Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Micro- and mesoplastics in Northeast Levantine coast of Turkey: The preliminary results from surface samples

Researchers conducted the first microplastic survey of the northeastern Levantine coast of Turkey in Iskenderun and Mersin Bays, measuring an average of 0.376 items/m² at the sea surface, with the highest concentrations near a river mouth, at levels comparable to other Mediterranean regions.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 141 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size

Researchers sampled Mediterranean coastal shallow sediments and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting land-based inputs and showing that coastal sediments are a significant regional reservoir for plastic debris.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 617 citations
Article Tier 2

Current status and comparative risk assessment of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment from the Black Sea coastline using geospatial analysis

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive microplastic survey of Turkey's Black Sea coast, documenting a roughly 78% annual increase in surface water particle concentrations and a threefold rise at some sediment stations, with fibers and high-risk polymers like PET and PVC dominating both matrices and most sites rated high ecological risk.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Characterization of Microplastic Pollution in The Three Main Freshwater Systems (Aksu and Köprü Streams, Manavgat River) And Fishing Grounds Located in Their Vicinities in The Antalya Bay

Researchers found 2,444 microplastics across three freshwater systems near Antalya Bay, Turkey, with fibers (57%) and fragments (33%) dominating, and polyethylene and polypropylene as the most common polymers, showing a homogeneous pollution pattern across all sampling sites.

2021 Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Riverine Microplastic Loading to Mersin Bay, Turkey on the North-eastern Mediterranean

Researchers characterized microplastics in eight rivers discharging into Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean, finding fibres dominated at 83.5% of particles and calculating a total load of approximately 1,200 billion particles delivered to the bay. Microplastic characteristics in the rivers closely matched those previously documented in the marine environment of Mersin Bay.

2022 Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution along the Lebanese coast (Eastern Mediterranean Basin): Occurrence in surface water, sediments and biota samples

Microplastics were detected in surface water, sediments, and biota along the Lebanese coastline of the eastern Mediterranean, with concentrations reflecting local pollution pressures and sea current patterns. The study provides baseline data for a heavily urbanized and heavily impacted stretch of Mediterranean coast, confirming widespread microplastic contamination throughout the region.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

An evaluation of surface micro- and mesoplastic pollution in pelagic ecosystems of the Western Mediterranean Sea

Researchers found that micro- and mesoplastic debris were widely and uniformly distributed across the Western Mediterranean Sea, with average surface concentrations of approximately 130,000 microplastic particles per km2 and 5,700 mesoplastic particles per km2. Fragment morphology and polymer composition analysis indicated a predominantly land-based origin for the debris.

2015 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 173 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in coastal waters of Northern Cyprus: Environmental burden and seafood contamination

Researchers collected surface water, sediment, and fish samples from five coastal regions of Northern Cyprus across summer and winter seasons and characterised microplastic contamination. MP concentrations in surface water were highest in the north (0.16 MP/m²) and lower in the south, with fibers and fragments identified in fish gastrointestinal tracts.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Mediterranean microplastic contamination: Israel's coastline contributions

Researchers monitored microplastic contamination at six sites along Israel's Mediterranean coastline, finding that sites near river estuaries (Tel Aviv and Hadera) had the highest MP concentrations, reaching 18,777 particles per square meter. Fragment and film morphologies dominated, and polyethylene was the most common polymer, pointing to urban runoff as the primary source.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.

Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.

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

Microplastics in Turkish coastal lagoons: Unveiling the hidden threat to wetland ecosystems

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution in five coastal lagoons in northeastern Mediterranean Turkey, recovering over 15,500 microplastic particles from water and sediment samples. Water concentrations were significantly higher in November than in June, with fibers being the dominant type and polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester the most common polymers. The findings point to agricultural runoff, fishing gear, and mismanaged waste as significant pollution sources in these ecologically important wetland ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Pollution in Turkish Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Characteristics, Implications, and Mitigation Strategies

This systematic review surveys microplastic pollution across Turkish rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. It found widespread contamination from textile fibers, packaging fragments, and agricultural films, with potential implications for local seafood safety and drinking water quality.

2023 Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Occurrences in Sediments Collected from Marmara Sea-Istanbul, Turkey

Researchers surveyed sediments in the Marmara Sea near Istanbul and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers being the most common type. The study adds to growing evidence of microplastic pollution in Turkish waters and highlights the Marmara Sea as a regional hotspot given its geography and population density.

2020 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence, Spatial Distribution, and Characteristics of Microplastics in Beach Sediments Along the Northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean Coast

Researchers surveyed fourteen beaches along the northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean coast and found microplastics in every sediment sample, averaging about 59 particles per kilogram of dry sand. Fibers were the dominant shape at nearly 78%, with tourism, fishing, and wastewater discharges identified as the most likely pollution sources. The findings indicate moderate but widespread microplastic contamination along this coastline.

2025 Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Researchers combined field sampling across four Mediterranean coastal areas with hydrodynamic and particle drift modeling to characterize microplastic abundance, size, and polymer type variability, finding that wastewater and river inputs drive spatial patterns of surface MP distribution.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Turkish Coastal Lagoons: Unveiling the Hidden Threat to Wetland Ecosystems

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance, composition, and seasonal variability in surface water and sediment of five Turkish coastal lagoons in the northeastern Mediterranean. Microplastics were present in all lagoons across seasons, with fibers dominating, and sediment concentrations far exceeding water column levels, revealing that these transitional ecosystems serve as significant microplastic sinks.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics composition and load from three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay, north eastern Mediterranean Sea

Three wastewater treatment plants discharging into Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean were found to release significant loads of microplastics into coastal waters, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms. The study quantifies WWTPs as a measurable source of ongoing microplastic input to Mediterranean marine ecosystems.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 206 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of surface sediment microplastics and litter from North African coasts of Mediterranean Sea: Preliminary research and first evidence

Researchers conducted the first investigation of microplastic and macro-litter contamination along North African Mediterranean coasts in the Gulf of Annaba, Algeria. Five types of microplastics were identified, with fibers being the most common at 70%, and polyethylene the dominant polymer. The distribution of contamination was linked to proximity to populated areas, wastewater discharges, and industrial installations.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution in surface sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf

Researchers found microplastic contamination in coastal sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf between Algeciras and Barcelona, with densities ranging from below detection limits to 1,380 particles per kilogram dry weight, predominantly fibers and fragments.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic litter composition of the Turkish territorial waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and its occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract of fish

Researchers analyzed microplastic litter composition in Turkish territorial waters of the Mediterranean, documenting polymer types, shapes, and sizes and identifying textiles and packaging as dominant plastic sources.

2017 Environmental Pollution 736 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal distribution of microplastic abundances in Izmir Bay (eastern Aegean Sea)

Sampling surface water and sediments at ten stations in Izmir Bay (eastern Aegean Sea) revealed widespread MP pollution, with concentrations up to 8 million particles per km² of surface water, dominated by plastic fragments. The study fills a gap in Mediterranean MP data and highlights the bay's vulnerability to contamination from nearby rivers, ports, and maritime traffic.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

First report of occurrence, distribution, and composition of microplastics in surface waters of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey

Researchers reported the first characterization of microplastic occurrence, distribution, and polymer composition in surface waters of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey, finding widespread contamination and identifying the types of plastics present in this heavily trafficked and enclosed marine system.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal distribution of microplastic pollution in surface sediments along the coastal areas of Istanbul, Turkey

Researchers sampled microplastic (MP) pollution across 43 stations in Istanbul's Marmara Sea and Bosphorus over four seasons, finding strong seasonal variation — summer concentrations were roughly five times higher than winter levels. River mouths in the Golden Horn and coastal discharge points were the worst hotspots, underscoring how dense urban activity drives MP contamination in semi-enclosed coastal waters.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics in sediments and surface waters of Turkish lakes

Researchers surveyed seven lakes in Turkey and found microplastics in all of them, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. Human activities like tourism, fishing, and urban waste disposal were identified as major sources, showing that even protected lake areas are contaminated with plastic particles that can enter drinking water supplies.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 12 citations