Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Beach Sediments from Selected Sites in Virginia and North Carolina, USA

Microplastic particles and fibers were found in beach sediments from Virginia and North Carolina, with fibers making up the majority of contamination. The study also tested and refined extraction methods, providing a methodological contribution for future monitoring of coastal microplastic contamination.

2019 ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University)
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastics in the sediments of Odisha beaches, southeastern coast of India

This first study of microplastic prevalence on beaches of the Odisha coast in southeastern India documented widespread contamination, with fiber and fragment types dominated by polypropylene and polyethylene across multiple beach sites.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in two South Carolina Estuaries: Occurrence, distribution, and composition

Microplastics were found throughout intertidal sediments of two developed estuaries in South Carolina, with higher concentrations near urban centers and sewage outfalls. The study provides baseline contamination data for two important US Atlantic coast estuaries and confirms that nearshore estuarine sediments in the southeastern US accumulate significant microplastic pollution.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 322 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and identification of microplastics in beach sediments from the Hauts-de-France region

Microplastics were found in beach sediments along three sites on the northern French coast, with the most contaminated site near an urban-industrial area. Fragments and films dominated, reflecting local land-based and maritime sources of plastic pollution.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of environmental microplastics present in unconsolidated sediments in coastal waters of 9 beaches on shoreline of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Researchers characterized environmental microplastics in unconsolidated sediments from nine beaches along the southern coast of Brazil, identifying particle abundance, morphology, color, and polymer composition. The study documented widespread microplastic contamination at all sampled coastal sites, with fragments and fibers being the dominant morphological types found in the sediment samples.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in mangrove and beach sediments on southeast Florida barrier islands

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastic abundance, distribution, and variation in estuarine mangrove and beach sediments across southeast Florida barrier islands. The study aimed to improve understanding of microplastic hazards in these coastal ecosystems to support conservation efforts for mangrove and beach environments.

2025 Shore & Beach
Article Tier 2

Assessment of micro and macroplastics along the west coast of India: Abundance, distribution, polymer type and toxicity.

This study assessed the abundance and types of micro- and macroplastics on ten beaches along India's west coast, finding plastic in all locations with fragments being the most common form. Polymer analysis revealed polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene as the dominant types, and toxicity testing indicated the plastic-contaminated sediments posed ecological risks.

2020 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in marine sediments from coastal and offshore in South Korea

Researchers conducted an intensive survey of microplastic levels and distribution in marine sediments from coastal areas, recognizing the seafloor as the ultimate repository for plastic particles. Microplastic concentrations in sediments were highest near urban and industrial coastlines, with fibers and fragments as the most common types.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics at selected coastal sites along the southeastern United States

Researchers quantified microplastics in beach sand at 18 U.S. National Park beaches in the Southeast and built a model to predict how ocean currents transport plastic debris. The study provides a baseline for plastic contamination even in protected coastal areas and highlights how distant pollution sources can affect remote beaches.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 228 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast

Researchers surveyed marine sediments along the Belgian coast and found microplastics distributed across all sampled sites, documenting their occurrence and characteristics in this heavily trafficked North Sea coastal environment.

2011 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1391 citations
Article Tier 2

Microparticles of anthropogenic origin (microplastics and microfibers) in sandy sediments: A case study from calabria, italy

Researchers characterized microplastics and microfibers in sandy beach sediments from Calabria, Italy, finding both types of anthropogenic microparticles widespread across sampling sites. Microfibers were particularly abundant despite receiving far less monitoring attention than microplastic fragments, calling for their inclusion in standard beach pollution assessments.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplásticos En Tres Playas Del Corredor Turístico Del Norte, Piura, Perú

Researchers sampled sediments from three beach zones along northern Peru's tourist corridor in February 2024 and characterized microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer types using FTIR analysis. Microplastics were detected across all sampling zones, with fragments and fibers dominating and polyethylene as the most common polymer type.

2025 Nativa
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastic and mesoplastic debris in sediments from Kamilo Beach and Kahuku Beach, Hawai'i

Researchers characterized nearly 49,000 large microplastic and mesoplastic particles (0.5–8 mm) hand-picked from two Hawaiian beaches, finding white/transparent fragments were most abundant (72%) and that polyethylene and polypropylene dominated polymer types as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics and surface degradation features of microplastics in beach sediments of five coastal areas in Tamil Nadu, India

Microplastic abundance and surface weathering features were characterized in beach sediments from five coastal areas in Tamil Nadu, India, with concentrations reaching up to 439 particles per kg and polyethylene and polypropylene dominating.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 270 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study of Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics on Beach Sediment along the Coast of Rayong Province, Thailand

Microplastic contamination was found in beach sediment at three sites in Rayong Province, Thailand, with fibers and fragments being the most common types. The study provides baseline contamination data for this East Asian coastal region.

2020 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics at the strandlines of Slovenian beaches

Researchers collected sediment samples from nine locations along the Slovenian Adriatic coast and found microplastics at all sites, with 11.3% of isolated particles confirmed as synthetic polymers by ATR-FTIR, dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and fibers.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in beach sediments along Phuket coastline

Microplastics were found in beach sediments across multiple Phuket coastline sites in Thailand, with fragment and fiber shapes and polyethylene and polypropylene polymers dominating, reflecting tourism and coastal development pressures.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance and characteristics in French Atlantic coastal sediments using a new extraction method

Researchers developed a new extraction method for microplastics from coastal Atlantic sediments in France and applied it to characterize microplastic abundance and composition, finding widespread contamination and demonstrating the method's improved efficiency for recovering particles from sediment matrices.

2018 Environmental Pollution 127 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

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in beach sediments: Insights into microplastic accumulation in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance in beach sediments across seven locations in Mobile Bay, a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary. The study found microplastics were ubiquitous at concentrations 66 to 253 times higher than reported for the open ocean, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymers, highlighting the extent of microplastic accumulation in estuarine environments.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 310 citations
Article Tier 2

Type and Distribution of Microplastics in Beach Sediment along the Coast of the Eastern Gulf of Thailand

Researchers examined microplastic distribution in beach sediments along the eastern Gulf of Thailand across two monsoon seasons, finding up to 1,698 pieces/m2 at the most contaminated site with PET (39.6%) and polyamide (22.8%) as the dominant polymer types among 17 identified.

2021 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 31 citations
Article Tier 2

The distribution of sediment microplastics assemblages is driven by location and hydrodynamics, not sediment characteristics, in the Gulf of Maine, USA

Microplastics were extracted and characterized from 20 sediment samples across the Gulf of Maine and 27 polymer types were identified, with spatial distribution driven more by location and hydrodynamics than by local sediment grain size or composition.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal variability in the abundance and composition of beach litter and microplastics along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Beach litter and microplastics (20-5000 microns) were co-assessed along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein in spring and autumn 2018, finding no correlation between macro and microplastic abundances, with a median of 2 microplastic particles per 500 g dry sediment and six polymer types identified.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in beach sand from three different Indian coastal environments

Beach sands from three locations on the Indian coast were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations of 45–220 particles/kg dry sand with polyethylene (43%) as the dominant polymer, followed by PET and polystyrene. The study establishes baseline contamination data for Indian beaches and demonstrates consistent polymer profiles across geographically distinct coastal environments.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 432 citations