Whether a non-tidal estuary produces microplastic maxima (case study of the Pregolya River, the Baltic Sea).

The microplastics (0.3-5 mm) and mesoplastics (5-25 mm) in the non-tidal estuary of the Pregolya River (south-eastern Baltic Sea) were investigated for the first time in order to trace the retention zone (estuarine microplastic maxima, EMPM) at the river-sea interface, which is characterised by a salinity gradient. The mean abundance of all plastics (0.

Deposition of microplastics in estuaries: critical review of field and experimental data from the perspective of the Ocean Marginal Filter concept.

Estuaries are effective natural filters retaining a significant part of the sediments and contaminants transported by rivers towards the ocean. For these complex and dynamic environments, field studies are the key to reveal the most effective retention mechanisms. This review examines published field observations of microplastics (MPs) contamination in river/estuary/sea transitional areas worldwide from the perspective of the classical Marginal Filter concept.

Two sides of the same coin: Weathering differences of plastic fragments in coastal environments around the globe.

Plastic debris in coastal environments usually undergoes weathering due to various environmental conditions. However, the weathering effects on exposed and shaded sides of the same plastics are underexplored. In this study, 1573 plastic fragments were collected from 15 coastal sites worldwide between December 2021 and December 2022, and weathering experiments were conducted outdoors.

Natural sorting of sediments in the wave run-up zone works for microplastics as well.

The distribution of plastic pollution in the marine environment is highly variable in time and space, making it difficult to assess pollution levels. This study shows that mixing and natural sorting of material in the wave run-up zone of a sandy beach results in a relatively stable abundance of microplastics in the size range 0.5-2 mm (S-MPs).

Abundance and mass of plastic litter on sandy shore: Contribution of stormy events.

The accumulation of marine litter on beaches has a detrimental impact on the environment, human health, and recreational activities. A total of 116 monitoring surveys were conducted along the shore of the Kaliningrad region between 2019 and 2023. Sampling of anthropogenic and plastic litter (>0.