Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the Greenland Sea: Background levels and selective contamination of planktivorous diving seabirds

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in the Greenland Sea, studying both surface water samples and planktivorous diving seabirds. The study found that despite being far from major pollution sources, the Arctic contains measurable microplastic levels and that seabirds in the region are selectively contaminated, confirming the widespread reach of microplastic pollution.

2016 Environmental Pollution 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Surface Waters of the Russian Arctic Seas: Distribution, Concentration, Identification, and Eco-Risks for Fish

Microplastics were detected across surface waters of the Russian Arctic seas, with concentrations and polymer types varying by region and season. The findings document that even high-latitude Arctic waters are not spared from microplastic contamination, likely transported by ocean currents and rivers.

2025 Journal of Ichthyology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: the first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples

Researchers reported some of the first measured values for microplastic particles in Arctic polar waters, finding contamination even in these remote high-latitude waters and raising questions about long-range transport mechanisms.

2015 Scientific Reports 1119 citations
Article Tier 2

Arctic threads: Microplastic fibres in Chukchi and Beaufort sea sediments

Researchers collected sediment samples from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the Arctic and found microplastic fibers present at every sampling site. Synthetic fibers were the dominant type, likely originating from textiles and fishing activities transported by ocean currents. The study adds to growing evidence that even remote Arctic environments are not spared from microplastic contamination.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic pollution in Arctic fjord water: a case study of Rijpfjorden, Northern Svalbard

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the remote Rijpfjorden fjord in Northern Svalbard, sampling both surface water and the water column down to 200 m, and found widespread microplastic presence even in this Arctic environment far from major pollution sources.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in surface and subsurface Antarctic seawater

Researchers characterized microplastic distribution in both surface and subsurface Antarctic seawater, finding plastic contamination present at multiple depths and dominated by fibers and fragments, highlighting that even remote polar waters are affected by plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Enrichment characteristics of microplastics in Antarctic benthic and pelagic fish and krill near the Antarctic Peninsula

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in 15 species of Antarctic fish and Antarctic krill collected near the Antarctic Peninsula. They found microplastics in all species studied, with fish accumulating significantly more particles than krill, and fibers being the most common type. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution has reached even the most remote marine ecosystems on Earth.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion in zooplankton from the Fram Strait in the Arctic

Researchers found that all five zooplankton species examined in the Arctic Fram Strait had ingested microplastics, with polyester and polyamide fibers being the most common types, confirming widespread microplastic contamination at the base of the Arctic food web.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 127 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sub-surface waters of the Arctic Central Basin

This study detected and characterized microplastics in sub-surface waters of the Arctic Central Basin, finding that even these remote deep waters contain measurable microplastic contamination, likely transported by ocean currents.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 420 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem

Researchers quantified microplastics down to 10 μm in marine waters near Nuuk, Greenland using a new plastic-free pump-filter system, finding median concentrations of 142 MPs per cubic meter in surface waters and 0.12 MPs per cubic meter by bongo net tows in this productive Arctic coastal ecosystem.

2020 Environmental Pollution 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Microplastics in Polar Region—a Spitsbergen Case Study

Researchers detected both primary and secondary microplastics in waters around Svalbard (Spitsbergen) in the Arctic during a 2017 expedition. The findings confirm that microplastic pollution has reached even remote polar regions, raising concerns about contamination of Arctic ecosystems.

2021 Water Air & Soil Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A first assessment of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Hudson Bay and the surrounding eastern Canadian Arctic waters of Nunavut

Scientists collected surface water, zooplankton, sediment, and snow samples from Hudson Bay to northern Baffin Island and found microplastics in all sample types, providing the first comprehensive assessment of microplastic contamination across this broad eastern Canadian Arctic region.

2020 FACETS 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Greenland Sea Gyre increases microplastic pollution in the surface waters of the Nordic Seas

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance and characteristics in the Nordic Seas, finding that the area influenced by the East Greenland Current had higher microplastic concentrations (1.19 items/L) with fibers dominating (76%). The study suggests that the Greenland Sea gyre traps and concentrates microplastics transported from the North Atlantic.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pellets in Arctic marine sediments: a common source or a common process?

Researchers examined microplastic pellet contamination in Arctic marine sediments to understand whether their presence reflects common sources or shared degradation processes. The study found that microplastics are accumulating on the Arctic seafloor, contributing to growing evidence that plastic pollution reaches even the most remote ocean environments.

2025 Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in Antarctic fishes: Abundance, size, shape, and polymer composition

Researchers examined four species of Antarctic fish and found microplastics in all of them, with fibers being the most common shape and polypropylene, polyamide, and polyethylene the most common types. Even in one of the most remote regions on Earth, fish are ingesting plastic particles that come from common household materials. This study demonstrates that microplastic contamination has reached every corner of the planet's oceans.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Arctic waters of the Finnish Sámi area

A study combining Indigenous ecological knowledge and field sampling found microplastics in Arctic freshwater ecosystems in the Finnish Sami region, with small particles and fibers detected even in remote wilderness waters.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic particles (including microfibers and microplastics) in marine sediments of the Canadian Arctic

Researchers conducted the first Arctic-wide Canadian survey of anthropogenic particles in marine sediments, finding microfibers and microplastics at all 14 sampled sites including remote locations, with synthetic fibers far outnumbering hard plastic fragments and concentrations increasing near shipping routes.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling microplastics pollution in Alaskan waters and snow

Microplastic occurrence was investigated in water bodies and snow samples from Alaska, a region where the extent and distribution of microplastics in terrestrial freshwater and drinking water sources had been unknown. The study provides baseline data on microplastic contamination in this Arctic and sub-Arctic region.

2024 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematical insights into distribution and characteristics of microplastics in near-surface waters from the East Asian Seas to the Arctic Central Basin

Researchers systematically mapped microplastic distribution in near-surface waters from the East Asian Seas to the Arctic Central Basin, detecting particles at 93.9% of sites with an average of 2.91 items/m3 and finding that fragments and fibers dominated across the entire transect.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish species, habitat, and capture location outweigh fish mass as drivers of microplastic pollution in Canadian Arctic fishes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in 435 stomachs and gastrointestinal tracts of seven freshwater fish species from the Canadian Arctic. The study found that fish species, habitat type, and capture location were more important drivers of microplastic levels than fish size, with demersal species and those near larger human populations containing significantly more microplastics.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in the fjords of Tunu (East Greenland)

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in the fjords of East Greenland, an area with very limited prior data on Arctic plastic pollution. They found microplastic concentrations ranging from 1 to 12 particles per liter, with the highest levels near the settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was overwhelmingly the dominant polymer type, accounting for an average of 96% of all particles detected.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface seawater of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Arctic

Researchers measured microplastic abundance, distribution, and characteristics in surface seawater of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, in the Arctic, collecting 18 samples with manta trawls. Microplastics were detected across all sites including the inner fjord, with fiber morphotypes dominant, confirming that even this remote Arctic fjord is contaminated by plastic particles transported via ocean currents and atmospheric deposition.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Prevalence and Heterogeneity of Meso- and Microplastic Pollution in Icelandic Waters

Surface water sampling around Iceland found mesoplastics and microplastics at all six coastal sites, with nearshore locations near populated areas showing higher concentrations, suggesting local human activity contributes to plastic pollution even in remote subarctic waters.

2022 Environments 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying microplastics concentration of invertebrates from three Antarctic fjords

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in marine invertebrates from three Antarctic fjords created by retreating glaciers. They found microplastics present in organisms even in these remote polar environments, with contamination levels varying between species and locations. The study adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution has reached some of the most isolated ecosystems on Earth.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations