Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Changes in (micro and macro) plastic pollution in the sediment of three sandy beaches in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in relation to seasonality, beach use and granulometry

Researchers measured plastic and microplastic pollution in sediment from three Mediterranean beaches across seasons, finding that smaller microplastics accumulate at the backshore while larger items concentrate near the waterline. Seasonal patterns and beach use intensity affected plastic abundance, with implications for beach management and cleanup strategies.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 7 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

Relationships between sediment size distribution and microplastic abundance and characteristics along the strandline of a sandy embayment (Whitsand, Southwest England)

Researchers analyzed the relationship between sediment characteristics and microplastic distribution along a beach in southwest England. They found that microplastic abundance and type varied significantly across the strandline, with larger microplastics being more prevalent in coarser sediments. The study provides evidence that local sediment dynamics play an important role in determining where microplastics accumulate on sandy beaches.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size

Researchers sampled Mediterranean coastal shallow sediments and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting land-based inputs and showing that coastal sediments are a significant regional reservoir for plastic debris.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 617 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment grain size determines microplastic exposure landscapes for sandy beach macroinfauna

Researchers studied microplastic distribution across sandy beach zones to understand exposure landscapes for intertidal organisms. They found that sediment grain size, rather than beach zonation, was the primary factor determining microplastic abundance, providing important guidance for designing sampling surveys and assessing ecological risk from microplastic pollution on beaches.

2021 Environmental Pollution 60 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of depositional environment on the abundance of microplastic pollution on beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK

Researchers assessed the extent and variability of microplastic pollution across multiple beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK, finding that depositional environment characteristics significantly influenced the abundance and distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sand.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastic in marine sedimentary environments: A review and synthesis

A systematic review of 80 papers on microplastics in marine sediments found median concentrations varied widely by sediment environment, with fibers dominating many locations, and showed that sediment grain size and organic carbon content influence microplastic accumulation.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 381 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic levels on sandy beaches: Are tourism and coastal recreational activities effects really important?

Researchers assessed microplastic levels at six sites across three Argentine sandy beaches with varying tourism intensity, finding concentrations averaged 1,133 items/kg in sand and 12.7 items/m3 in seawater, dominated by PE films and PET/cotton fibers. Contrary to expectations, the highest microplastic concentrations and smallest particles were found at a low-activity 'pristine' site, suggesting river proximity and coastal drift rather than tourism are the dominant local pollution drivers.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Factors driving the abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches in a Southwest Atlantic seaside resort

Researchers investigated factors driving microplastic abundance on sandy beaches along the Southwest Atlantic coast, finding that both natural forces like wave energy and anthropogenic inputs influenced the distribution of fiber and fragment microplastics in surface sediments.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphodepositional Insights into Microplastics and Microfibers in Beach Sediments of the Vesuvian Coast, Southern Italy

Researchers characterized microplastics and microfibers in beach sediments of the Vesuvian coast in southern Italy, examining how particle shape, surface properties, and coastal morphology influence their spatial distribution. Fibers dominated the samples, and sediment trap zones associated with beach morphology accumulated higher particle densities, demonstrating the role of local hydrodynamics in microplastic deposition patterns.

2025
Article Tier 2

Macro-, meso- and microplastic abundance in sandy beaches and factors influencing their distribution in an SW Atlantic resort

Researchers surveyed macro-, meso-, and microplastic abundance in marine sediments of tourist beaches in the Southwest Atlantic (Argentina), using generalized linear models to identify how beach morphology, grain size, and human activity influence plastic distribution.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors Influencing the Three-dimensional Distribution of Microplastics on Sandy Beaches: A Case Study from the Turkish Coast of the Black Sea

A study of nine Black Sea beaches in Turkey found that microplastic abundance varied significantly with beach width, sand grain size, organic content, and tourism pressure, revealing that local physical and human factors shape how microplastics accumulate across the three-dimensional sediment profile. These findings help explain why microplastic hotspots form on particular beaches and can guide targeted cleanup and monitoring efforts.

2024 Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The relation of sediment texture to macro- and microplastic abundance in intertidal zone

Researchers analyzed the relationship between sediment grain size and microplastic accumulation in an intertidal zone, finding that finer-grained sediments tend to accumulate more plastic particles. Understanding this relationship helps identify which coastal areas are at greatest risk from microplastic contamination.

2018 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation dynamics in two Mediterranean beaches with contrasting inputs

Researchers monitored microplastic accumulation dynamics on two Mediterranean beaches with contrasting human pressures over multiple seasons, finding that beaches near urban areas accumulated MPs faster and showed greater concentration variability. Short-term accumulation events tied to storms and wind patterns were identified as key drivers of MP deposition.

2022 Journal of Sea Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Researchers combined field sampling across four Mediterranean coastal areas with hydrodynamic and particle drift modeling to characterize microplastic abundance, size, and polymer type variability, finding that wastewater and river inputs drive spatial patterns of surface MP distribution.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of lithological properties of beach sediments on plastic pollution in Bodrum Peninsula (SW Türkiye)

Researchers examined how the lithological (rock and mineral) properties of beach sediments influence plastic pollution accumulation in Bodrum, Turkey. The study found that sediment grain size and composition affect where and how much plastic debris concentrates on beaches.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Are sediment textural parameters an “influencer” of microplastics presence in beach environments?

Researchers investigated whether sediment textural parameters such as grain size, sorting, skewness, and kurtosis influence the presence and abundance of microplastics at 15 sampling sites along Colombia's Central Caribbean Coast. The study examined relationships between sediment granulometric properties and microplastic typology, magnitudes, shapes, and distribution patterns to identify potential sediment-driven accumulation mechanisms.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.

Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.

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

Low numbers of large microplastics on environmentally-protected Antarctic beaches reveals no widespread contamination: insights into beach sedimentary dynamics

A survey of microplastics on protected Antarctic beaches found low levels of large microplastic fragments, suggesting that these remote environments are not heavily contaminated. Beach sediment dynamics — including wave action and particle transport — were found to influence where microplastics accumulate in coastal areas.

2023 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative assessment of microplastic in sandy beaches of Gujarat state, India

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination across 20 sandy beaches on the Gujarat coast of India, finding average abundances ranging from 1.4 to 26 MPs per kilogram of sediment, with higher concentrations at beaches under greater anthropogenic pressure. Thread/fiber morphologies were the most abundant type, and the spatial distribution reflected local population density and tourist activity.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics levels, size, morphology and composition in marine water, sediments and sand beaches. Case study of Tarragona coast (western Mediterranean)

Researchers measured microplastic levels, sizes, shapes, and polymer types in coastal water, sediment, and beach sand along the Tarragona coast of the western Mediterranean, finding widespread contamination associated with nearby industrial facilities and a major petrochemical complex.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and abundance of microplastics in coastal sediments depends on grain size and distance from sources

A large survey of intertidal and subtidal sediments at protected coastal sites in Ireland found microplastics at 87 locations with concentrations correlated to sediment grain size and distance from urbanized areas, suggesting that even habitats within conservation zones accumulate significant microplastic loads from diffuse regional sources.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 90 citations
Article Tier 2

A large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in European beach sediment

This large-scale investigation characterized microplastic contamination across a wide geographic area, documenting abundance and polymer types and providing a baseline dataset for tracking pollution trends over time.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 450 citations
Article Tier 2

Beached microplastics in barcelonas shorelines

Researchers surveyed beached microplastics along Barcelona's shorelines to characterize the types, abundance, and distribution of plastic particles accumulating on urban Mediterranean beaches, contributing data to the growing body of evidence on coastal microplastic pollution in densely populated areas.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)