Microplastic Counts Research Articles

Microplastic Abundance From Pig Farm Effluent and Surface Water In Sungai Tuang, Melaka, Malaysia

Livestock is one of the country’s important economic resources, nevertheless, an unsystematic livestock farm management system contributes to microplastic pollution. Microplastics (MPs) pollutant hurts the environment and human life, limited studies have been done in Malaysia’s freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, this research was to determine the abundance of MPs in surface water and sediments from the nearby river and the last catchment pond of pig farm effluent in Paya Mengkuang and Sungai Tuang, Melaka. The concentration of MPs was compared with six water quality parameters (pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), dissolved oxygen (DO), total ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). This study found that the average concentration of MPs was 487.38 particles/L and 50.96 particles/g for water and sediment samples consequently. This study showed a significant correlation between COD concentration and microplastic count in sediment samples. The source of microplastics in rivers is associated with anthropogenic activities such as unsystematic garbage disposal and poultry manure. The prevalence of microplastics in the environment of MPs could threaten the safety of resource utilization as MPs enter the food chain in aquatic ecology and pose a severe threat to aquatic organisms directly and subsequently to humans. Our study provides essential data on microplastic pollution in river estuaries and livestock farm areas.

Assessment of Microplastics in Green Mussel (Perna viridis) and Surrounding Environments around Sri Racha Bay, Thailand

Microplastic pollution is a common problem in the coastal and marine environment, especially in the transferential process through trophic levels. This study analyzed the characteristics of microplastics in the seawater, sediments, and green mussels (Perna viridis) around Sri Racha Bay, Thailand, during the dry and wet season in 2020. This area is a semi-enclosed bay highly affected by extensive green mussel farms and anthropogenic activities. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics was undertaken using a stereomicroscope and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (ATR-μ-FT-IR). During the wet season (July), the average abundance of microplastics was found to be relatively higher in water (2.06 ± 1.78 particles/m3) and sediment (69.35 ± 22.29 items/Kg D.W.) than those found in the dry season (April) (0.85 ± 0.25 items/m3 in water and 48.30 ± 28.17 items/Kg D.W.). Overall, the most abundant microplastic polymers were PE, PP, and poly in water, but PE, nylon, and PP in sediments. In green mussels, microplastic counts were 0.15 ± 0.41 and 0.22 ± 0.57 items/individual in the dry and wet season, respectively, and PET, PP, and nylon were the three most abundant. Some inter-specific differences were found, but no evidence for a sampling sites or seasons was highlighted, although the tendency was higher during the wet season. The excessive riverine freshwater discharge transported terrestrial plastic debris into the estuarine system; hence, higher microplastic contamination in surface seawater and sediment was evidenced. The presence of colorants in organisms revealed an anthropogenic origin through the use of a wide array of applications. This study provides thoughtful insights for coastal area management and food-safety planning.

The role of seagrass meadows in the accumulation of microplastics: Insights from a South African estuary

Microplastics are widespread in marine ecosystems, where they threaten biota and human wellbeing. Seagrasses may act as natural filters of microplastics due to their particle trapping abilities, yet little is known about the extent of microplastics in the sediment of seagrass beds. The aim of this study was to compare microplastic accumulation in the sediments of Zostera capensis meadows with adjacent bare sediments at a small spatial scale (~5 km) in the Knysna estuary in South Africa. No significant difference in total microplastic counts were found between seagrass and unvegetated sediments. However, fibre microplastic counts differed significantly between the two locations at which samples were collected. This may be due to pollution levels and proximity to larger human population densities. Importantly, our study reveals variability in microplastic abundance and type even at small spatial scales, an important consideration for the design of future studies aiming to monitor for microplastics.

Analytical precision assessment for microplastic analyses.

The need for improved microplastic (MP) data accuracy has been widely reported, but MP precision issues have been investigated less thoroughly. This work demonstrates how initial and continuing assessments of a laboratory's analytical precision can be used for establishing laboratory repeatability for MP analyses. These precision estimates can be reported along with MP results to ensure their quality and compare them meaningfully to other data. Re-analyses of reference MP samples can be used to assess and compare precision between different laboratories. A multi-lab precision exercise was demonstrated using infrared (IR) standard test methods performed on reference samples consisting of low-concentration MP spikes in both clean water and wastewater matrices. Each lab repeated their IR analyses 7 times and calculated relative standard deviations (RSD) for each detected polymer type using a standardized template. All labs' MP methods yielded generally repeatable results, though RSDs were consistently higher for lower MP counts. The reported range of total MP counts per sample was 8-33 particles, and the observed RSDs were 0.1-0.6. These RSDs were the same or lower than the expected imprecision due to random (Poisson) counting error alone, suggesting that these automated methods did not contribute any additional variability, and had slightly better reproducibility than expected for independent recounts. The wastewater matrix exhibited numerous interfering particles but did not yield more variability than the clean water matrix. The low-count design is a worst case for precision but is appropriate for some real-world sample concentrations. In practice, labs could generate separate references for precision assessment at multiple MP ranges (e.g., high, medium, and low.) The RSDs obtained from this data can be used to generate QC charts, detect changes in analyst performance, compare to Poisson error to identify additional sources of imprecision, and determine target filtration and instrumental parameters for MP analyses.

Comprehensive analysis of spatial distribution of microplastics in Rawal Lake, Pakistan using trawl net and sieve sampling methods

Occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater environments, particularly reservoir and lakes, is an emerging concern. There are limited studies in Pakistan on microplastic pollution in the lacustrine environments and those that exist do not provide sufficient information on the spatial distribution of MPs in offshore surface water. The aims of this study were to determine microplastic abundance in Rawal Lake, Pakistan and to ascertain if sampling methodology influences microplastic counts. Surface water samples were collected from 10 sites; 5 tributaries, 2 human settlement and 3 fishing and boating areas using two different sampling techniques: 100 μm mesh trawl and 20 L sample through a 45 μm mesh sieve. A significant difference was observed in the abundance of MPs across two methods with the sieve method yielding 2.8 ± 1.44 particles/L and trawl yielding 0.025 ± 0.024 particles/L. Tributaries and boating/fishing area had higher microplastic abundance than the residential area regardless of sampling method. Filaments were the dominant shape of MPs in both type of samples followed by fragments in trawl samples and films in sieved samples. Microbeads were only detected in trawl samples. MPs within size range 0.1–0.9 mm were mostly fragments (82%). MPs were diverse in colors with white/transparent and black MPs common. Polypropylene was the main type of microplastic in Rawal Lake (40–74%). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of MPs showed cracks, roughness and striations on the particles. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) detected heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co and Cr) in MPs. Findings suggest that microplastic pollution in Rawal Lake may pose great risk to aquatic and human life through leaching of inherent/adsorbed heavy metals and therefore requires future investigation.

A quantitative and qualitative assessment of microplastics collected at two public beaches along the east and south-east coast of Mauritius.

Microplastics had been collected at two sites namely Trou d'eau Douce (TD) and La Cambuse (LC) public beaches, lying in the east coast and south-east coast of Mauritius, respectively, over 6months from September 2019 to February 2020. The sizes of the latter varied from 180µm to 4mm. A higher amount of microplastics collected/6-kg sand sample was recorded at LC. Two-way ANOVA revealed that (1) there was a considerable gap in the variability regarding quantity and size distribution of microplastics on the two beaches. The post-hoc analysis showed that the majority of the microplastics at LC were > 1.40mm, whereas the smaller plastic fragments < 1.40mm were more dominant at TD. (2) There was a significant interaction between location and event (p value = 0.025). The post-hoc analysis showed that the torrential rain hitting the island prior to sampling week 7 had decreased the microplastic counts at both TD and LC, but not significantly. Interestingly, the two hurricanes, prior to weeks 8 and 9, had appreciably reduced the microplastic counts at TD and, on the other hand, there was an increase in the amount of microplastics at LC, but not to a significant effect. The chemical nature (qualitative analysis) of microplastics was determined by density flotation and FTIR spectroscopy. Microplastics at TD were exclusively high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in origin, whereas, at LC, microplastics were both HDPE and polypropylene (PP) in origin.

Bottom-Up Evaluation of the Uncertainty of the Quantification of Microplastics Contamination in Sediment Samples.

The quantification and comparison of microplastic contamination of sediments are affected by sample heterogeneity and the systematic and random effects affecting sample analysis. The quantification and combination of these components in the measurement uncertainty allows the objective interpretation of analysis results. This work presents the first detailed evaluation of the uncertainty of microplastic contamination quantification in sediments. The random and systematic effects affecting microplastic counts are modeled by the Poisson-lognormal distribution with inputs estimated from duplicate sediment analysis and the analysis of sediments spiked with microparticles. The uncertainty from particle counting was combined with the uncertainty from the determination of the dry mass of the analytical portion by the Monte Carlo method. The developed methodology was implemented in a user-friendly spreadsheet made available as the Supporting Information. The contamination of sediment samples collected in various inland Portuguese waters was determined, ranging from [0; 160] to [361; 2932] kg-1 for a 99% confidence level, and compared by assessing if the difference between contamination levels is equivalent to zero for the same confidence level. Several samples proved to have metrologically different microplastic contamination. This work represents a contribution to the objectivity of the assessment of environmental contamination with microplastics.

Microplastic ingestion by commercial marine fish from the seawater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia.

Over the past decade, concerns over microplastic pollution in the marine ecosystem has increasingly gained more attention, but research investigating the ingestion of microplastics by marine fish in Malaysia is still regrettably lacking. This study investigated the microplastic presence, abundance, and morphological types within the guts of four species of commercial marine fish (Atule mate, Crenimugil seheli, Sardinella fimbriata and Rastrelliger brachysoma) caught in seawater off the coast of Malaysia’s Northwest Peninsular. A total of 72 individual commercial marine fish guts from four species (fish per species n = 18) were examined. Remarkably, this study found that 100% of the samples contained microplastics. A total number of 432 microplastics (size < 5 mm) from the four species were found in the excised marine fish guts. The most common type of microplastic discovered was fragment, which accounted for 49.5% of all microplastics present. The gut microplastic content differed between species. Sardinella fimbriata recorded the greatest amount of microplastic ingestion, with an average microplastic count of 6.5 (±4.3) items per individual fish. However, there were no statistically significant differences found when comparing study species and different locations. SEM-EDX analysis confirmed the presence of microplastic particles by identifying the chemical elements found in the samples. Since the four studied species of commercial marine fish are popular protein sources in Malaysians’ daily diet, this study suggests potential microplastic exposure to humans via contaminated fish consumption in Malaysia, which was previously unknown. Based on previous scientific evidence, this study also demonstrates the high probability of microplastic ingestion in marine fish in the Malaysian seawater, which could have an adverse effect on fish health as well as marine biota.

Spatial and temporal variations of microplastic concentrations in Portland's freshwater ecosystems

While microplastics are a pollutant of growing concern in various environmental compartments, less is known regarding the sources and delivery pathways of microplastics in urban rivers. We investigated the relationship between microplastic concentrations and various spatiotemporal factors (e.g., land use, arterial road length, water velocity, precipitation) in two watersheds along an urban-rural gradient in the Portland metropolitan area. Samples were collected in August, September, and February and were analyzed for total microplastic count and type. Nonparametric statistics were used to evaluate potential relationships with the explanatory variables, derived at both the subwatershed and near stream scales. In August, microplastic concentrations were significantly higher than in February. August concentrations also negatively correlated with flow rate, suggesting that lower flow rates may have facilitated the accumulation of microplastics. Smaller size microplastic particles (< 100 μm) were found more in August than September and February, while larger size particles were more dominant in February than the other months. Microplastic concentrations were positively related to 24-h antecedent precipitation in February. Negative correlations existed between wet season microplastic concentrations and agricultural lands at the near stream level. The results indicate that near stream variables may more strongly influence the presence and abundance of microplastics in Portland's waterways than subwatershed-scale variables. Fragments were the most commonly observed microplastic morphology, with a dominance of gray particles and the polymer polyethylene. The findings of this study can inform management decisions regarding microplastic waste and identify hotspots of microplastic pollution that may benefit from remediation.

The accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground

The Irish Sea is an important area for Norway Lobster Nephrops norvegicus fisheries, which are the most valuable fishing resource in the UK. Norway lobster are known to ingest microplastic pollution present in the sediment and have displayed reduced body mass when exposed to microplastic pollution. Here, we identified microplastic pollution in the Irish Sea fishing grounds through analysis of 24 sediment samples from four sites of differing proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre in both 2016 and 2019. We used µFTIR spectroscopy to identify seven polymer types, and a total of 77 microplastics consisting of fibres and fragments. The mean microplastics per gram of sediment ranged from 0.13 to 0.49 and 0 to 1.17 MP/g in 2016 and 2019, respectively. There were no differences in the microplastic counts across years, and there was no correlation of microplastic counts with proximity to the Western Irish Sea Gyre. Considering the consistently high microplastic abundance found in the Irish Sea, and the propensity of N. norvegicus to ingest and be negatively impacted by them, we suggest microplastic pollution levels in the Irish Sea may have adverse impacts on N. norvegicus and negative implications for fishery sustainability in the future.

Plastic cutting boards as a source of microplastics in meat

ABSTRACT Plastic cutting boards were found to be the source of polythene microplastic contamination in cut meat commercially available at butchers and a supermarket chain in the Middle East, making them also a direct source of microplastic in wastewater. The mean size of the microplastic in the raw meat was 1279.2 ± 835.0 µm, but decreased when the meat was cooked or fried. The microplastic melted during both cooking and frying processes and recrystallised partially upon cooling. Washing the meat for a short time (10 seconds) before preparing it reduced the microplastic contamination insignificantly, and only extensive washing of the meat over longer periods of time (3 min) helped decrease the microplastic count to 0.07 MP/g meat. The composition of the cutting boards was analysed by FT-IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and subjected to wear, tensile and hardness tests. From a 3D photo of a spent cutting board, it was calculatedthat 875 g polythene was lost from the cutting board at the end of its lifetime.

Efficient Prediction of Microplastic Counts from Mass Measurements

Efficient Prediction of Microplastic Counts from Mass Measurements

Detection and quantification of microplastics from cultured green mussel Perna viridis in Bacoor Bay, Cavite, Philippines

Microplastic contamination in the aquatic environment is a worldwide problem endangering aquatic organisms and human health. However, few reports were published in the Philippines especially in different edible fishery products. Hence, an investigation to report its prevalence in edible fishery products, especially in a fishery-dependent country, is necessary. This study was conducted to detect, characterize, and quantify microplastics from cultured Green mussel Perna viridis in Bacoor Bay, Cavite, Philippines. Samples (n=63) were collected from the inner, middle, and outer parts of Bacoor Bay. Isolation and characterization were conducted using wet peroxide oxidation-assisted density separation and stereomicroscopy, respectively. Results show a low concentration of microplastics from P. viridis cultured in Bacoor Bay. The highest microplastic count was observed from the inner bay (0.41 particle/gwet weight) followed by the middle bay (0.40 particle/gwet weight), then the outer bay (0.27 particle/gwet weight). The majority of microplastics in all sites were fibers (61%), color red (29%), and were dominated with &gt; 10 to 50 µm length. This study revealed that microplastic is prevalent in Bacoor bay. Further study on confirming the microplastic polymers from P. viridis cultured in Bacoor bay is recommended.

Assessment of microplastic sampling and extraction methods for drinking waters

To date, no standardized methods have been proposed for conducting microplastic analyses in treated drinking waters, resulting in challenges associated with direct comparisons among studies. This study compares known methods for collecting and extracting microplastics from drinking waters: an in-laboratory (in-lab) filtration method and an in-line filtration method (i.e., water filtered on-site without an intermediate storage and/or transportation step). In-lab methods have been the predominant method for sample collection in drinking water matrices, and in-line methods are emerging due to the potential to sample large volumes of water on site and minimize contamination from airborne particles, but the two methods have yet to be directly compared using real samples. In response, this study evaluates both methods in terms of recovering spiked reference microplastics, collecting microplastics from tap water samples using the same water volume, and quantifying the removal of microplastics through a full-scale ultrafiltration system. In-line filtration was shown to have higher recoveries for all the reference microplastics examined (+37 % for PVC fragments, +23 % for PET fragments, +22 % for nylon fibers and +7 % for PET fibers) and a greater potential to reduce microplastic contamination. It also resulted in lower standard deviations for total microplastic counts in the tap water and UF influent and effluent samples. The filtration capacity of the proposed in-line filtration method could exceed 350 L of treated water, but this is highly dependent on the water quality. This study therefore supports the use of in-line filtration methods towards the standardization of microplastic collection procedures in drinking water.

Spatio-temporal variation of microplastic along a rural to urban transition in a tropical river

Microplastic pollution is widely recognised as a global issue, posing risks to natural ecosystems and human health. The combination of rapid industrial and urban development and relatively limited environmental regulation in many tropical countries may increase the amount of microplastic entering rivers, but basic data on contamination levels are lacking. This is especially the case in tropical South East Asian countries. In this paper, the abundance, composition and spatio-temporal variation of microplastic in the Langat River, Malaysia, were assessed, and the relationship between microplastic concentration and river discharge was investigated. Water samples were collected over a 12-month period from 8 sampling sites on the Langat, extending from forested to heavily urbanised and industrial areas. All 508 water samples collected over this period contained microplastic; mean concentration across all sites and times was 4.39 particles/L but extended up to 90.00 particles/L in some urban tributaries. Most microplastics were secondary in origin, and dominated by fibres. Microplastic counts correlated directly with river discharge, and counts increased and decreased in response to changes in flow. A time-integrated assessment of the microplastic load conveyed by the Langat suggested that the river is typically (50 % of the time) delivering around 5 billion particles per day to the ocean. The positive correlation between the concentration of microplastics and suspended sediments in the Langat suggested that continuously logging turbidity sensors could be used to provide better estimates of microplastic loads and improve assessment of human and ecological health risks.

Seagrass beds reveal high abundance of microplastic in sediments: A case study in the Baltic Sea

Microplastic (MPL) contamination in the marine environment is extensively studied yet little is known about the extent of MPL abundance in seagrass beds. The aim of this study was to evaluate MPL accumulation in coastal seagrass (Zostera marina) beds in the Baltic Sea, Estonia.Surface water was sampled by pumping using 40 μm plankton net, and sediments by trowel. MPL was extracted with NaCl, identified by microscopy and ATR-FTIR on selected samples.Surface water in the seagrass beds had 0.04–1.2 (median 0.14) MPL/L, similar to other areas of the Baltic Sea. Sediments had 0–1817 (median 208) MPL/kg (dwt), much higher than previously recorded from adjacent unvegetated and offshore sediments, thereby suggesting a strong ability of the sediments in seagrass beds to retain MPL. Of identified MPL, blue fibres were dominant in both the sampled media. Sediment characterization showed a correlation between MPL counts with poorly sorted sediments.

Microplastic pollution in wild commercial nekton from the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, and its implication to human health

Marine biota, especially commercially important species, serves as a basis for human nutrition. However, millions of tons of plastic litter are produced and enter the marine environment every year, with potential adverse impacts on marine organisms. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence and characteristics of microplastic (MP) pollution in the digestive tracts of 13 species of wild nektons from 20 stations sampled in the South China Sea (SCS) and the Indian Ocean (IO), and assessed the human health risks of MPs. The detection rate of MPs ranged from 0.00% to 50.00% from the SCS, which was dramatically lower than that from the IO (10.00–80.00%). The average abundance of MP was 0.18 ± 0.06 items g wet weight−1 (ww−1) in the SCS, which was significantly lower than that in the IO with a concentration of 0.70 ± 0.16 items g ww−1. Most MPs were fibers in type, black in color, and polyester (PES) in polymer composition in both the SCS and IO. Interestingly, distinct profiles of MP pollution were found between the benthic and pelagic nektons: 1) The predominant MP composition was PES in the benthic nektons, whereas polyamide (PA) accounted for a larger part of the total MP count in the pelagic nektons within the SCS; 2) The abundance of MP in the benthic nektons (0.52 ± 0.24 items individual−1) was higher than that in the pelagic nektons (0.30 ± 0.11 items individual−1). Accordingly, the mean hazard score of MPs detected in the benthic nektons (220.66 ± 210.75) was higher than that in the pelagic nektons (49.53 ± 22.87); 3) The mean size of the MP in the pelagic nektons (0.84 ± 0.17 mm) was larger than that in the benthic nektons (0.49 ± 0.09 mm). Our findings highlight the need to further investigate the ecological impacts of MPs on wild nekton, especially commercially important species, and its potential implications for human health.

Assessment of Subsampling Strategies in Microspectroscopy of Environmental Microplastic Samples

The analysis of environmental occurrence of microplastic (MP) particles has gained notable attention within the past decade. An effective risk assessment of MP litter requires elucidating sources of MP particles, their pathways of distribution and, ultimately, sinks. Therefore, sampling has to be done in high frequency, both spatially and temporally, resulting in a high number of samples to analyze. Microspectroscopy techniques, such as FTIR imaging or Raman particle measurements allow an accurate analysis of MP particles regarding their chemical classification and size. However, these methods are time-consuming, which gives motivation to establish subsampling protocols that require measuring less particles, while still obtaining reliable results. The challenge regarding the subsampling of environmental MP samples lies in the heterogeneity of MP types and the relatively low numbers of target particles. Herein, we present a comprehensive assessment of different proposed subsampling methods on a selection of real-world samples from different environmental compartments. The methods are analyzed and compared with respect to resulting MP count errors, which eventually allows giving recommendations for staying within acceptable error margins. Our results are based on measurements with Raman microspectroscopy, but are applicable to any other analysis technique. We show that the subsampling-errors are mainly due to statistical counting errors (i.e., extrapolation from low numbers) and only in edge cases additionally impacted by inhomogeneous distribution of particles on the filters. Keeping the subsampling-errors low can mainly be realized by increasing the fraction of MP particles in the samples.

First evidence of microplastic contamination in the freshwater of Lake Guaíba, Porto Alegre, Brazil

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has raised concern about their potential impacts on and risks to the biota. While the presence of microplastics in a marine environment has been well studied, the impact of microplastic contamination in freshwater bodies is understudied. In the present study, baseline data about contamination with microplastics in Lake Guaíba in southern Brazil are presented. The abundance, distribution, and composition of microplastics in the surface of this freshwater body were investigated, and these parameters were correlated with population density, land occupation, wind, and geohydrologic processes. The samples were collected with a manta net (60 μm mesh size). Microplastics were found in all the samples, with an average of 11.9 ± 0.6 to 61.2 ± 6.1 items m−3, which indicates the widespread contamination of the lake with plastic particles. The most frequent microplastic morphology was the fragment type in the size range of 100 to 250 μm, and the predominant colours were white/transparent and red. Measurement uncertainty of the visual microplastic counts showed that black colour microplastics is more susceptible to be mistaken, which might lead to an underestimation and/or overestimation of the total number of microplastics. Polypropylene and polyethylene together comprised most of the polymer types (98%). Micro-Fourier transform infrared (micro-FTIR) spectroscopy analyses showed that 58% of the analysed polymers were highly oxidised, indicating long residence of this particles in the water. In addition, our data show that the distribution of microplastics is strongly influenced by the geohydrological characteristics of the lake. Therefore, this research may provide information for further investigations of microplastic distribution in Lake Guaíba and can serve as a base to improve the regulations regarding waste management to effectively reduce microplastic pollution in freshwater systems. Additionally, the measurement uncertainty showed that black microplastics are more susceptible to variations in their measurements.

Phthalates and organophosphate esters in surface water, sediments and zooplankton of the NW Mediterranean Sea: Exploring links with microplastic abundance and accumulation in the marine food web.

In this study, surface seawater, sediment and zooplankton samples were collected from three different sampling stations in Marseille Bay (NW Mediterranean Sea) and were analyzed for both microplastics and organic plastic additives including seven phthalates (PAEs) and nine organophosphate esters (OPEs). PAE concentrations ranged from 100 to 527ngL-1 (mean 191±123ngL-1) in seawater, 12-610ngg-1 dw (mean 194±193ngg-1 dw) in sediment and 0.9-47μgg-1 dw (mean 7.2±10μgg-1 dw) in zooplankton, whereas OPE concentrations varied between 9 and 1013ngL-1 (mean 243±327ngL-1) in seawater, 13-49ngg-1 dw (mean 25±11ngg-1 dw) in sediment and 0.4-4.6μgg-1 dw (mean 1.6±1.0μgg-1 dw) in zooplankton. Microplastic counts in seawater ranged from 0 to 0.3 items m-3 (mean 0.05±0.05 items m-3). We observed high fluctuations in contaminant concentrations in zooplankton between different sampling events. However, the smallest zooplankton size class generally exhibited the highest PAE and OPE concentrations. Field-derived bioconcentration factors (BCFs) showed that certain compounds are prone to bioaccumulate in zooplankton, including some of the most widely used chlorinated OPEs, but with different intensity depending on the zooplankton size-class. The concentration of plastic additives in surface waters and the abundance of microplastic particles were not correlated, implying that they are not necessarily good indicators for each other in this compartment. This is the first comprehensive study on the occurrence and temporal variability of PAEs and OPEs in the coastal Mediterranean based on the parallel collection of water, sediment and differently sized zooplankton samples.