Papers

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Article Tier 2

Exploring the Microplastics Distribution in the Bottom Sediments of the Western Black Sea

Researchers surveyed the bottom sediments of the western Black Sea and found microplastic particles at every sampling site, with fibers the most common shape and polyethylene/polypropylene the most common polymer types. The widespread presence across the shelf zone, without a clear pattern tied to distance from shore, suggests diffuse anthropogenic inputs rather than a single point source — a finding that complicates clean-up and monitoring efforts for this semi-enclosed sea.

2024 Visnyk of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Geology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and characteristics spatially vary in the southern Black Sea beach sediment and sea surface water

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were assessed along the southern Black Sea coastline, finding that over 70% of particles were smaller than 2.5 mm, with average concentrations of 64 particles/kg in beach sediment and 18.68 particles/m3 in seawater, and the Marmara region showing highest pollution.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 95 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
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

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

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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in commercial fish and their habitats in the important fishing ground of the Black Sea: Characteristic, concentration, and risk assessment

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in six commercial fish species from the Black Sea and found microplastics in all environmental areas studied, including surface water, the water column, sediments, and fish. Fibers were the most common type of microplastic found, and bottom-dwelling fish had higher contamination levels than fish living closer to the surface. Since these are commonly eaten fish species, the findings are relevant to human dietary exposure to microplastics.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated Approaches to Monitoring Microplastics in the Geological Component of Marine Environment

This study presents integrated approaches for monitoring microplastics in the geological components of marine environments, including bottom sediments and coastal accumulative sediments in the Black Sea shelf areas. Researchers from MariGeoEcoCenter (Ukraine) outline a multi-method analytical workflow combining extraction, optical visualization, and spectrometric identification to characterize microplastic composition, shape, and size in sediment matrices.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution Profile in the Black Sea Region

Researchers reviewed 100 peer-reviewed articles to create a comprehensive pollution profile of microplastics in the Black Sea region. They found that microplastics have been documented across multiple environmental compartments in the region, with plastic products from various industrial sectors contributing to contamination. The review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on microplastic distribution and sources specific to this ecologically important semi-enclosed sea.

2024 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and temporal trends of microplastics in the coastal area in the Southern Black Sea over the past decade

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance, polymer types, and size distributions in seawater at three distances from the southeastern Black Sea coast over a decade (2009-2020). Polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate dominated at 44.9% and 25.3% respectively, with fragment shapes most common, and no significant spatiotemporal changes in abundance were detected.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Hallmarking microplastics of sediments and Chamelea gallina inhabiting Southwestern Black Sea: A hypothetical look at consumption risks

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in sediments and the bivalve Chamelea gallina along the Southwestern Black Sea coast, finding 28-684 particles per kilogram in sediments and up to 2.17 particles per individual clam, with seven polymer types identified.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Occurrence in Commercial Fish Species of the Black Sea

Researchers examined plastic ingestion in seven commercial fish species from the Black Sea and found plastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of 29% of all individuals tested. Fibres were the most common type of plastic found, accounting for nearly 69% of all particles, with 93% being microplastics smaller than 5 mm. The study identified polypropylene, polyester, and acrylic as the most prevalent polymer types, indicating widespread microplastic contamination in Black Sea commercial fisheries.

2021 Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Microplastic abundance in varying depths of deep-sea sediments, Bay of Bengal

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in deep-sea sediment samples from the Bay of Bengal at depths of 225 to 1,070 meters, finding the highest concentrations at intermediate depths. The findings add to evidence that microplastics have penetrated into deep-sea environments far from the surface.

2022 OCEANS 2022 - Chennai 7 citations
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

Microplastic pollution in stream sediments discharging from Türkiye's eastern Black sea basin

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in stream sediments from rivers discharging into the southeastern Black Sea from Turkey. The study found microplastics across 59 sampling sites, with varying composition and abundance, confirming that rivers serve as a principal transport route for terrestrial microplastics into this semi-enclosed sea.

2024 Chemosphere 19 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

Current status and comparative risk assessment of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment from the Black Sea coastline using geospatial analysis

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive microplastic survey of Turkey's Black Sea coast, documenting a roughly 78% annual increase in surface water particle concentrations and a threefold rise at some sediment stations, with fibers and high-risk polymers like PET and PVC dominating both matrices and most sites rated high ecological risk.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

The Assessment of the Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Key Fish Species from the Bulgarian Aquatory of the Black Sea

Researchers found microplastics in the soft tissues of five commercially important Black Sea fish species collected off the Bulgarian coast, with polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate as the dominant polymer types. Pellets were the most common particle shape, found across all specimens regardless of species. The results indicate significant microplastic contamination in a major regional seafood source, raising concerns about the potential for plastics to move up the food chain and reach people who consume these fish.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

First evaluation of neustonic microplastics in Black Sea waters

Researchers reported the first assessment of neustonic microplastics in Black Sea waters, finding microplastics in 92% of samples collected during two cruises, with fibers most abundant (49%), average concentrations around 1,200 particles per m3 in November, and spatial distribution patterns linked to wind dynamics and the rim current.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 192 citations
Article Tier 2

Dropping the microbead: Source and sink related microplastic distribution in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution in sediments of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins, finding that proximity to rivers and shorelines was a stronger predictor of microplastic concentration than water depth or sediment grain size.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size

Researchers sampled Mediterranean coastal shallow sediments and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting land-based inputs and showing that coastal sediments are a significant regional reservoir for plastic debris.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 617 citations
Article Tier 2

Practical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Different Samplers for Microplastic Analysis in Seafloor Sediments

Researchers compared Multicorer and Van Veen Grab samplers for microplastic analysis in seafloor sediments from the western Black Sea shelf, finding that the Van Veen Grab likely underestimates microplastic concentrations due to disturbance of the upper sediment layer where microplastics accumulate, and recommending harmonisation of sampling methods for FAIR-data repositories.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic faunas of the Western Black Sea

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic fauna of the Western Black Sea region receiving Danube River inputs, characterizing MP distributions in a coastal ecosystem under pressure from tourism, fishing, regional conflicts, and inadequate waste disposal across the Danube basin.

2024
Article Tier 2

Determination of Microplastic Pollution in Commercial Fish in the Middle Black Sea (Samsun), Türkiye

Researchers detected microplastics in six commercially important fish species from the Middle Black Sea Region, including rainbow trout, sea bass, sea bream, red mullet, horse mackerel, and whiting. MPs were found in multiple species, with polymer type and shape varying by species and habitat, reflecting differences in feeding behavior and habitat exposure.

2025 Toxics