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Table 1 Comparison of floating microplastic abundance and sampling method used in estuaries worldwide

From: Microplastics in surface water and sediments of Chongming Island in the Yangtze Estuary, China

Study estuaries

Location

Sampling method and mesh size (μm)

Sampling volume (L)

Abundance

(items m−3)

References

Tampa Bay

Southeast USA, North America

Water sampler-1.2

1

940.0

[35]

Charleston Harbor and Winyah Bay

Southeast USA, North America

Water Sampler-63

4

6 600.0

30 800.0

[36]

Charleston Harbor

Southeast USA, North America

Water Sampler-63

4

2 750.0–36 500.0

[37]

German Baltic coast

Germany, Europe

Water sampler-55

5–10

0.0–5000.0

[38]

Pearl River Estuary

South China, Asia

Water sampler-50

20

8902.0

[39]

Yangtze Estuary

East China, Asia

Pump-300

100

67.5

This study

Mdloti Estuary

uMgeni Estuary

Durban Harbour

Isipingo Estuary

iLovu Estuary

South Africa, Africa

Net-300

10 000

1.1

2.5

7.0

3.1

1.0

[40]

Goiana Estuary

Northeast Brazil, South America

Net-300

100 000

0.1

[41]

Tampa Bay

Southeast USA, North America

Net-330

/

4.5

[35]

The UK Channel, North, and Celtic Sea area

Northwest Europe

Net-333

/

0–1.5

[42]

Tamar Estuary

England, Europe

Net-300

/

0.028

[43]

  1. Abundances are expressed as items per cubic meter. The upper parts are small-volume sampling methods, while the lower parts are bulk volume sampling methods. ‘/’ means the sampling volume is unknown, nets are often towed at ~ 2 knots for a certain time