Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Particles in Sandy Beaches of Thessaloniki Gulf, Greece

Microplastic particles — fragments and fibers — were detected in beach sediments at three sampling locations along Thessaloniki Gulf in Greece, with higher concentrations near populated areas. The findings contribute to the growing documentation of microplastic contamination on Mediterranean beaches.

2023 WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics distribution and stratification in the shallow marine sediments of Samos island, Eastern Mediterranean sea, Greece

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in shallow marine sediments around Samos Island, Greece, finding the highest concentrations on beaches and lower levels in deeper offshore sediments. The study suggests that beaches act as accumulation zones for microplastic pollution carried from land.

2019 Mediterranean Marine Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and characterization of microplastics in the Thermaic Gulf, in the North Aegean Sea

Researchers collected and analyzed microplastics from seawater, beach sediments, and seven commercial fish species in the Thermaic Gulf of the North Aegean Sea in Greece. They recorded over 28,000 microplastic particles across all environmental samples, classifying them by size, shape, color, and polymer type. The study adds to the growing evidence that the Mediterranean Sea is heavily affected by microplastic pollution across multiple environmental compartments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro- and microplastic abundance from recreational beaches along the South Aegean Sea (Türkiye)

Researchers surveyed macro- and microplastic abundance in sand from eight recreational beaches along the South Aegean coast of Turkey, finding that fiber-shaped microplastics dominated at all sites and concentrations varied seasonally.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and Seasonal Abundance of Microplastics in Sand and Aqueous Matrices from Coastal Areas of Northern Greece

Researchers collected and analyzed microplastics from wastewater effluents, beach sand, and seawater in Northern Greece over one year to capture seasonal variation. MP abundance varied seasonally, with higher concentrations in summer months likely linked to increased tourism and beach activity.

2025 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the Greek seas

This research investigated the distribution patterns of floating microplastics (300 µm - 5 mm) in Greek seas, finding high variability in concentrations (0.012 to 1.62 items/m2) with maximum concentrations associated with surface slicks rather than predicted hotspot locations near pollution sources. The study also examined microplastic morphological characteristics, with fragments being the dominant form found across the sampled areas.

2024
Article Tier 2

Type and Distribution of Microplastic Contamination in Beach Sediment Along the Coast of the Lower Gulf of Thailand

Microplastic contamination was surveyed at five beaches along Thailand's lower Gulf Coast, with Talo Kapo showing the highest abundance and fragment-type particles being most common. The findings document baseline plastic pollution levels and polymer types across different coastal settings.

2023 Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 3 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

Short-term tourism alters abundance, size, and composition of microplastics on sandy beaches

Researchers sampled microplastics on nine sandy beaches along the Turkish Black Sea coast before and after the tourism season and found that tourist activity significantly increased microplastic abundance, altered size distributions, and changed polymer composition. The results provide direct field evidence that recreational beach use is a local source of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Linking the Tourism Activity to the Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance, type, and spatial distribution in coastal water, sediments, and fish across three zones of Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, finding that tourism-related activities concentrated microplastics at recreational beaches with concentrations reaching 19.25 particles/L.

2025 Civil Engineering Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pellets, meso- and microplastics on the coastline of Northern Crete: Distribution and organic pollution

Researchers surveyed plastic pollution — including pellets, meso-, and microplastics — along the coastline of northern Crete, documenting their distribution patterns and identifying local hotspots tied to human activity and ocean current dynamics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic debris and microplastics along the beaches of the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance along beaches of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, finding concentrations that reflected local anthropogenic activity levels — up to 1,258 particles per kg at the most industrialized site — with fibers dominating and polyethylene, nylon, and PET as the most common polymers.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 199 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics on beaches along the eastern Gulf of Thailand – A preliminary study

Researchers quantified microplastics at the high-tide line of 21 beaches along the eastern Gulf of Thailand, finding highly variable contamination levels ranging from 420 to over 200,000 particles per kilogram of sand.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the microplastic pollution: Unveiling origins and varieties in coastal sediments and waters of the Bushehr Province, Persian Gulf, Iran

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution in coastal sediments and waters along the Persian Gulf in Iran. They found microplastics at all sampling sites, with the highest concentrations near petrochemical facilities and urban centers, and fibers being the most common type. The study establishes baseline pollution data for the region and links contamination levels to specific human activities.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics on two beaches affected by different land uses in Salamina Island in Saronikos Gulf, east Mediterranean

Researchers compared microplastic pollution on two beaches of Salamina Island, Greece, and found differences tied to land use — one beach near industrial areas had more polyethylene fragments, while the other had more diverse plastic types. The study demonstrates how local human activities shape the types and amounts of microplastics found on nearby beaches.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic beaching dependence on sediment grain size

Researchers sampled microplastics across a Mediterranean protected beach and found that accumulation is strongly influenced by sediment grain size — fine-grained sands trap more surface microplastics due to lower infiltration capacity — while fiber shape promotes entanglement in sediment pores and proximity to tourism and port activities drives spatial pollution hotspots.

2026 Frontiers in Water
Article Tier 2

Changes in (micro and macro) plastic pollution in the sediment of three sandy beaches in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in relation to seasonality, beach use and granulometry

Researchers measured plastic and microplastic pollution in sediment from three Mediterranean beaches across seasons, finding that smaller microplastics accumulate at the backshore while larger items concentrate near the waterline. Seasonal patterns and beach use intensity affected plastic abundance, with implications for beach management and cleanup strategies.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and abundance of macro, meso and microplastics along the coasts of the Persian Gulf (case study: Bushehr Province coast)

This survey of 17 coastal stations in Iran's Bushehr Province on the Persian Gulf documented widespread plastic pollution at macro, meso, and microplastic scales, with fibers making up the majority and fragments under 500 micrometers being most common. Polyethylene, polystyrene, PET, and nylon were the dominant polymer types identified by infrared analysis. The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed, heavily industrialized sea, and this data establishes baseline contamination levels needed to track how pollution changes over time.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Beached microplastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence on two beaches in the Northwestern Mediterranean Gulf of Lion, finding significant concentrations of fragments and pellets in beach sediments with notable variation between beach zones and sampling periods over a one-month interval.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 122 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence of microplastic contamination in littoral sediments of the Persian Gulf, Iran

Researchers surveyed littoral sediments of the Persian Gulf for microplastics, finding plastic particles across all sampling sites with a variety of polymer types. The study provides early baseline contamination data for a region with major petrochemical and industrial activity.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 202 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution on the Persian Gulf shoreline: A case study of Bandar Abbas city, Hormozgan Province, Iran

Beach microplastic abundance was measured across different land-use types along the Bandar Abbas coastline in Iran, finding an average of 3,252 ± 2,766 particles/m² with expanded polystyrene, PET, PP, and PE as dominant polymers, and significantly higher contamination near urbanized areas. The study demonstrates that land use intensity directly influences coastal microplastic deposition in the Persian Gulf.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 87 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

Spatio-temporal variation and ecological risk assessment of microplastics along the touristic beaches of a mediterranean coast transect (Valencia province, East Spain)

Researchers sampled microplastics from seven tourist beaches along Spain's Valencia coast in both winter and summer and found contamination levels nearly five times higher during the summer tourism season. Fibers were the most common type of microplastic, and polyethylene and halogenated polystyrene from food packaging were the dominant polymers identified. The study raises questions about whether current beach cleaning practices are sufficient to address microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 25 citations
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