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Advances in quantifying the drivers of the occurrence, transport, and fate of freshwater microplastics
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This review analyzes the many factors that control where freshwater microplastics end up, finding that concentrations vary by seven orders of magnitude across different locations worldwide. Microorganisms, plants, and animals all interact with microplastics in ways that change how the particles move and accumulate in water systems. Understanding these complex transport networks is essential for predicting human exposure through drinking water and freshwater food sources.
Freshwater microplastics (MPs) can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning and human health. Understanding the current status of MP occurrence and the network of factors that influence the fate and transport of MPs will help objectively assess the environmental risks of MPs and develop effective pollution control strategies. Bibliometric analysis indicates that the current global distribution of freshwater MP has significant spatiotemporal variability, with concentrations spanning seven orders of magnitude. The analysis of the network of factors highlights the importance of the physicochemical properties of MPs, especially the modification of MPs by degradation and aggregation processes. Both biological and anthropogenic factors have extremely complex and dynamic networks of interactions. Microorganisms alter the properties and transport forces of MPs through colonization and the formation of an eco-corona, plants adsorb and trap MPs while altering hydraulic conditions, and animals influence the activation and long-range transport of MPs through physical carrying, ingestion, and bioturbation. Additionally, urbanization and global climate change participate in the entire process of MP transport, thereby increasing the difficulty of understanding the coupled effects of multiple factors in MP transport and fate. Therefore, further conducting MP surveys at spatiotemporal scales based on standardization of sampling and analysis methods is a prerequisite for building a reliable MP database. While advancing the transport mechanisms studies of MPs and combining multi-field research methods to overcome the complexity of the network of factors need to attract more attention, thereby providing theoretical bases to support the formulation and implementation of MP pollution management and control.
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Researchers reviewed nearly 6,500 articles to identify the environmental and human factors driving microplastic distribution in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. They found that both natural factors like water flow and temperature, and human activities like urbanization and agriculture, significantly influence where microplastics accumulate in rivers and lakes. The study provides a framework for predicting microplastic pollution hotspots and prioritizing monitoring efforts in freshwater systems.
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This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution, covering how these particles enter freshwater systems, accumulate in organisms, and carry toxic chemicals through the food chain. With approximately 360 million tons of plastic produced globally each year and only 7% recycled, microplastics have become a pervasive threat to water quality and, by extension, human health.
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