Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Dynamic distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments in Beibu Gulf, South China: Implications of tidal current velocity and tidal range

Researchers examined how tidal current velocity and tidal range influence the distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments in Beibu Gulf, South China, finding strong linear relationships between current velocity and microplastic content during both flood and ebb tides. Microplastic concentrations increased from the seaward to landward boundary, with tidal current velocity -- but not tidal range -- significantly predicting their accumulation rates.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Testing the factors controlling the numbers of microplastics on beaches along the western Gulf of Thailand

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations on beaches along the western Gulf of Thailand and applied statistical models to link abundance patterns to ocean surface currents and land-based pollution sources, finding that current direction and proximity to riverine inputs were the strongest predictors of beach MP levels.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Can microplastics in offshore waters reflect plastic emissions from coastal regions?

Researchers found a significant negative correlation between coastal plastic discharge amounts and offshore microplastic abundance in Chinese waters, indicating that hydrodynamic conditions rather than proximity to pollution sources primarily determine microplastic distribution.

2022 Chemosphere 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysing the influence of hydrodynamic and sedimentary factors on the microplastic distribution in the Ashtamudi estuary, India

Microplastic abundance in the Ashtamudi estuary in India ranged from 3.2 to 53 items/L, with highest concentrations near river-sea confluences; the study found microplastic distribution inversely correlated with current velocity and directly with suspended sediment concentration, enabling a predictive non-linear transport model.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the fate of microplastics in the Sengkarang Estuary, Pekalongan City, Central Java, Indonesia

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in water and sediment at the mouth of the Sengkarang River in Indonesia and built a hydrodynamic model to track how tidal currents, wind, and river flow distribute the particles. Microplastics were highest in coastal waters and mangrove sediments, with tides and currents driving horizontal transport and concentrating particles in biologically sensitive habitats. The modeling approach offers a practical framework for predicting where microplastics accumulate and informing pollution management in river-to-sea systems.

2024 Environmental Quality Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentration drive microplastic distribution in the Pearl River Estuary: Insights from remote sensing retrieval

Field measurements showed that tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentrations are key drivers of microplastic transport in coastal and estuarine waters. The results help explain why microplastic concentrations fluctuate with tidal cycles and inform models predicting where plastics accumulate in dynamic coastal zones.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution in a Small-Scale Aquatic System with Limited Anthropogenic Influence: A Case Study in Sasebo City, Japan

Researchers conducted the first investigation of microplastic distribution in Sasebo City, Japan, using principal component analysis alongside water flow velocity and salinity data, finding a mean abundance of 82.4 items/m3 and characterizing spatial distribution patterns in this relatively low-anthropogenic-influence aquatic system.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Impacts of wind forcing on microplastics kinematic in a sensitive water area

Researchers modeled how wind forcing affects the movement and distribution of microplastics in a sensitive coastal water area, finding that wind-driven surface currents are a dominant control on where microplastics accumulate. The model predicts substantial wind-driven concentration at specific coastal zones.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Global mapping for the occurrence of all-sized microplastics in seafloor sediments

Researchers compiled and analyzed sampling data from 2,024 global seafloor sediment sites and developed Python-based tools to extract submarine current state data corresponding to each sampling location, enabling investigation of hydrodynamic drivers of microplastic distribution in seafloor sediments.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The Salinity Difference and Clay Mineral Types Affect the Distribution of Microplastics in the Seabed: New Evidence from the Western North Yellow Sea

Researchers examined how bottom seawater salinity gradients and clay mineral types influence microplastic distribution in surface sediments of the western North Yellow Sea, a semi-enclosed continental shelf area with complex current conditions. The study provides field-scale evidence that salinity differences and clay mineralogy jointly control MP settlement and distribution patterns beyond the laboratory conditions in which these effects were previously demonstrated.

2025 Water
Article Tier 2

Factors influencing the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments: From source to sink

Researchers sampled microplastics from sediments of two semi-enclosed bays and two coastal open zones in China, finding that proximity to human activity and reduced hydrodynamic energy were the primary drivers of higher microplastic abundance, with Jinghai Bay showing the greatest contamination due to its enclosed geometry and adjacent urban inputs.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence and hydrodynamic-sedimentary driving effects in the Bohai Strait region of China

This study investigated microplastic occurrence and distribution in the Bohai Sea, examining how hydrodynamic and sedimentary processes drive the spatial pattern of microplastic accumulation. Current dynamics and sedimentation rates emerged as key controls on where microplastics concentrate.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydro-sedimentary conditions shape the microplastic occurrence in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (China)

A field study of the Pearl River Estuary in southern China found microplastic concentrations in sediments ranging from 4 to 220 particles/kg, with higher abundance in nearshore zones, and identified hydrodynamic conditions and proximity to urban areas as the main drivers of spatial variation.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Salinity and Temperature on the Dispersion of Spilled Oil in the Presence of Microplastics

Researchers investigated how salinity and temperature affect the dispersion of spilled oil in seawater when microplastics are present, finding that these environmental variables alter oil droplet behavior and distribution. The results suggest that microplastics complicate oil spill dynamics in ways that vary with ocean conditions.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Abundance in Sediment in Pangandaran Waters, West Java, Indonesia

Researchers measured microplastic abundance in sediments at multiple stations in Pangandaran waters, West Java, Indonesia, finding the highest counts at station 2 (12,622 particles, mostly fibers and fragments) and the lowest at station 4 (1,809 particles). The study identifies oceanographic factors — currents, waves, and tides — as key drivers of microplastic movement and accumulation patterns in coastal Indonesian waters.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Global mapping for the occurrence of all-sized microplastics in seafloor sediments

Researchers developed code for extracting ocean surface current and near-bed thermohaline current data to analyze the hydrodynamic driving forces behind global microplastic distribution patterns in seafloor sediments.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution and Influence Factor Analysis of Seawater and Surface Sediments in a Typical Bay With Diverse Functional Areas: A Case Study in Xincun Lagoon, China

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution in Xincun Lagoon in China, finding that different human activities such as tourism, fishing, and aquaculture directly influenced the type and level of microplastic pollution in seawater and sediments.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical Stratificationand Driving Factors of Microplasticsin the South China Sea: Distributions, Mechanisms, and EcologicalRisks

This study of the South China Sea found that microplastic abundance decreases significantly with water depth, with lighter polymers concentrated near the surface and denser polymers found deeper. Temperature, salinity, and ocean stratification were identified as key drivers of this vertical distribution pattern.

Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Patch Based on HydrodynamicModeling in The North Indramayu, Java Sea

Hydrodynamic modeling was used to track microplastic transport in the Java Sea off North Indramayu, Indonesia, predicting accumulation zones influenced by tidal currents and seasonal winds. The study provides a modeling framework for understanding microplastic distribution in Indonesian coastal waters, which receive high plastic inputs from land.

2018 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation behavior of polyethylene microplastics in the nearshore environment: The role of particle size, environmental condition and turbulent flow

Researchers investigated how particle size, salinity, dissolved organic matter, and turbulent flow affect the aggregation behavior of polyethylene microplastics in nearshore water, finding that all factors influenced aggregation rates and aggregate structure. Understanding microplastic aggregation in estuarine environments is essential for predicting their sedimentation and biological uptake.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean current modulation of the spatial distribution of microplastics in the surface sediments of the Beibu Gulf, China

Researchers conducted a large-scale survey of microplastics in seafloor sediments of the Beibu Gulf in China and found that ocean currents play a major role in where microplastics accumulate. The study provides important data on how water circulation patterns transport and concentrate microplastic pollution in coastal marine environments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of estuarine physical processes in the transport of microplastics: a modelling study in the Gironde estuary

Researchers developed a hydrodynamic model to investigate how estuarine physical processes in the Gironde estuary influence the transport and distribution of microplastics, examining the role of tidal currents, salinity gradients, and fluvial discharge on particle fate. The modelling study provides insight into the mechanisms controlling microplastic accumulation and export in estuarine environments.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Analisis Mikroplastik pada Sedimen di Pesisir Selat Sempu, Kabupaten Malang, Jawa Timur

This Indonesian study analyzed the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in coastal sediments of the Sempu Strait in Malang Regency, Java. The research found microplastics at all sampling sites and used ocean current and tidal data to understand how local conditions influence microplastic distribution in this coastal zone.

2023 Water and Marine Pollution Journal PoluSea
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