Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A review of sources, status, and risks of microplastics in the largest semi-enclosed sea of China, the Bohai Sea

This review assessed microplastic contamination in China's Bohai Sea, identifying terrestrial rivers, aquaculture, and shipping as major sources, and documenting widespread pollution across water, sediment, and marine organisms in this semi-enclosed sea.

2022 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Zooplankton Communities in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Scientists found tiny plastic pieces inside small sea creatures called zooplankton in a Chinese bay, with higher amounts during warmer months. Since zooplankton are eaten by fish that humans consume, this plastic pollution could potentially work its way up the food chain to our dinner plates. This study helps us understand how widespread plastic pollution has become in marine life that connects to our food supply.

2026
Article Tier 2

Study of Heavy Metals and Microbial Communities in Contaminated Sediments Along an Urban Estuary

Researchers studied heavy metal contamination and microbial community composition in estuarine sediments along an urban waterway, finding that urbanization-driven metal accumulation significantly altered microbial diversity and community structure.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sediments from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, China

Researchers sampled sediments from the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms, and higher concentrations near river mouths and urban coastlines.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 531 citations
Article Tier 2

Temporal and spatial characteristics of submesoscale motions in the Bohai Sea

This oceanographic study examined submesoscale circulation patterns in China's Bohai Sea, finding that small-scale water movements play an important role in transporting materials — including potential pollutants — in shallow coastal waters.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Contaminant Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Heavy Metals in Seawater and Sediments in a Typical Mariculture Bay in South China

Researchers assessed heavy metal contamination in seawater and sediments of Qinzhou Bay, a major mariculture area in South China, finding seasonal variations in metal concentrations influenced by river input, aquaculture activities, and hydrodynamic conditions.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 25 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

Characteristics of microplastics ingested by zooplankton from the Bohai Sea, China

Researchers characterized the shape, color, size, and chemical composition of microplastics ingested by zooplankton collected from the Bohai Sea in China, finding transparent fibers and fragments below 1 mm as the dominant forms and identifying multiple polymer types including polyethylene and polypropylene. The study highlights zooplankton as sensitive indicators of microplastic contamination in semi-enclosed coastal seas.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

The Driving Effect of Marine Industry on Marine Pollution: An Empirical Study from China

Researchers empirically examined the relationship between major marine industries and marine pollution levels in China, using national seawater quality classification data from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. They found that marine industry activity has a measurable driving effect on marine environmental degradation, with different industries contributing distinct pollution impacts.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the surface water and sediment of two typical estuaries in Bohai Bay, China

Microplastics were found in both surface water and sediments of two estuaries in Bohai Bay, China, with higher concentrations in sediments than in surface water and spatial patterns influenced by human activities. The study adds to evidence that estuaries are hotspots for microplastic accumulation due to their role as receiving waters for terrestrial runoff.

2019 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of plastic pollution in the Bohai Sea: Abundance, distribution, morphological characteristics and chemical components

Plastic pollution in the surface water and sediments of China's Bohai Sea was assessed, finding widespread contamination with fragments and pellets, and identifying shipping, river discharge, and coastal aquaculture as major sources.

2021 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Coastal zone use influences the spatial distribution of microplastics in Hangzhou Bay, China

Researchers characterized microplastic abundance, size, and polymer types in water, sediment, and biota across Hangzhou Bay, China, an area heavily influenced by human activities. The study found that different forms of coastal zone use, including mariculture, port activities, and urban development, significantly influenced the spatial distribution of microplastics in the region.

2020 Environmental Pollution 153 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and migration patterns of microplastics in different tidal zones of tourist beaches: A case study in the Bohai Bay, North China

This study tracked microplastic contamination across different tidal zones of a tourist beach in northern China. Tourist activity significantly increased microplastic levels, with the highest concentrations found in areas with the most foot traffic. The research shows that popular beaches can be hotspots for microplastic pollution, potentially increasing exposure for beachgoers and affecting coastal marine life that enters the human food chain.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial variation of microplastics and dissolved organic matter: deciphering their coupled impact on eukaryotic community assembly in the Fen River

Researchers studied the Fen River in China and found that microplastic concentrations were consistently higher downstream, where they disrupted the diversity and stability of eukaryotic (complex-celled) aquatic organisms compared to cleaner upstream sites. The findings show that microplastics interact with dissolved organic matter to reshape river ecosystems, reducing the complexity of ecological networks in more polluted stretches.

2025 Ecological Indicators 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterioplankton Community Structure and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Coastal Waters Around the Changli Gold Coast National Nature Reserve in Northern China

Researchers investigated bacterioplankton community structure in coastal waters around a Chinese nature reserve, finding significant seasonal variability in nutrients and identifying key environmental drivers—including nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon—of bacterial community composition.

2025 Water
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

Nutrient Decline and Metal Pollution Since the Second Industrial Revolution: The Red Sea

Researchers reconstructed 500 years of elemental changes in Red Sea sediment cores and found significant shifts in nutrient and metal accumulation rates following the Second Industrial Revolution and the opening of the Suez Canal, reflecting growing human impacts on a biodiversity hotspot.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in three urban estuaries, China

Researchers surveyed three urban estuaries in China and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and types reflecting the combined influence of surrounding city density, stormwater runoff, and tidal mixing.

2015 Environmental Pollution 696 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal variations, source apportionment, and cross-regional impacts of microplastics in surface seawater of Chinese Marginal Seas

Researchers analyzed spatiotemporal patterns of microplastic pollution across China's marginal seas from 2016 to 2022, finding that the Bohai Sea had the highest contamination levels in both rainy and dry seasons. The Yangtze River Estuary, Pearl River Estuary, and Bohai Bay were identified as major hotspot regions contributing to surrounding marine pollution. Source analysis revealed that industrial manufacturing and plastic packaging were the primary contributors, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating the composition.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities

Researchers reviewed the emerging field of urban marine ecology, examining how coastal cities transform nearby marine environments through resource exploitation, pollution, and construction of artificial structures. They found that urban marine ecosystems are characterized by spatially heterogeneous pollution patterns and biotic homogenization over time. The study calls for an integrated framework to better understand and manage the unique ecological dynamics of marine environments adjacent to major cities.

2019 Oikos 271 citations
Article Tier 2

Linking human activity to spatial accumulation of microplastics along mangrove coasts

Researchers sampled 50 locations along the largest mangrove coast in China to quantify how human activities drive microplastic accumulation in mangrove sediments. They found that densely populated areas and tourism hotspots contributed large white foam particles, while fishing areas produced smaller fragment-type microplastics. The study provides quantitative evidence linking specific human activities to distinct patterns of microplastic contamination in mangrove ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics in different media in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Researchers characterized microplastics in water, sediment, and biological samples from Jiaozhou Bay in China, finding plastics across all environmental compartments. The study documents spatial variation in contamination and highlights the bay as a site of significant plastic accumulation linked to nearby urban and industrial activity.

2023
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

Characteristics of microplastics in different matrices in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Researchers characterized microplastics across multiple matrices (water, sediment, organisms) in Jiaozhou Bay, China to understand coastal pollution patterns. They found widespread microplastic contamination with distinct distribution profiles linked to coastal human activities and identified sources to support pollution mitigation strategies.

2025