Microplastics in the marine environment: a literature review and northeast England case study

The issue of microplastic pollution has seen an increasing focus over the last decade, both as a scientific research topic and due to intensive media interest. Despite this, there has been, until recently, a relative paucity of data relating to the volume and type of microplastics in the marine environment. The Cell 1 Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme, which covers approximately 300 km of the northeast England coastline, has recently collected subtidal sediment samples from the bed of the North Sea and analysed these for particle size distribution and microplastic content. This paper presents the results of this analysis along with a literature review of the sources, movements and concentration of microplastics in the marine environment.