Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Organic Pollutants Associated with Plastic Debris in Marine Environment: A Systematic Review of Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Characteristics

This systematic review summarizes research on organic pollutants that attach to plastic debris in marine environments. The findings are concerning for human health because microplastics in the ocean can absorb and carry toxic chemicals like pesticides and flame retardants, and when marine life ingests these contaminated particles, the pollutants can move up the food chain to our seafood.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in the marine environment

This review provides a comprehensive overview of plastic pollution in coastal and marine environments, covering everything from how plastics enter the ocean to their effects on marine life. Researchers compiled global data showing microplastic concentrations ranging widely across different water bodies and sediments, with marine organisms accumulating significant amounts. The study underscores that plastic pollution causes ecological damage through entanglement, ingestion toxicity, and the transport of invasive species.

2020 Heliyon 939 citations
Article Tier 2

An Introduction to the Recent Perspectives of Marine Pollution

This review describes the diverse sources and types of marine pollution, including plastic debris, heavy metals, oil, and nutrients, and their impacts on marine biodiversity. It provides context for understanding how microplastics fit within the broader landscape of ocean contamination.

2019 Marine ecology
Article Tier 2

Removed Due to Policy Violations

This paper discusses how microplastics released into the sea environment accumulate organic pollutants and increase their concentration relative to the surrounding water, amplifying exposure risks for marine life. The review highlights microplastics as vectors that concentrate and transport toxic chemicals through marine food webs.

2023
Article Tier 2

Enrichment of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Microplastics from Coastal Waters

Researchers quantified how microplastics concentrate persistent organic pollutants compared to suspended particulate matter in coastal seawater. They found that the concentrating effect of microplastics on these pollutants was one to two orders of magnitude greater than that of natural suspended particles. The study provides precise measurements of enrichment factors, suggesting that microplastics may serve as significant carriers of toxic organic chemicals in marine environments.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 16 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: A review

This review synthesized the state of knowledge on microplastics as marine contaminants, covering their sources, pathways, distribution, biological uptake, and potential ecological and toxicological effects.

2011 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5709 citations
Review Tier 2

The chemical behaviors of microplastics in marine environment: A review

This review summarized interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants and metals in the marine environment, covering sorption behavior across polymer types, the role of degradation in altering sorption capacity, and global monitoring data on pollutant concentrations on marine plastics. The authors conclude that microplastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions all strongly influence chemical accumulation on plastic surfaces.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Organic pollutants adsorbed on microplastics: Potential indicators for source appointment of microplastics

Researchers investigated whether the organic pollutants stuck to the surface of microplastics could help trace where those microplastics originally came from. They analyzed pollutant profiles on microplastics from different environments and found distinct chemical signatures tied to specific pollution sources. The study suggests that examining adsorbed chemicals on microplastics could serve as a practical tool for identifying and controlling microplastic emissions.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics and microplastics, effects on marine coastal areas: a review

This review examines how plastics and microplastics impact coastal marine ecosystems, covering their entry pathways, degradation under environmental conditions, and ecological effects on marine organisms.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Impact of Microplastic Pollution on Coastal Ecosystems: a Multidimensional Environmental Approach

This review presents a comprehensive multidimensional analysis of microplastic pollution in coastal ecosystems, covering sources, distribution pathways, ecological effects on marine organisms, and implications for environmental management. The authors draw on recent interdisciplinary research to assess how microplastics infiltrate nearly every ecological compartment from coastal waters to ocean sediments and interact with biological and chemical systems.

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

Superimposed microplastic pollution in a coastal metropolis

A comprehensive characterization of microplastic pollution sources, distribution, and accumulation in a coastal metropolis found multiple overlapping pathways contributing to marine contamination, from urban runoff to wastewater discharge. The study emphasizes that urban coastal cities are both major sources and sinks of microplastic pollution.

2019 Water Research 226 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Effects of Persistent Organic Contaminants on Marine Biota: A Review on Recent Research

This review examined the effects of persistent organic contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PCBs, and PAHs on marine biota, synthesizing evidence of direct and indirect ecological impacts across multiple chemical classes.

2021 Water 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and associated organic pollutants in beach sediments from the Gulf of Guinea (SE Atlantic) coastal ecosystems

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination and associated organic pollutants in beach sediments from marine and estuarine lagoon ecosystems in the Gulf of Guinea. The study analyzed over 3,600 microplastic particles for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic contaminants. The findings indicate that microplastics in coastal sediments can carry significant concentrations of sorbed pollutants, with differences between marine and estuarine environments.

2022 Chemosphere 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Overview of Coastal and Marine Pollution

This chapter provides a broad overview of coastal and marine pollution, covering major sources including industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and emerging contaminants like microplastics. Researchers highlight that microplastics can cause physical harm to organisms and leach chemical additives, though their full effects on ecosystems and human health are still not completely understood. The work underscores the need for better monitoring and management of pollution flowing from land into the ocean.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Microplastic Pollution in Marine Environments Sources, Distribution, and Impact

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic contamination across all marine compartments — surface waters, sediments, and biota — analyzing major sources, distribution patterns, and ecological and human health impacts. The authors emphasize the pervasive and often irreversible nature of marine microplastic pollution.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Marine Environment: Occurrence, Distribution, and Extraction Methods in Marine Organisms

This review summarized the occurrence, distribution, and extraction methods of microplastics in marine organisms, highlighting how these particles enter marine food webs through runoff and atmospheric deposition and pose risks to ecosystems and human health.

2023 Open Journal of Ecology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in marine system

This review examines the sources, distribution, and ecological impacts of microplastic pollution in marine environments, from coastal waters to the deep ocean. Researchers found that microplastics are frequently mistaken for food by marine organisms, leading to ingestion that can cause physical harm and facilitate the transfer of toxic chemicals. The study underscores the need for better waste management and policy interventions to protect marine ecosystems.

2024 Microplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources of microplastics pollution in the marine environment: Importance of wastewater treatment plant and coastal landfill

This study assessed a coastal municipal wastewater treatment plant and a nearby beach landfill as sources of microplastic pollution in the marine environment, finding both contributed significantly to coastal contamination. The study supports multi-source pollution control strategies for coastal areas where both wastewater infrastructure and solid waste disposal are inadequate.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 300 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in coastal and oceanic surface waters and their role as carriers of pollutants of emerging concern in marine organisms

Researchers analyzed 167 studies on microplastics in ocean surface waters and marine organisms, finding that fragments and fibers are the most common particle types across all regions studied. The review highlights that microplastics act as carriers for other harmful pollutants, increasing the chemical burden on marine life. The uneven global distribution of research means that microplastic contamination in many ocean regions remains poorly understood.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as a Serious Challenge in Marine Environment

This review summarizes how microplastics accumulate in marine environments, acting as carriers for other toxic chemicals and posing health risks to marine organisms and the humans who eat them. The paper highlights the dual threat of microplastics as both physical contaminants and vectors for co-pollutants.

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

Potential risk of co-occurrence of microplastics and chlorinated persistent organic pollutants to coastal wetlands: Evidence from a case study

Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of microplastics and chlorinated persistent organic pollutants in coastal wetlands of Zhejiang, China, finding microplastics in 100 percent of samples. Although wetland microplastic levels were lower than other land types, the plastics showed strong capacity to adsorb and concentrate toxic organic chemicals. The study highlights the combined contamination risk that microplastics and persistent pollutants pose to sensitive coastal ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Pollution 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Microplastic Pollution

This review examines microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems, summarizing the sources, distribution, and ecological effects of plastic particles in ocean environments and reviewing evidence for harm to marine organisms from physical ingestion and chemical exposure.

2025
Article Tier 2

Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the sources, fate, effects, and potential solutions

This review synthesized research on the distribution and significance of microplastics across the marine environment, covering sources, transport pathways, ecological interactions, and the state of knowledge on biological and chemical effects.

2017 Environment International 2517 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment

This thesis reviewed how plastics and microplastics enter, move through, and accumulate in marine environments, examining sources, transport pathways, and long-term fate. Understanding the ocean's plastic burden is essential for predicting ecological and human health risks.

2023