How much do we know about the microplastic distribution in the Mediterranean Sea: A comprehensive review


TERZİ Y., GÜNDOĞDU S., Tekman M. B., GEDİK K., USTAOĞLU D., Ismail N. P., ...Daha Fazla

Marine Pollution Bulletin, cilt.208, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
  • Cilt numarası: 208
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117049
  • Dergi Adı: Marine Pollution Bulletin
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Artic & Antarctic Regions, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, Environment Index, Geobase, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Black Sea, Marine pollution, Mediterranean Sea, Microplastic, Plastic pollution
  • Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most heavily polluted regions. Here we comprehensively review the current state of microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. A total of 284 studies published between 2012 and 2023 were analyzed, revealing a continuous increase in research efforts. Our review encompassed microplastic monitoring studies across five environmental matrices: the sea surface, water column, intertidal sediment, bottom sediment, and biota, with a predominant focus observed in biota-related studies with fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms being the primary focus. The study found that species such as Mullus barbatus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Nephrops norvegicus, and Holothuria tubulosa are frequently studied species. The review also emphasizes the lack of standardized methodologies across studies, which hampers the comparability of results and the synthesis of data. The findings of this study provide a critical evaluation of the current research landscape and identify significant knowledge gaps, particularly in the underrepresented southern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, calling for more balanced research efforts and methodological consistency in future studies.