Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, cilt.502, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study presents the first comprehensive and multifaceted assessment of microplastic (MP) contamination and site-specific ecological risk along the Central Black Sea coastline (Samsun Province), a region subject to intense and multifaceted anthropogenic pressures in a semi-enclosed marine basin. Surface seawater MP abundances ranged from 630 to 1600 particles/L in 2020-290-2850 particles/L in 2021, with station S1 consistently exhibiting the highest concentrations (1600-2850 particles/L), indicating a approximately 78 % average annual increase. Coastal sediments showed even greater contamination, rising from 6500 to 13700 particles/kg (dry wt.) in 2020-6100-32400 particles/kg in 2021, with station S6 recording the maximum value (>3-fold increase). Fibers dominated both matrices (>68 %), with polypropylene (PE-PP, >27 %), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, >56 %), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, >9 %), and polystyrene (PS, >2 %) identified as the primary polymers via ATR-FTIR. The Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) values revealed Category III (high risk) at most stations. Although MP levels in seawater are relatively low compared to other global marine environments, sediments pose a significant ecological threat, primarily as critical long-term sinks for highly hazardous polymers. These findings reveal that T & uuml;rkiye's Black Sea coast is a previously unrecognized hub of high-risk microplastic accumulation and highlight the urgent need for region-specific monitoring and mitigation strategies in semi-enclosed seas subject to intense human pressure.