We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in Latin America and the Caribbean: On the adoption of reporting standards and quality assurance and quality control protocols
ClearReview of current trends, advances and analytical challenges for microplastics contamination in Latin America
This review compiled 78 studies on microplastic contamination across Latin America and found that research in the region remains limited, with Brazil accounting for 34% of all studies. Fibers were the most prevalent microplastic type found, making up 62% of particles, with polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene accounting for 80% of identified polymers. The study highlights significant gaps in standardized methodologies that make it difficult to establish baseline microplastic pollution levels across the region.
Methodological similarities and discrepancies among studies on microplastics in South American continental aquatic environments
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 57 studies on microplastic pollution in South American continental aquatic environments, identifying significant methodological discrepancies in sampling, detection limits, and sample preparation that limit cross-study comparability and proposing standardization approaches.
Where and how? A systematic review of microplastic pollution on beaches in Latin America and the caribbean (LAC)
Microplastic contamination on Latin American and Caribbean beaches ranged from 0 to 5,458 particles/m2, with the highest accumulations found on ocean island beaches. Brazilian beaches accounted for 43% of all studies, while large stretches of coastline in Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina had no data, and inconsistent methodologies prevented meaningful cross-study comparison.
A breakthrough in the harmonization of microplastics monitoring protocols in latin american region
This paper describes progress toward harmonizing microplastic monitoring protocols across Latin American countries, aiming to create consistent, comparable data from a region with significant plastic pollution challenges but historically fragmented scientific approaches. Standardized monitoring is a prerequisite for effective regional policy and for understanding how plastic pollution flows through South and Central American river systems.
A breakthrough in the harmonization of microplastics monitoring protocols in latin american region
This paper describes progress toward harmonizing microplastic monitoring protocols across Latin American countries, aiming to create consistent, comparable data from a region with significant plastic pollution challenges but historically fragmented scientific approaches. Standardized monitoring is a prerequisite for effective regional policy and for understanding how plastic pollution flows through South and Central American river systems.
Microplastics in Latin America Ecosystems: A Critical Review of the Current Stage and Research Needs
This systematic review of 196 studies reveals that Latin America, which consumes 8% of the world's plastic but recycles only 4.5%, has significant gaps in microplastic contamination data. Understanding the distribution of microplastics in Latin American ecosystems is critical for assessing potential health risks to the region's populations.
Prevalence of microplastics in the ocean in Latin America and the Caribbean
This review assessed microplastic prevalence in ocean waters across Latin America and the Caribbean, finding that mismanaged waste and wastewater are critical pollution sources, while highlighting the need for more research on effects on local biota and human health.
Microplastics in Latin America and the Caribbean: A review on current status and perspectives
This review assessed the current status of microplastic research across Latin America and the Caribbean, covering occurrence in water, sediments, and soil, as well as effects on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and identifying key knowledge gaps in the region.
Revisión de métodos de muestreo, detección, caracterización de microplásticos y control de calidad en columna de agua y sedimentos
This Spanish-language review surveys the methods used to sample, detect, and characterize microplastics in water and sediments, cataloguing the advantages and limitations of each approach. The authors highlight that the lack of standardized protocols makes it impossible to reliably compare studies — a critical obstacle to understanding how widespread microplastic contamination really is and what it means for ecosystems and human health.
Microplastic contamination in fish: Critical review and assessment of data quality
This critical review assessed the data quality of 104 published studies on microplastic ingestion by fish, finding that inconsistent methods for sampling, extraction, and identification have produced questionable results and highlighting the need for standardized quality assurance protocols.
Disparities in Methods Used to Determine Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: A Review of Legislation, Sampling Process and Instrumental Analysis
This review examined the wide disparities in sampling, processing, and analytical methods used across microplastic studies, highlighting how inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and calling for standardized international protocols and regulatory frameworks.
Microplastics in Rivers of South America: An Emerging Area of Research
This review examines the current state of microplastic research in South American rivers, finding that studies are concentrated in just a few countries and that standardized sampling methods are largely absent. Researchers identified polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the most commonly found plastics, primarily from packaging and textile sources. The study calls for expanded and coordinated research efforts across Latin America to better understand the scale of riverine microplastic pollution on the continent.
Microplastics research in Mexico (2015-2024) in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: a summary of locations, media, characterization methods and findings
Researchers reviewed 38 indexed studies on microplastic contamination in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems across Mexico published between 2015 and 2024, finding research distributed across soils/sediments (34%), fauna (34%), water (24%), flora (5%), and air (3%). The review highlights substantial methodological variability across studies and calls for standardised protocols to improve comparability of Mexican microplastics research.
The shifting baseline of microplastic measurement: A comparison of methodologies used in estuarine-based studies and guideline recommendations
Researchers reviewed the methods used in 175 estuarine microplastic studies conducted across 36 countries between 2013 and 2023, comparing them against current guideline recommendations. They found that while most studies used acceptable identification methods, fewer than half followed recommended practices for analytical reporting, and only 30% used adequate quality controls. The findings highlight a significant consistency problem in microplastic research that makes it difficult to compare results across studies.
Aquatic Microplastic Research—A Critique and Suggestions for the Future
This critical review argues that microplastic research lacks standardized collection and analysis methods, making it impossible to compare data across studies. The author calls for chemical identification of polymer types, whole-water sampling, and a focus on ecological impacts rather than just documenting presence.
Microplastics as contaminants in the Brazilian environment: an updated review
A comprehensive review of 79 Brazilian microplastic studies published between 2018 and 2022 found microplastics widespread across marine and terrestrial environments, with marine coastal studies dominating the literature and polyethylene and polypropylene fragments being the most common types detected. The review highlights significant gaps in inland and atmospheric monitoring and a lack of standardized methods that hinders cross-study comparisons — critical issues for a country with one of the world's longest coastlines and major river systems.
Methods for sampling, processing, identification,and quantification of microplastics in the marine environment
This paper reviews and compares the various methods used to collect, process, identify, and quantify microplastics across different environmental samples. It highlights the lack of standardized protocols as a major obstacle to comparing results across studies and calls for methodological harmonization.
Measures to prevent cross-contamination in the analysis of microplastics: A short literature review
A review of 115 marine microplastic studies from 2020 found that most researchers take some steps to prevent contamination of their samples, but few report how much contamination was actually avoided — with estimates ranging from under 1% to nearly 70% reduction. This methodological inconsistency means microplastic counts across studies may not be comparable, highlighting the urgent need for standardized sampling and lab protocols.
Systematic assessment of data quality and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of current research on microplastics in biosolids and agricultural soils
A systematic quality assessment of studies reporting microplastics in biosolids and agricultural soils found significant heterogeneity in concentrations attributable to differences in sampling protocols, analytical methods, and quality assurance practices, undermining cross-study comparisons.
Quality assessment of research studies on microplastics in soils: A methodological perspective
A methodological quality assessment of published soil microplastic studies identified widespread inconsistencies in extraction, identification, and reporting protocols that limit comparability and reliability of findings. The review recommends adoption of standardized quality criteria to improve the rigor and reproducibility of soil microplastic research.
A critical review of microplastics characterisation in aquatic environments: recent trends in the last 10 years
This critical review assessed current approaches to characterizing microplastics in aquatic environments, evaluating sampling methods, extraction protocols, and analytical techniques. It identified persistent inconsistencies in methodology and recommended standardization practices to improve data comparability.
Advancing the quality of environmental microplastic research
This review examines the rapidly growing field of environmental microplastic research, discussing the methodological inconsistencies that limit comparability across studies and calling for improved quality standards to support robust regulatory and scientific conclusions.
Microplastic biomonitoring studies in aquatic species: A review & quality assessment framework
This systematic review evaluates the quality of studies that monitor microplastic contamination in marine organisms like fish and shellfish. The researchers found that only 8% of studies met rigorous quality standards, highlighting the need for better research methods so we can accurately understand how much microplastic exposure comes from eating seafood.
Microplastics in Ecuador: A review of environmental and health-risk assessment challenges
This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in Ecuador, covering contamination in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments as well as potential health effects. Researchers found that while evidence of microplastic pollution across Ecuador is growing, significant gaps remain in monitoring coverage and risk assessment methods. The study calls for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to better understand the scope of microplastic contamination in the country.