Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Vertical Stratification and Driving Factors of Microplastics in the South China Sea: Distributions, Mechanisms, and Ecological Risks

Researchers collected water samples from 15 stations across the South China Sea to map the vertical distribution of microplastics through the water column. They found that depth, ocean currents, and biological activity strongly influenced microplastic stratification, with ecological risk higher in surface and subsurface layers.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Seasonal disparities in vertical distributions of microplastics and driving factors in a deep reservoir

Researchers studied microplastic distribution at different depths in a deep reservoir in southwest China and found that concentrations generally increased from the water surface to the bottom. The study revealed seasonal differences in vertical transport patterns, with low-density polymers like polyethylene dominating surface waters while denser particles accumulated in deeper layers.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing Microplastic risks in stratified water columns of the East China Sea offshore

This study mapped microplastic distribution across different depth layers in the East China Sea and assessed their potential toxicity to marine organisms. Significant differences in microplastic characteristics were found between water layers, with certain depths posing higher ecological risks. Since the East China Sea is an important fishing ground, understanding how microplastics distribute through the water column helps assess risks to seafood safety and human health.

2024 Water Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of small high-density microplastics in the continental shelf and deep sea waters of East Asia

Researchers collected water samples at multiple depth layers across the continental shelf and deep sea of East Asia and found that small, high-density microplastics were more abundant in deeper waters, suggesting vertical sinking pathways concentrate certain particle types in the deep ocean.

2021 Water Research 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and influencing factors for the microplastics in continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea surface sediments from the South China Sea

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in surface sediments across the continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea floor of the northern South China Sea. The study found an average abundance of about 131 particles per kilogram, with distribution patterns influenced by ocean currents, water depth, and proximity to river inputs.

2022 Environmental Pollution 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the vertical transport of microplastics in the water column: A review of sampling methodologies and distributions

This review synthesized sampling methodologies and findings on microplastic vertical distribution in the water column, identifying that surface trawl studies dramatically underestimate total water column burdens and that sinking behavior, biofouling, and hydrodynamic processes create complex depth-dependent distribution patterns.

2020 Water Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Beneath the waves: Vertical and horizontal microplastic distribution in the gulf of panama

Researchers examined the vertical and horizontal distribution of microplastics throughout the water column in the Gulf of Mexico, from the surface to the seafloor. The study found that microplastic concentration and composition change with depth, with the seafloor serving as the main sink for denser and larger particles.

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

Beneath the waves: Vertical and horizontal microplastic distribution in the gulf of panama

Researchers investigated the vertical and horizontal distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Lion, examining the factors that govern transport from the ocean surface to the seafloor where plastics ultimately accumulate. Depth-stratified sampling revealed how oceanographic processes distribute microplastics through the water column before their final sedimentation.

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

Microplastics accumulate to thin layers in the stratified Baltic Sea

Researchers found that microplastics accumulate preferentially at density-driven stratification layers (halocline and thermocline) in the Baltic Sea, demonstrating that water column stratification significantly influences microplastic vertical distribution and may concentrate particles at biologically active depth boundaries.

2020 Environmental Pollution 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in water column of the northwestern South China Sea with a large-volume in situ filtration technology (plankton pump)

Researchers used a large-volume in-situ filtration device to sample microplastics throughout the water column of the northwestern South China Sea, including deep waters. They found concentrations of 0.2–1.5 items/m³ (average 0.56/m³), dominated by PP and PET fragments, with no significant differences in abundance or polymer type across depths.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the horizontal and vertical profiles of microplastics in a river emptying into the sea affected by intensive anthropogenic activities in Northern China

This first vertical profile study of microplastics in a river in northern China found significant differences in microplastic concentration between surface, intermediate, and bottom waters, with higher abundances near the riverbed, suggesting that surface-only sampling underestimates total microplastic loads.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics from Surface to Seabed: Vertical Distribution of (Micro)plastic Particles in the North Pacific Ocean

Researchers investigated the vertical distribution of microplastics across the water column and deep-sea sediments (>5 km) in the North Pacific Ocean, finding concentrations of 8-2600 items/m3 in the water column and 1100-3200 items/kg in sediments, with distinct patterns across the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Papahanaumokuakea Monument, and a less-polluted open ocean site.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in deep seafloor of the South China Sea

Researchers documented the abundance, distribution, and transport of plastics in the South China Sea using over 100 manned submersible dives combined with video analysis, finding that large plastics concentrate in canyon geomorphological units while microplastics predominate in coastal sediments via distinct transport mechanisms.

2024
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution of microplastics in sediment columns along the coastline of China

Sediment column samples collected from 11 provinces along China's coastline revealed that microplastic pollution decreases with depth and is more diverse in vertical profiles than in surface sediments, with fibers dominating. Estuarine and coastal areas showed higher contamination than mangrove reserves.

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

Microplastics in the surface waters of the South China sea and the western Pacific Ocean: Different size classes reflecting various sources and transport

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in the South China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, finding that different size classes reflect distinct sources and transport mechanisms, with higher concentrations in the northern South China Sea linked to riverine inputs.

2022 Chemosphere 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences in the Fate of Surface and Subsurface Microplastics: A Case Study in the Central Atlantic

Researchers studied microplastic distribution in the Central Atlantic and found that surface and subsurface samples differ not only in particle size but also in morphology, polymer types, abundance, and spatial distribution, driven by distinct hydrodynamic processes at the sea surface versus a few meters below.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Horizontal and Vertical Distribution of Microplastics in Korean Coastal Waters

The first study to examine vertical distribution of microplastics in South Korean coastal waters found that particles were present throughout the water column from the surface to depths of 58 meters, with concentrations varying by size and location. The results indicate that microplastic contamination is not confined to the surface and affects organisms at all depths in semi-enclosed bays.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 320 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution of microplastic along the main gate of Indonesian Throughflow pathways

Researchers conducted the first investigation of vertical microplastic distribution in deep-sea waters along the Indonesian Throughflow pathway between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The study found an average of about 1 microplastic particle per liter across depths from 5 to 2,450 meters, with water temperature and density influencing particle distribution, indicating that microplastic contamination extends throughout the ocean water column.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, characteristics and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in the surface water of the Central South China Sea

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in the central South China Sea and found concentrations ranging from 386 to over 4,200 particles per cubic meter of surface water, with much higher levels near the coast. The study revealed that conventional abundance-based risk assessments underestimate the true ecological danger because they overlook the specific toxicity of different plastic polymers. Polystyrene and PVC, though found in lower quantities, posed the highest ecological risk scores due to their greater toxicity.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Does water column stratification influence the vertical distribution of microplastics?

Researchers investigated whether water column stratification affects the vertical distribution of microplastics in the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas near Denmark. They found that microplastic concentrations were significantly higher below the pycnocline, the boundary layer between water masses of different densities. The study suggests that density-driven stratification acts as a barrier that traps microplastics in deeper water layers, which has important implications for understanding marine pollution distribution.

2023 Environmental Pollution 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Settling and along-isopycnal subduction of small microplastics into intermediate layers over the North Pacific Ocean

Researchers investigated the vertical distribution of small microplastics (10-300 micrometers) from the sea surface to 1,000 m depth in the North Pacific Ocean using seawater sampling and hydrographic surveys, finding average concentrations of 6,910 particles per cubic meter and identifying along-isopycnal subduction as a key mechanism transporting small microplastics into intermediate water layers.

2025
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the seawater and atmosphere of the South China Sea: Pollution patterns and interrelationship

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in both seawater and the atmosphere of the South China Sea, revealing distribution patterns and an interrelationship between marine and airborne microplastic contamination in the region.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics from Surfaceto Seabed: Vertical Distributionof (Micro)plastic Particles in the North Pacific Ocean

Researchers investigated the vertical distribution of microplastics from surface waters to deep-sea sediments (>5 km) in the North Pacific Ocean, documenting concentrations of 8-2600 items/m3 in the water column and 1100-3200 items/kg in sediments across the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Papahanaumokuakea Monument, and a less-polluted reference site.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Abundant small microplastics hidden in water columns of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea: Distribution, transportation and potential risk

Researchers discovered abundant small microplastics (under 100 micrometers) hidden beneath the surface of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, at concentrations far higher than previously reported surface counts. The study suggests that conventional surface sampling methods may significantly underestimate the true extent of marine microplastic pollution, particularly for smaller particles.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations