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REVIEW ARTICLE

Navigating microplastic-related challenges in the Arabian Gulf: Prospects of artificial intelligence and bioremediation

Amani Almaabadi1 ,  Mona Alshahrani2 ,  Bandar Sendy1 ,  Hany M. Almotairy3*
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1 Institute of Wellness and Preventative Medicine, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2 Research and Development Center, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
3 Executive Department of Monitoring and Risk Assessment, Food Sector, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
EER, 025370068 https://doi.org/10.36922/EER025370068
Received: 11 September 2025 | Revised: 20 November 2025 | Accepted: 16 December 2025 | Published online: 28 January 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as contaminants of growing concern due to their widespread distribution, high mobility, and ability to act as vectors for pollutants in marine ecosystems. This review examines MP contamination in the Arabian Gulf, one of the world’s most environmentally vulnerable semi-enclosed seas. The Gulf’s extreme conditions, including high salinity, elevated temperatures, restricted water circulation, and intensive coastal development, promote MP accumulation and biological exposure, increasing potential risks to marine organisms, aquaculture, and human health. Conventional detection and quantification techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, as well as pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, are critically assessed with emphasis on limitations related to size detection thresholds, analytical throughput, and processing efficiency. The review highlights artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative approach for MP analysis. Machine-learning algorithms applied to FTIR and Raman spectral data improve polymer classification accuracy, whereas computer-vision models such as U-Net and Mask R-convolutional neural network enable automated particle segmentation and sizing. These tools reduce manual bias, enhance reproducibility, and facilitate high-throughput analysis across laboratories. Meanwhile, eco-friendly bioremediation strategies are reviewed. Microorganisms, algae, and aquatic plants have demonstrated the ability to adsorb, colonize, or partially degrade MPs, offering sustainable alternatives to conventional remediation methods. However, the effectiveness of these biological approaches under the harsh environmental conditions of the Arabian Gulf remains limited. Finally, this review proposes a Gulf-specific roadmap that includes standardized monitoring protocols and shared spectral and image databases to support AI-based detection, interlaboratory proficiency testing, and pilot-scale bioremediation studies tailored to regional conditions.

Keywords
Microplastic
Arabian Gulf
Marine pollution
Artificial intelligence prediction
Artificial intelligence in pollution management
Machine learning
Bioremediation
Aquatic ecosystems
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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