Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution on the Beaches of the Black Sea in Romania and Bulgaria

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution on beaches along the Black Sea coast in Romania and Bulgaria, finding microplastics at all sampled sites with fragment and fiber morphologies predominating and higher concentrations near tourist and urban areas.

2025 Applied Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Transboundary Tides: Investigating Marine Plastic Pollution and Its Impact on the Black Sea Coastline

Researchers surveyed beaches in Romania along the Black Sea coast for plastic and microplastic litter, using harmonized EU monitoring methods including beach transect surveys and sediment sampling. Results revealed significant accumulation of plastic debris with transboundary origins confirmed by litter composition analysis, underscoring the need for coordinated regional action.

2025
Article Tier 2

Cigarette butt pollution in popular beaches of Morocco: Abundance, distribution, and mitigation measures

This study surveyed cigarette butt pollution on eleven Moroccan Mediterranean beaches from 2018 to 2023, finding cigarette butts were the most common type of litter. Pollution levels varied by beach type, season, and visitor density, highlighting the need for targeted local action against this major source of plastic waste.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An analysis of the current and forecasted ecological risk related to the presence of microplastics on the Romanian Black Sea coast

Researchers analyzed microplastics along 82 km of Romania's Black Sea coastline, finding densities between 122 and 536 particles per kilogram of sediment, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer. Forecasting models predict a sharp rise in ecological risk if plastic waste reduction and management practices are not urgently improved.

2025 Heliyon 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation of floating microplastic in Romanian coastal waters, Western Black Sea

Researchers characterized floating microplastic distribution in Romanian coastal waters of the western Black Sea, analyzing 2,526 particles collected from five locations in March 2024. They found an average concentration of 3.07 particles per cubic meter, with fibers as the most common morphotype, and documented the polymer composition and color distribution across coastal sites.

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

Characterisation of floating microplastic in Romanian coastal waters, Western Black Sea

Researchers characterized floating microplastic distribution in Romanian coastal waters of the western Black Sea, analyzing 2,526 particles collected from five locations in March 2024. They found an average concentration of 3.07 particles per cubic meter, with fibers as the most common morphotype, and documented the polymer composition and color distribution across coastal sites.

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

Microplastics and floating litter pollution in Bulgarian Black Sea coastal waters

Researchers conducted a pilot study of floating marine litter and microplastics along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, finding high quantities of floating litter (60.3-93.8 items per km) and microplastic concentrations of 0.114 to 1.91 x 10 items per km. Concentrations were on average lower than in other parts of the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, though observed ranges were comparable.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of plastic particles in surface waters of the Western Black Sea

Researchers collected surface water samples from the Western Black Sea near the Danube Delta and Romanian shore, finding micro-, meso-, and macroplastic particles that may contribute significantly to Mediterranean marine pollution via the connecting waterway. Organic matter was digested and plastic particles were isolated and characterised to quantify and identify the polymer types present.

2020 Environmental Pollution 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Distribution of Cigarette Butts on Coastal Environments: Examples from Southern Spain

This study surveyed cigarette butt (CB) abundance on beaches across southern Spain, finding a mean of 159 and median of 68 CBs per 100 meters of beach length. Urban beaches and sand beaches accumulated the most butts, with beach visitor numbers and cleaning frequency as the main controlling factors.

2021 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Oceanographic research for a future tourist marina on the Romanian Black Sea coast

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a brief overview of the role of oceanographic research in planning a tourist marina on Romania's Black Sea coast, covering water quality, biodiversity, and climate adaptation without substantive microplastic content.

2023 Technium EcoGeoMarine 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of marine litter on Morocco’s Mediterranean beaches

Researchers assessed marine litter on four Mediterranean beaches in Morocco over a seasonal cycle in 2018-2019 following UNEP/MAP guidelines, collecting an average of 1,768 items/100 m at 0.34 items/m2. Plastic and polystyrene accounted for 74.1% of total debris, with tourism and recreational waste representing the dominant source (52%), and plastic fragments, cigarette butts, and bottle caps comprising nearly half of all items.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Comprehensive Review regarding the Profile of the Microplastic Pollution in the Coastal Area of the Black Sea

This literature review profiled microplastic pollution across the Black Sea, summarizing contamination levels in water, sediment, and seafood consumed by coastal populations. The Black Sea's unique hydrodynamics and heavy riverine inputs create hotspots for microplastic accumulation, with seafood contamination posing direct human exposure concerns.

2022 Sustainability 49 citations
Article Tier 2

High microplastic pollution in marine sediments associated with urbanised areas along the SW Bulgarian Black Sea coast

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in beach and seabed sediments along the southwestern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Urbanized coastal areas had significantly higher microplastic levels than non-urbanized areas, with seabed samples averaging over 800 particles per kilogram of dry sediment. The study identified sewage discharges, urban waste, fisheries, and marine litter accumulation as likely sources of the contamination.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Beach litter in three South American countries: A baseline for restarting monitoring and cleaning after COVID-19 closure

Researchers surveyed beach litter on 25 South American beaches before and after COVID-19 closures, finding that cigarette butts were the most common item while plastic and organic debris patterns varied by country. The study establishes a baseline for ongoing coastal monitoring and provides region-specific data to guide cleanup and policy efforts.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of abundance of microplastics in the Bulgarian coastal waters

This study assessed microplastic pollution in Bulgarian Black Sea coastal waters across different site types — protected, aquaculture, and industrial zones — providing one of the first quantitative datasets for this undermonitored region. The presence of microplastics in all areas, including protected sites, indicates that contamination is pervasive and that Black Sea marine organisms face widespread exposure to particles that can also carry adsorbed chemical pollutants.

2023 BIORISK – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Risk Assessment 13 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Coastal plastic pollution: A global perspective

Researchers conducted a systematic review of 689 studies on coastal plastic pollution, finding that plastic bottles and cigarette butts dominate beach debris, polyethylene is the most common polymer, and white microplastic fragments are especially prevalent, with China and Brazil leading in research output.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 27 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

Distribution and Composition of Beach Litter along the Ionian Coastline of Albania

Researchers documented the distribution and composition of beach litter along the Ionian coastline of Albania, finding that plastics dominated debris and that spatial variation reflected proximity to urban centers and fishing activity.

2024 Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal distribution of cigarette butt contamination in urban beaches with varying levels of use.

Researchers assessed cigarette butt contamination on two urban beaches in Recife, Brazil over nine months, finding that contamination levels correlated with beach use intensity, with butts at varying degradation stages, and that brand composition varied temporally and spatially across sampling events.

2023 Waste management (New York, N.Y.)
Article Tier 2

Smokers’ Attitude and Behavior towards Cigarette Littering in Romania: A Survey-Based Approach

A survey-based study analyzed smokers' attitudes and behaviors toward cigarette butt littering in Romania, finding that despite awareness of the problem, littering behavior remains widespread. The study identifies psychological factors and social norms that sustain cigarette butt littering and suggests targeted behavioral interventions.

2023 Sustainability 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Monitoring marine litter on Funchal beaches (Madeira Island): Insights for litter management

Researchers monitored beach litter on Madeira Island over two years and found cigarette butts and plastic items made up over 60% of debris, most of it originating on land, and used these findings to recommend targeted local interventions like awareness campaigns and restrictions on single-use plastics.

2023 Regional Studies in Marine Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Litter on Beaches With Different Levels of Development and Use: A Snapshot of a Coast in Pernambuco (Brazil)

Beach litter was surveyed at nine sites in northeastern Brazil, finding plastic dominated at all beach types but with differences in litter composition linked to local activities. Characterizing litter sources at specific beaches is essential for targeted waste reduction policies.

2018 Frontiers in Marine Science 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Anthropogenic and Natural Wrack Accumulations along the Driftline: Marine Litter Overcomes Wrack in the Northern Sandy Beaches of Portugal

A study of five sandy beaches in northern Portugal found that marine litter — primarily cigarette butts and food packaging — exceeded natural organic deposits at most sites and varied independently from natural material. Human-made litter is now a dominant component of beach wrack lines in this region.

2020 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 21 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative study of marine litter on the seafloor of coastal areas in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas

Researchers surveyed seafloor litter density and composition across five sites in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas, finding plastic dominated in all areas (45–95% of items) with densities ranging from 24 to 1,211 items per square kilometer, and the Saronikos Gulf near Athens showing the heaviest contamination linked to local human activity and oceanographic conditions.

2014 Marine Pollution Bulletin 154 citations