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Strategic Framework for Site Selection in Microplastic-sediment Transport Research
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This review proposes a structured decision framework for choosing where to conduct field studies on how microplastics move through rivers and sediments. It identifies three key factors — water flow conditions, sediment composition, and proximity to human activity — as the critical criteria for picking representative study sites. Standardizing site selection this way would make it easier to compare results across studies and build a more consistent global picture of microplastic transport.
Abstract The accumulation of microplastics in aquatic systems has raised urgent environmental and scientific concerns, particularly regarding their interaction with sediment transport dynamics. This review examines the critical factors that guide the selection of suitable sites for microplastic–sediment research, integrating recent empirical findings with emerging monitoring technologies. It proposes a structured framework for identifying optimal study locations based on three key factors: hydrodynamic conditions, sediment composition, and integrated anthropogenic spatial effects. Considering these factors is essential for ensuring effective and representative site selection. By outlining core selection criteria and highlighting their influence, this review contributes to the development of standardised methodologies for field-based investigations and informs future research directions in microplastic monitoring.
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