Papers

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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

Data on microplastic contamination of the Baltic Sea bottom sediment samples in 2015–2016

Microplastic contamination in Baltic Sea bottom sediments was quantified across 53 samples from three major basins, providing primary data on abundance, distribution, and types of particles. This baseline dataset is important for tracking how microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea changes over time.

2019 Data in Brief 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Baltic bottom sediments: Quantification procedures and first results

Researchers developed modified procedures for quantifying microplastics in Baltic Sea bottom sediments, addressing limitations in the standard NOAA methods — particularly the underestimation of fiber counts. The proposed improvements offer a more reliable approach for monitoring sediment contamination in this heavily polluted regional sea.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 259 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution on the Baltic beaches of Kaliningrad region, Russia

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination on Baltic Sea beaches in Russia's Kaliningrad region between 2015 and 2016, finding 1.3 to 36.3 items per kg dry sediment with foamed plastic predominating, and detecting no clear difference in contamination levels between high- and low-traffic beach sites.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 182 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

Initial Survey of Microplastics in Bottom Sediments from United States Waterways

Researchers conducted an initial survey of microplastic abundance, occurrence, and polymer composition in bottom sediments from nine dredged US waterways and two reference areas, finding particle counts ranging from 162 to 6,110 particles per kilogram dry weight.

2019 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronological evidence of microplastic accumulation and contamination onset in Central Baltic Sea sediments

Analysis of well-preserved Baltic Sea sediment cores revealed a 50-year chronological record of microplastic accumulation, showing contamination onset in the mid-20th century with accelerating deposition in recent decades.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination of sandy beaches of national parks, protected and recreational areas in southern parts of the Baltic Sea

Researchers found microplastic contamination in all 51 surface beach sand samples across seven sites along the southern Baltic Sea, including national park and protected areas, at a mean of 68 items/kg dry weight. Expanded polystyrene fragments were the most common type (~38%), and protected areas did not differ substantially from recreational beaches.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 30 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastic in marine sedimentary environments: A review and synthesis

A systematic review of 80 papers on microplastics in marine sediments found median concentrations varied widely by sediment environment, with fibers dominating many locations, and showed that sediment grain size and organic carbon content influence microplastic accumulation.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 381 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal variability in the abundance and composition of beach litter and microplastics along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Beach litter and microplastics (20-5000 microns) were co-assessed along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein in spring and autumn 2018, finding no correlation between macro and microplastic abundances, with a median of 2 microplastic particles per 500 g dry sediment and six polymer types identified.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments from Norderney

Researchers surveyed sediments from Norderney in the North Sea and found widespread microplastic contamination, documenting spatial distribution patterns and particle characteristics across this tidally influenced coastal environment.

2014 Environmental Pollution 608 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Researchers investigated microplastic sources and distribution in marine and beach sediments of the southern Baltic Sea — one of the most polluted regional seas — using density extraction and FT-IR identification. The study found widespread contamination with significant variability tied to local sources and hydrodynamic transport patterns.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 320 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic fibres in the Baltic Sea water column: Field data, laboratory and numerical testing of their motion

Analysis of water column samples from the Baltic Sea found that synthetic fibers were by far the most common type of microplastic, detected at concentrations from just below the surface down to depth. The study provides detailed vertical distribution data for microplastic fibers in a semi-enclosed sea and includes laboratory tests on how different fiber types behave in seawater.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 202 citations
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

Microplastics Baseline Surveys at the Water Surface and in Sediments of the North-East Atlantic

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations at the sea surface and in sediments across the southern North Sea and northwestern Europe, finding highly variable but widespread contamination. Sediments contained far higher concentrations than surface waters, confirming that the seafloor acts as a major sink for microplastic pollution.

2017 Frontiers in Marine Science 308 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

A large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in European beach sediment

This large-scale investigation characterized microplastic contamination across a wide geographic area, documenting abundance and polymer types and providing a baseline dataset for tracking pollution trends over time.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 450 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation and distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments from the inner Oslofjord, Norway

Researchers found microplastic concentrations of 0.02 to 1.71 MPs/g dry weight in sediments from the inner Oslofjord, Norway, with polyester fibers dominating (76%) and microplastic morphology and polymer type influencing accumulation in specific sediment grain-size fractions.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast

Researchers surveyed marine sediments along the Belgian coast and found microplastics distributed across all sampled sites, documenting their occurrence and characteristics in this heavily trafficked North Sea coastal environment.

2011 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1391 citations
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

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

Studying the Concentration of Microplastic Particles in Water, Bottom Sediments and Subsoils in the Coastal Area of the Neva Bay, the Gulf of Finland

Microplastic concentrations in the coastal area of Neva Bay were far higher in bottom sediments and coastal soils than in water, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types. The findings indicate that sediments and soils act as major sinks for microplastic accumulation in this Baltic Sea region.

2020 Water Resources 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sediments: a comparison within zones located worldwide with different impact

Researchers collected 25 sediment samples from six coastal areas worldwide spanning depths from 1 to 426 meters during 2022 and 2023 to compare microplastic abundance in zones with different levels of anthropogenic impact. They found a mean microplastic concentration of 308.81 items per kg dry weight across all sites, ranging from 20.79 items per kg in touristic Palma, Mallorca to 872.95 items per kg in the highly urbanized Ilha da Mare in Brazil, with fibers comprising approximately 95% of detected particles.

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

Microplastics in sediments: a comparison within zones located worldwide with different impact

Researchers quantified and compared microplastic abundance in marine sediment samples collected from 25 sites across six coastal areas worldwide at depths ranging from 1 to 426 metres during 2022 and 2023. The study found a mean abundance of 308.81 items per kg dry weight across all sites, with concentrations varying substantially by location and reflecting differing levels of anthropogenic influence.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)