Microplastics (10 µm-5 mm) in European Atlantic Coastal Waters

• Microplastics (MPs) between 10 and 300 µm are ubiquitous in Atlantic European coastal waters. • The concentration of MPs (10- 5000 µm) ranged from 5 to 1603 MPs m -3 . • Estuaries (e.g, Scheldt and Ramsø estuaries) and wastewater effluents (e.g, in Ria de Vigo) are hotspots of coastal microplastic pollution. • Median MP abundance in European Atlantic waters is almost 3 times lower than median level in coastal regions globally. • Detected MPs levels are below harmful acute effects on the pelagic food web. Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in coastal waters, raising significant ecological concerns. This study assessed the abundance and characteristics of small-sized MPs (down to 10 µm) across European Atlantic coastal sites using harmonized sampling and analytical methods. A filter-pump microplastic sampler, the "Universal Filtering Object" (UFO), was employed at all sites, with Manta net (300-µm mesh) sampling conducted at selected locations. Microplastic concentrations ranged from <10 MPs m -3 to >1600 MPs m -3 , with the Gulf of Finland showing the lowest concentration (5 MPs m -3 ) and the Scheldt estuary in Belgium the highest (1603 MPs m -3 ). Most MPs (80%) were <300 µm, primarily consisting of polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene fragments. Manta net sampling consistently underestimated both total microplastic concentrations and microplastics larger than 300 µm compared to UFO sampling. Estuaries and wastewater effluents were identified as pollution hotspots, strongly influencing local MP distributions. The median microplastic concentration found in European Atlantic waters in this study was lower than the global median for coastal waters measured using pump-based sampling devices. Although current MP levels are unlikely to pose an immediate risk to the marine pelagic food web, the projected increase in plastic production, combined with its low degradability and chemical leaching, underscores the urgency of implementing mitigation measures to prevent future environmental impacts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Advances
Published
2025-05-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2025.100644
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.52

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article

Microplastics (10 µm-5 mm) in European Atlantic Coastal Waters

Ketil Hylland, Jes Vollertsen, Rodrigo Almeda, Alvise Vianello et al.
5 citations
Environmental Advances
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
2.52
article

Microplastics (10 µm-5 mm) in European Atlantic Coastal Waters

Ketil Hylland, Jes Vollertsen, Rodrigo Almeda, Alvise Vianello, Christelle Clérandeau, Ronny Blust, Jérôme Cachot, Francesca Garaventa, Anna Rotander, Leticia Vidal-Liñán, Raewyn M. Town, Mathilde Falcou-Préfol, Bénédicte Morin, Francesco Regoli, Urmas Lips, Torkel Gissel Nielsen, Natalja Buhhalko, Gunaalan Kuddithamby, Ricardo Beiras
article en
5 citations

Abstract

• Microplastics (MPs) between 10 and 300 µm are ubiquitous in Atlantic European coastal waters. • The concentration of MPs (10- 5000 µm) ranged from 5 to 1603 MPs m -3 . • Estuaries (e.g, Scheldt and Ramsø estuaries) and wastewater effluents (e.g, in Ria de Vigo) are hotspots of coastal microplastic pollution. • Median MP abundance in European Atlantic waters is almost 3 times lower than median level in coastal regions globally. • Detected MPs levels are below harmful acute effects on the pelagic food web. Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in coastal waters, raising significant ecological concerns. This study assessed the abundance and characteristics of small-sized MPs (down to 10 µm) across European Atlantic coastal sites using harmonized sampling and analytical methods. A filter-pump microplastic sampler, the "Universal Filtering Object" (UFO), was employed at all sites, with Manta net (300-µm mesh) sampling conducted at selected locations. Microplastic concentrations ranged from <10 MPs m -3 to >1600 MPs m -3 , with the Gulf of Finland showing the lowest concentration (5 MPs m -3 ) and the Scheldt estuary in Belgium the highest (1603 MPs m -3 ). Most MPs (80%) were <300 µm, primarily consisting of polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene fragments. Manta net sampling consistently underestimated both total microplastic concentrations and microplastics larger than 300 µm compared to UFO sampling. Estuaries and wastewater effluents were identified as pollution hotspots, strongly influencing local MP distributions. The median microplastic concentration found in European Atlantic waters in this study was lower than the global median for coastal waters measured using pump-based sampling devices. Although current MP levels are unlikely to pose an immediate risk to the marine pelagic food web, the projected increase in plastic production, combined with its low degradability and chemical leaching, underscores the urgency of implementing mitigation measures to prevent future environmental impacts.

Environmental AdvancesVol. 21
Tallinn University of Technology (EE), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES), Marche Polytechnic University (IT), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Antwerp (BE), Université de Bordeaux (FR), University of Jaffna (LK), Örebro University (SE), Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (NO), National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics (EE), Ghent University (BE), Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux (FR), National Research Council (IT), Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (FR), Universidade de Vigo (ES), Aalborg University (DK), Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Innovationsfonden, Eesti Teadusagentuur, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Ministry of Education, India, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Vlaamse regering, European Marine Biological Resource Centre Belgium, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
2.52
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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