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Publications & Reports

Review our work products 

We provide easy access to thousands of SFEI’s reports, journal articles, books, conference papers/proceedings, factsheets, hearing summaries, maps, and more. 

These printable and downloadable materials connect our science to action, cover a broad range of topics, and have many applications. This library is searchable and filterable. If you have difficulty finding the information you are looking for, please contact us at [email protected].

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Tire Wear: Emissions Estimates and Market Insights to Inform Monitoring Design

Author(s): Kelly Moran | Alicia Gilbreath | Miguel Méndez | Diana Lin | Rebecca Sutton

2023

Every vehicle on the road sheds tiny particles from its rubber tires into the environment. Tire wear is one of the top sources of microplastic releases to the environment. Tire wear also disperses tire-related chemicals into the environment. SFEI studies supported by the…

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A living tool for the continued exploration of microplastic toxicity

Author(s): Leah Hampton | Hannah De Frond | Ludovic Hermabessiere | Ezra Miller | Vera de Ruijter | Andrea Faltynkova | Syd Kotar | Laura Monclús | Samreen Siddiqui | Johannes Völker | Susanne Brander | Albert Koelmans | Chelsea Rochman | Martin Wagner | Alvine Mehinto | Heili Lowman | Scott Coffin | Emily Darin

2022

Throughout the past decade, many studies have reported adverse effects in biota following microplastic exposure. Yet, the field is still emerging as the current understanding of microplastic toxicity is limited. At the same time, recent legislative mandates have required…

Microplastics from Tire Particles in San Francisco Bay Fact Sheet

Author(s): Kelly Moran | Ruth Askevold

2022

As we drive our cars, our tires shed tiny particles


When it rains, stormwater runoff carries tire particles—and the toxic chemicals they contain—from city streets and highways to storm drains and fish habitat in creeks and estuaries like San Francisco…

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Risk-based management framework for microplastics in aquatic ecosystems

Author(s): Alvine Mehinto | Scott Coffin | Albert Koelmans | Susanne Brander | Martin Wagner | Leah Hampton | Allen Burton | Ezra Miller | Todd Gouin | Stephen Weisberg | Chelsea Rochman

2022

Microplastic particles (MPs) are ubiquitous across a wide range of aquatic habitats but determining an appropriate level of risk management is hindered by a poor understanding of environmental risk. Here, we introduce a risk management framework for aquatic ecosystems that…

Holistic Assessment of Microplastics and Other Anthropogenic Microdebris in an Urban Bay Sheds Light on Their Sources and Fate

Author(s): Xia Zhu | Keenan Munno | Jelena Grbic | Larissa Werbowski | Jacqueline Bikker | Annissa Ho | Edie Guo | Meg Sedlak | Rebecca Sutton | Carolynn Box | Diana Lin | Alicia Gilbreath | Rusty Holleman | Marie-Josee Fortin | Chelsea Rochman

2021

The physical and chemical properties of microplastics and their environmental distributions may provide clues about their sources and inform their fate. We demonstrate the value of extensive monitoring of microplastics in an urban bay, San Francisco Bay. Surface water, fish,…

A Synthesis of Microplastic Sources and Pathways to Urban Runoff

Author(s): Kelly Moran | Ezra Miller | Miguel Mendez | Shelly Moore | Alicia Gilbreath | Rebecca Sutton | Diana Lin

2021

California Senate Bill 1263 (2018) tasks the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) with leading statewide efforts to address microplastic pollution, and requires the OPC to adopt and implement a Statewide Microplastics Strategy related to microplastic materials that pose an emerging…

Urban Stormwater Runoff: A Major Pathway for Anthropogenic Particles, Black Rubbery Fragments, and Other Types of Microplastics to Urban Receiving Waters

Author(s): L.M. Werbowski | Alicia Gilbreath | K. Munno | X. Zhu | J. Grbic | T. Wu | Rebecca Sutton | Meg Sedlak | A.D. Deshpande | Chelsea Rochman

2021

Stormwater runoff has been suggested to be a significant pathway of microplastics to aquatic habitats; yet, few studies have quantified microplastics in stormwater. Here, we quantify and characterize urban stormwater runoff from 12 watersheds surrounding San Francisco Bay for…

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Microparticles, Microplastics, and PAHs in Bivalves in San Francisco Bay

Author(s): Ezra Miller | Natasha Klasios | Diana Lin | Meg Sedlak | Rebecca Sutton | Chelsea Rochman

2020

California mussels (Mytilus californianus and hybrid Mytilus galloprovincialis / Mytilus trossulus) and Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) were collected at multiple sites in San Francisco Bay. Mussels from a reference area with minimal urban influence were also deployed in…

Microplastic Contamination in San Francisco Bay - Fact Sheet

Author(s): Rebecca Sutton

2016

This factsheet compiles the findings for microplastics, as they are found in San Francisco Bay. The factsheet defines the different forms of contamination, the studies that have been performed as of 2016, and the findings of those studies.