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

Here we present the large-scale distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sediment across Europe. Sediment samples were collected from 23 locations across 13 countries by citizen scientists, and analysed using a standard operating procedure. We found significant variability in the concentrations of microplastics, ranging from 72±24 to 1512±187 microplastics per kg of dry sediment, with high variability within sampling locations. Three hotspots of microplastic accumulation (>700 microplastics per kg of dry sediment) were found. There was limited variability in the physico-chemical characteristics of the plastics across sampling locations. The majority of the microplastics were fibrous, <1mm in size, and blue/black in colour. In addition, using Raman spectrometry we identified particles as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Our research is the first large spatial-scale analysis of microplastics on European beaches giving insights into the nature and extent of the microplastic challenge.

• Publication year

  2017

• Venue

  Marine Pollution Bulletin

• Publication date

  2017-10-15

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.057PMID 28893402
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for Europe

  2018cited by this paper
• Polyester Textiles as a Source of Microplastics from Households: A Mechanistic Study to Understand Microfiber Release During Washing.

  2017cited by this paper
• Plastic pollution on the Baltic beaches of Kaliningrad region, Russia.

  2017cited by this paper
• Microplastics en route: Field measurements in the Dutch river delta and Amsterdam canals, wastewater treatment plants, North Sea sediments and biota.

  2017influential reference
• A standardized method for sampling and extraction methods for quantifying microplastics in beach sand.

  2017influential reference
• Influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the composition, concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics: A case study of the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France).

  2017influential reference
• Large microplastic particles in sediments of tributaries of the River Thames, UK - Abundance, sources and methods for effective quantification.

  2017influential reference
• Plastic litter in sediments from the Croatian marine protected area of the natural park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea).

  2017cited by this paper
• Determining global distribution of microplastics by combining citizen science and in‐depth case studies

  2017cited by this paper
• The Arctic Ocean as a dead end for floating plastics in the North Atlantic branch of the Thermohaline Circulation

  2017cited by this paper
• Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

  2017influential reference
• Incorporating citizen science to study plastics in the environment

  2017cited by this paper
• Microplastics in Baltic bottom sediments: Quantification procedures and first results.

  2017cited by this paper
• Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size.

  2016cited by this paper
• Synthetic shorelines in New Zealand? Quantification and characterisation of microplastic pollution on Canterbury's coastlines

  2016cited by this paper
• Extraction, enumeration and identification methods for monitoring microplastics in the environment

  2016cited by this paper
• Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments.

  2016cited by this paper
• Pigments and plastic in limnetic ecosystems: A qualitative and quantitative study on microparticles of different size classes.

  2016cited by this paper
• Microplastic contamination in natural mussel beds from a Brazilian urbanized coastal region: Rapid evaluation through bioassessment.

  2016cited by this paper
• Ingestion of microplastics by demersal fish from the Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.

  2016cited by this paper
• Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions.

  2016cited by this paper
• Microplastic pollution in lakes and lake shoreline sediments - A case study on Lake Bolsena and Lake Chiusi (central Italy).

  2016cited by this paper
• Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

  2016cited by this paper
• Analysis of environmental microplastics by vibrational microspectroscopy: FTIR, Raman or both?

  2016cited by this paper
• Raman microspectroscopic analysis of fibers in beverages

  2016cited by this paper
• Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) as a Source of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment.

  2016cited by this paper
• Occurrence of microplastics in the beach sand of the Chinese inner sea: the Bohai Sea.

  2016cited by this paper
• Microplastics in sediments: A review of techniques, occurrence and effects.

  2015cited by this paper
• Plastic in surface waters of the Inside Passage and beaches of the Salish Sea in Washington State.

  2015cited by this paper
• A quantitative analysis of microplastic pollution along the south-eastern coastline of South Africa.

  2015cited by this paper
• Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of microplastics extracted from cosmetics.

  2015cited by this paper
• Plastic Accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea

  2015cited by this paper
• Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption

  2015cited by this paper
• Citizen science: a new approach to advance ecology, education, and conservation

  2015cited by this paper
• Microplastics profile along the Rhine River

  2015cited by this paper
• Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: the first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples

  2015cited by this paper
• A critical assessment of visual identification of marine microplastic using Raman spectroscopy for analysis improvement.

  2015cited by this paper
• A comparison of microscopic and spectroscopic identification methods for analysis of microplastics in environmental samples.

  2015cited by this paper
• Modelling the transport and accumulation of floating marine debris in the Mediterranean basin.

  2015cited by this paper
• Microplastic concentrations in beach sediments along the German Baltic coast.

  2015cited by this paper
• Methodology Used for the Detection and Identification of Microplastics—A Critical Appraisal

  2015cited by this paper
• Plastic pollution in Swiss surface waters: nature and concentrations, interaction with pollutants

  2015cited by this paper
• The Contribution of Citizen Scientists to the Monitoring of Marine Litter

  2015cited by this paper
• Laboratory Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics in the Marine Environment : Recommendations for Quantifying Synthetic Particles in Waters and Sediments

  2015cited by this paper
• Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment: part 2 of a global assessment

  2015cited by this paper
• Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean

  2015cited by this paper
• Protected areas in the Atlantic facing the hazards of micro-plastic pollution: first diagnosis of three islands in the Canary Current.

  2014cited by this paper
• Macrodebris and microplastics from beaches in Slovenia.

  2014cited by this paper
• Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments from Norderney.

  2014cited by this paper
• Microplastics in bivalves cultured for human consumption.

  2014cited by this paper
• Rivers as a source of marine litter--a study from the SE Pacific.

  2014cited by this paper
• Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea

  2014cited by this paper
• Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web.

  2014cited by this paper
• The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: a review.

  2013cited by this paper
• Microplastic ingestion by zooplankton.

  2013cited by this paper
• Microplastic particles in sediments of Lagoon of Venice, Italy: First observations on occurrence, spatial patterns and identification

  2013influential reference
• Microplastic survey of the Dutch environment : Novel data set of microplastics in North Sea sediments, treated wastewater effluents and marine biota

  2013cited by this paper
• Trophic level transfer of microplastic: Mytilus edulis (L.) to Carcinus maenas (L.).

  2013cited by this paper
• Distribution and abundance of small plastic debris on beaches in the SE Pacific (Chile): a study supported by a citizen science project.

  2013influential reference
• Microplastics in the marine environment: a review of the methods used for identification and quantification.

  2012cited by this paper
• Microplastics in Beaches of the East Frisian Islands Spiekeroog and Kachelotplate

  2012cited by this paper
• Microplastics in the marine environment.

  2011influential reference
• Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review.

  2011influential reference
• Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines woldwide: sources and sinks.

  2011cited by this paper
• Accumulations of microplastic on shorelines worldwide: sources and sinks

  2011cited by this paper
• Plastic marine debris on the Portuguese coastline: a matter of size?

  2011cited by this paper
• Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast.

  2011cited by this paper
• Citizen Science as an Ecological Research Tool: Challenges and Benefits

  2010cited by this paper
• Proceedings of the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects, and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris, September 9-11, 2008, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, USA

  2009cited by this paper
• Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments

  2009influential reference
• A new dawn for citizen science.

  2009cited by this paper
• The main characteristics, problems, and prospects for Western European coastal seas.

  2008cited by this paper
• Hydraulic regime-based zonation scheme of the Curonian Lagoon

  2008cited by this paper
• Small plastic particles in Coastal Swedish waters . KIMO Sweden

  2008cited by this paper
• Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L).

  2008cited by this paper
• Prevalence of microplastics in Singapore's coastal marine environment.

  2006cited by this paper
• Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic?

  2004cited by this paper
• The European coastal zone: characterization and first assessment of ecosystem metabolism

  2004influential reference
• The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review.

  2002cited by this paper
• Fluorescence-free Raman spectra of polymers

  1990cited by this paper

• Assessing microplastic pollution in coastal sediments of the Oman Sea: ecological risk and land-use linkages

  2026cites this paper
• Tracing microplastic pathways: assessing pollution in a freshwater lake with high tourist activity

  2026cites this paper
• Microplastic Pollution: Advancements in Mitigation, Policy Challenges, and Future Directions

  2026cites this paper
• An analysis of the current and forecasted ecological risk related to the presence of microplastics on the Romanian Black Sea coast

  2026cites this paper
• Seasonal and Cross-Shore Assessment of Large and Small Microplastics Collected on the Ferrara Coast (Italy)

  2026cites this paper
• Bridging science and policy towards integrated management of Urban plastic pollution: A global review of patterns, drivers, and solutions

  2026cites this paper
• A comparative study of microplastic contamination and ecological risk in beach and bottom sediments along the southern Black Sea coast

  2026cites this paper
• MICROPLASTICS AND GEOTECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAND AT PRAIA DO FUTURO, CEARÁ, BRAZIL

  2026cites this paper
• Microplastics in coastal sediments of Pakistan: Site-specific patterns and biodegradation by native bacterial isolates

  2026cites this paper
• Innovative Approach for Determining Polypropylene Microplastics Pollution in Calcareous Soils: Vis-NIR Spectroscopy

  2026cites this paper
• Quantification of Microplastics in Ship-generated Greywater and their contribution to Baltic Marine pollution.

  2026cites this paper
• Rapid spatiotemporal monitoring of beach microplastics in the Galápagos Islands.

  2026cites this paper
• Unveiling the hidden impacts: A comprehensive review of microplastic effects on marine bivalves.

  2025cites this paper
• Behavior of anthropogenic particles on coastal seawater and intertidal sediment of a gulf in Patagonia Argentina

  2025cites this paper
• MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION ACROSS THE BRAZILIAN COASTLINE: EVIDENCE FROM THE MICROMAR PROJECT, THE LARGEST COASTAL SURVEY IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH.

  2025cites this paper
• The Impact of Microplastics on the Dissemination, Persistence, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

  2025cites this paper
• A new deal between Science and Society through Citizen Science: the case study of sea-surface microplastics research

  2025cites this paper
• Urbanization increases microplastic pollution in beach sediments along the Chennai Coast, South India.

  2025cites this paper
• Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Large (1–5 mm) Microplastics on the Strandline of a Macrotidal Sandy Beach (Polzeath, Southwest England) and Their Association with Beach-Cast Seaweed

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastic pollution in the marine environment: Distribution factors and mitigation strategies in different oceans.

  2025cites this paper
• The distribution, characteristics, and potential impacts of microplastics in sediments from two tourist beaches along the northern Bay of Bengal

  2025cites this paper
• Unveiling the impact of anthropogenic wastes on greenhouse gas emissions from the enigmatic mangroves of Indian Sundarban.

  2025cites this paper
• A global assessment of microplastic abundance and characteristics on marine turtle nesting beaches.

  2025cites this paper
• A Comprehensive Identification, Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Natural Mussels from the Shoreline of the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye

  2025cites this paper
• Maritime and lagoon beaches sediments mineral phases and potentially toxic elements characterization and evaluation of microplastics retention

  2025cites this paper
• Advancing marine debris counting during extreme weather events: Deep learning applications in Typhoons Saola and Haikui.

  2025cites this paper
• Homogeneity of Sand-Sized Microplastics Concentration and Polymer Assemblage in Beach and Coastal Dune Sediments

  2025cites this paper
• Plastics: From Revolutionary Innovation to Global Menace—Strategies for Remediation

  2025cites this paper
• Spatial Distribution of Microplastics Abundance Along Selected Beaches in Kelantan, Malaysia

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastic Pollution of the Vistula Lagoon and Baltic Sea: a Comparison Study

  2025cites this paper
• Heterogeneous seafloor deposition of heavy microplastics in the North Pacific estimated over 65 years.

  2025cites this paper
• Temporal Distribution of Microplastics and other Anthropogenic Particles in Abiotic Compartments of a Coastal Lagoon from the Atlantic Coast

  2025cites this paper
• Occurrence of microplastics in terrestrial habitats: hazards and pollution abatement

  2025cites this paper
• Presence, Spatial Distribution, and Characteristics of Microplastics in Beach Sediments Along the Northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean Coast

  2025cites this paper
• Presence and seasonal distribution of microplastics in beach sand of Kuşadası-Davutlar-Güzelçamlı coastal region of Aydın province in Türkiye

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastic contamination, comparative retention efficiency, and ecological hazard in saltmarsh, mangrove, sandy, and muddy habitats along the northern Bay of Bengal coast

  2025cites this paper
• Retention of microplastics in Halophila decipiens seagrass meadows.

  2025cites this paper
• Characterisation and abundance of microplastic pollution in sediments of Banten Bay, Indonesia

  2025cites this paper
• Assessment of microplastics particles (0.3-5 mm) in sandy beaches of Cuba.

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastics in marine systems: A review of sources and sinks, typical environmental behaviors, and biological effects.

  2025cites this paper
• Detection of microplastic hotspots in beach sand for national surveys using fluorescence microscopy and infrared spectroscopy: Case study on the Catalan coast.

  2025cites this paper
• Seasonal variations in microplastic distribution on Macau’s windward and leeward beaches: weak spatial autocorrelation

  2025cites this paper
• Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene LDPE by marine bacterial strains Gordonia alkanivorans PBM1 and PSW1 isolated from Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt

  2025influential citation
• Floating microplastics in a hypersaline Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Abundance, chemical composition, and influence of environmental parameters

  2025cites this paper
• A systematic review and scientometrics analysis on microplastic pollution on coastal beaches around the globe

  2025cites this paper
• Molecular mechanisms of microplastic toxicity in coastal sediments of La Guajira Colombia and emerging ecological risks

  2025cites this paper
• Marine litter sampling across the Western Mediterranean: Critical bibliographic review and dataset compilation.

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastics in Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis): Understanding Pollution in Italian Seas

  2025cites this paper
• Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in two edible marine fish species sourced from the Bay of Bengal: Contamination level and risk assessment

  2025cites this paper
• Abundances and characteristics of small (< 0.3 mm) and large (0.3-5 mm) microplastics found in Aotearoa New Zealand beach sediments.

  2025cites this paper
• Occurrence and Risk Assessment of Microplastics Pollution in the World’s Longest Natural Beach, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

  2025cites this paper
• Spatial Dynamics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Littoral Sediments of the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye

  2025cites this paper
• Initial examination of marine microplastics along Jaffna Peninsula’s coastal stretch in the Palk Strait, northern Sri Lanka

  2024cites this paper
• Morphodynamics drive the transport and accumulation of anthropogenic microparticles in tropical coastal depositional systems in southeastern Brazil.

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of seasonal dynamics on microplastic pollution and its vectorization of heavy metals: An in-vitro toxicity assessment in Artemia franciscana.

  2024cites this paper
• Unravelling the Nexus of Beach Litter and Plant Species and Communities Along the Mediterranean Coasts: A Critical Literature Review

  2024cites this paper
• Impacts of microplastics on ecosystem services and their microbial degradation: a systematic review of the recent state of the art and future prospects

  2024cites this paper
• Sustainable Implementation of Citizen-Based Plastic Monitoring of Fresh Waters in Western Africa

  2024cites this paper
• Challenges in Raman Spectroscopy of (micro)Plastics: The interfering role of colourants.

  2024cites this paper
• Comparison of macrolitter and meso- and microplastic pollution on French riverbanks and coastal beaches using citizen science with schoolchildren

  2024influential citation
• High microplastic pollution in marine sediments associated with urbanised areas along the SW Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

  2024cites this paper
• Perspectives on transport pathways of microplastics across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

  2024cites this paper
• Assessing Ecological Risks and Microplastic Pollution in a Tropical Coastal Ecosystem: Effects of Rainfall Variability in Southeast India

  2024cites this paper
• Microplastics pollution in the marine environment: A review of sources, impacts and mitigation.

  2024cites this paper
• Petrochemical industry as a source for microplastics; abundance and characteristics of pollution in soil, sewage, and bay

  2024cites this paper
• Differences in distribution and characteristics of microplastics in sediments of the south-eastern part of the Gulf of Trieste

  2024cites this paper
• Tidal variability and microplastics distribution: source analysis in Dongshan Bay beach sediments, South China

  2024cites this paper
• Assessing microplastic presence and distribution in sandy beaches: a case study of the Gulf of Tunis coastline

  2024cites this paper
• Bibliometric Analysis of Microplastics Research: Advances and Future Directions (2020–2024)

  2024cites this paper
• Assessment of microplastics pollution level on clam farming and bathing beaches: a case study of Thanh Phu in Ben Tre, Vietnam

  2024cites this paper
• Distribution and effects of microplastics as carriers of heavy metals in river surface sediments.

  2024cites this paper
• Micro(nano)plastics as Emerging Pollutants in Global Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems: A Bibliometric Analysis

  2024cites this paper
• Table Development and Characterization of Polymeric-based Biomaterial from Agro-Food Waste: A Sustainable and Eco-friendly Approach Towards Plastic Pollution.

  2024cites this paper
• Ingestion of chitosan-starch blends: Effect on the survival of supralittoral amphipods.

  2024cites this paper
• Characterisation and distribution of microplastics in the inner shelf sediments of the southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal

  2024cites this paper
• An assessment of microplastic contamination in beach sediment of Maharashtra State, India, with special reference to anthropogenic activities

  2024influential citation
• A Comparison of new and age-old approaches treating microplastics in the marine environment

  2024cites this paper
• Anthropogenic particle abundance and characteristics in seawater and intertidal sediments of the Tonkin Bay Coast (North Vietnam)

  2024cites this paper
• The possible impacts of nano and microplastics on human health: lessons from experimental models across multiple organs

  2024influential citation
• Accumulation, tissue distribution, health hazard of microplastics in a commercially important cat fish, Silonia silondia from a tropical large-scale estuary

  2024cites this paper
• Vis-NIR spectroscopy based rapid and non-destructive method to quantitate microplastics: An emerging contaminant in farm soil.

  2024cites this paper
• Anthropogenic Microparticles Abundance in Sandy Beach Sediments along the Tetouan Coast (Morocco Mediterranean)

  2024cites this paper
• The Presence of Microplastics in Shellfish: A Review

  2024cites this paper
• Unveiling Microplastic Abundance and Distribution in an Oceanic Island: Offshore Depository or Local Pollution Indicator

  2024cites this paper
• Extraction and identification of plastic debris in Sargassum spp. from the beaches of Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico

  2024cites this paper
• A non-invasive method of microplastics pollution quantification in green sea turtle Chelonia mydas of the Mexican Caribbean.

  2024cites this paper
• Characterization of microplastics in outdoor and indoor air in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India: First insights from the region.

  2024cites this paper
• Ecotoxicological Effects of Commercial Microplastics on Earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) (Clitellata; Lumbricidae)

  2024cites this paper
• Abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches of the eastern Moroccan Mediterranean coast.

  2024cites this paper
• Mapping Approaches to ‘Citizen Science’ and ‘Community Science’ and Everything In-between: The Evolution of New Epistemic Territory?

  2024cites this paper
• Assessment of Microplastics and Potentially Toxic Elements in Surface Sediments of the River Kelvin, Central Scotland, United Kingdom

  2024cites this paper
• Pelagic Sargassum as a Potential Vector for Microplastics into Coastal Ecosystems

  2024cites this paper
• Plastic and anthropogenic microfiber pollution on exposed sandy beaches in Nova Scotia, Canada

  2024cites this paper
• Charting the microplastic menace: A bibliometric analysis of pollution in Malaysian mangroves and polypropylene bioaccumulation assessment in Anadara granosa.

  2024cites this paper
• Rising Concern About the Carcinogenetic Role of Micro-Nanoplastics

  2024cites this paper
• Sediment-associated microplastics in Chilika lake, India: Highlighting their prevalence, polymer types, possible sources, and ecological risks.

  2024cites this paper
• Distribution characteristics of microplastics in the surface mixed layer of the western Indian Ocean

  2024cites this paper
• Microplastics in ecological system: Their prevalence, health effects, and remediation

  2024cites this paper
• Assessment of microplastic abundance and impact on recreational beaches along the western Algerian coastline.

  2024cites this paper
• Single-use plastic or paper products? A dilemma that requires societal change

  2024cites this paper