We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic Pollution in Water Systems: Characteristics and Control Methods
Summary
This review summarizes research on microplastic pollution in water systems, covering where microplastics come from, how they spread, and their effects on aquatic life and potentially human health. Freshwater in China was found to have higher microplastic levels than other regions, though marine contamination was moderate. The authors suggest that controlling water flow and switching to degradable plastics could significantly reduce microplastic pollution in water.
Microplastics have been widely detected in the natural water environment, which brings inevitable risks to the water ecosystem and human health. However, the understanding of the potential impact of microplastics on aquatic animals, plants, and human health is still limited, and technical methods to control microplastic pollution in natural water are still rare. Hence, this paper summarizes the progress of research on microplastic pollution in water systems in terms of microplastic source, attributes, distribution characteristics, environmental effects, and prevention and control methods according to the relevant research reports on water microplastic pollution. It also expounds the basic ways for the prevention, control, and treatment of water microplastics, and looks forward to the research direction of water microplastic pollution in the future. The results show that the abundance of fresh water microplastics in China is higher than that in other regions, but the pollution level of marine microplastics is at the middle level. Compared with other countries, the pollution degree of microplastics in aquatic organisms in China is at the middle and lower level, but the spatial heterogeneity is more obvious. Through hydraulic control and the substitution of degradable plastic products, water microplastic pollution can be greatly reduced. This paper can provide a reference basis for the formulation of microplastic pollution prevention and control in China.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic Pollution in China’s Aquatic Systems: Spatial Distribution, Transport Pathways, and Controlling Strategies
This review synthesizes recent findings on microplastic pollution across China's rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters. Researchers found that contamination levels vary dramatically by location, with urban waterways showing the highest concentrations and polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymer types. The study identifies rivers as major transport pathways carrying microplastics from inland areas to the sea and evaluates strategies for reducing this pollution.
Occurrences and distribution of microplastic pollution and the control measures in China
This review summarizes reported microplastic contamination levels in China's marine, freshwater, and atmospheric environments, finding that concentrations are highest in urbanized freshwater systems and identifying human population density and agricultural plastic use as key drivers.
Microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems: A review of findings, methods, characteristics, effects, and management
This review synthesized findings on microplastic pollution across China's inland water systems — rivers, lakes, and reservoirs — documenting widespread contamination and identifying gaps in monitoring methods and research coverage.
Microplastics in aquatic environment: Challenges and perspectives
This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in water environments, covering sources, transport, health effects, detection methods, and control strategies. Microplastics enter waterways from everyday plastic products, industrial discharge, and wastewater treatment plants, where aquatic organisms ingest them and pass them up the food chain. The review highlights the urgent need for better analytical techniques and global policies to reduce microplastic contamination that ultimately reaches human food and drinking water.
Microplastics influencing aquatic environment and human health: A review of source, determination, distribution, removal, degradation, management strategy and future perspective
This review paper provides a broad summary of microplastic pollution in water environments, covering where they come from, how to detect them, how they spread, and how to remove them. The authors emphasize that microplastics persist for extremely long periods in water and can harm both aquatic life and human health, calling for better management strategies worldwide.