastal and oceanic surface waters and their role as carriers of pollutants of emerging concern in marine organisms

Researchers analyzed 167 studies on microplastics in ocean surface waters and marine organisms, finding that fragments and fibers are the most common particle types across all regions studied. The review highlights that microplastics act as carriers for other harmful pollutants, increasing the chemical burden on marine life. The uneven global distribution of research means that microplastic contamination in many ocean regions remains poorly understood.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 56 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

A meta-analytic review of microplastic pollution in the Indian Ocean: Ecological health and seafood safety risk implications

Microplastic concentrations in the Indian Ocean varied enormously -- up to 372,000 particles/m3 in surface water -- with polyethylene as the dominant polymer and fibers the most prevalent shape. The meta-analysis found that shrimp accumulated significantly more microplastics than fish, but microplastics did not biomagnify along the food chain.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Overview of monitoring methods and environmental distribution: Microplastics in the Indian Ocean

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic monitoring in the Indian Ocean, which ranks second globally for microplastic contamination. Researchers catalogued the abundance, size, shape, and polymer types found across the region, with fibers and debris being the most common forms and polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene the dominant materials. The study calls for standardized sampling methods and greater collaboration among Indian Ocean nations to address this widespread pollution problem.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal characterisation of microplastics in the coastal regions of Singapore

Researchers characterized the spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics along Singapore's coastal waters, finding fragments as the dominant type at 70%, with higher concentrations at the surface and polymer compositions including polyethylene and polypropylene.

2023 Heliyon 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of plastic debris from surface waters of the eastern Arabian Sea–Indian Ocean

Researchers characterized floating plastic debris from surface waters of the eastern Arabian Sea, finding that the microplastic size fraction (0.5-5 mm) was most prevalent at over 50% of total debris, with ATR-FTIR analysis identifying polyethylene and polypropylene as dominant polymer types. The findings document widespread plastic contamination in a poorly studied region of the Indian Ocean.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal distribution of microplastics in the surface water and sediments of the Vellar estuary, Parangipettai, southeast coast of India

Seasonal surveys of Vellar estuary on southeast India's coast found microplastics in both surface water (1.15 to 5.14 items/m3) and sediments (24.8 to 43.4 particles/kg dry weight), with fibers dominating and concentrations varying between seasons.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface layer microplastic pollution in four bays of the central Mexican Pacific

Researchers sampled surface microplastics monthly across four bays of the central Mexican Pacific over one year, finding median concentrations between 0.26 and 0.40 particles per square meter with polypropylene and polyethylene as the dominant polymers. Fibers dominated most samples, though Manzanillo Bay showed seasonal dominance of fragments during the rainy season.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, characterization, and source delineation of microplastics in the coastal waters and shelf sediments of the central east coast of India, Bay of Bengal

This study characterized microplastics in surface water and shelf sediments along 1,200 km of India's east coast, finding average concentrations of 5.3 million particles per square kilometer in surface water and 209 particles per kilogram in sediments. Fibers dominated surface water while fragments dominated sediments, with riverine inputs and fishing activities identified as primary sources.

2022 Chemosphere 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of seasonal variations on the distribution characteristics of microplastics in the surface water of the Inner Gulf of Thailand

Researchers sampled surface water across 70-74 sites in the Inner Gulf of Thailand in both dry and wet seasons, finding microplastic concentrations 4 times higher in the wet season (34.59 pieces/L) than the dry season (8.70 pieces/L). River discharge was identified as the key driver of microplastic input to the coastal sea, and polypropylene and polyethylene were the dominant polymers.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in the mid-west Pacific Ocean

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance, distribution, and composition across the mid-west Pacific Ocean, an area with previously limited data, finding widespread contamination across sampled stations. The dominant particle types were fibers and fragments, with concentrations varying by location and depth.

2020 Environmental Pollution 250 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastic fibers in the marginal sea water column off southeast China

Researchers conducted intensive sampling of the marginal sea water column off southeast China and found that microplastic fibers — predominantly polyethylene — were widely distributed, with hydrological dynamics rather than direct terrestrial input driving their spatial patterns during the summer monsoon. The study provides rare data on microplastic fiber distribution in the vertical water column of marginal seas.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics in the surface seawater of the South Yellow Sea as affected by season

Surface seawater in the South Yellow Sea contained higher microplastic concentrations in winter than spring or summer, with fibers making up about 90% of particles and polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant polymers. Seasonal variation in plastic characteristics, especially in summer, reflected greater terrestrial inputs during warmer months.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and seasonal variation of microplastics and possible sources in the estuarine system from central west coast of India

Researchers collected samples from an estuarine system on India's west coast across two seasons, finding significant spatial and seasonal variation in microplastic abundance — with monsoon season delivering higher loads — and identifying local fishing activities and urban runoff as primary sources.

2021 Environmental Pollution 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in beach sand from three different Indian coastal environments

Beach sands from three locations on the Indian coast were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations of 45–220 particles/kg dry sand with polyethylene (43%) as the dominant polymer, followed by PET and polystyrene. The study establishes baseline contamination data for Indian beaches and demonstrates consistent polymer profiles across geographically distinct coastal environments.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 432 citations