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Movement of Microplastics in the Catawba River Basin
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Researchers tracked the movement and abundance of microplastics throughout the Catawba River Basin, identifying urban runoff, wastewater treatment plant effluent, and stormwater as primary contributors to microplastic loading in this major southeastern U.S. watershed. Rivers function as critical transport corridors that carry microplastics from inland population centers downstream into estuaries and ultimately coastal marine environments.
Microplastics, or pieces of plastic smaller than 5.0 mm in diameter, are presen...
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Distribution of Microplastics in the Catawba River Basin
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Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics across the Catawba River Basin in North and South Carolina, providing baseline data on plastic particle concentrations in an urban river system that supplies drinking water to millions of people in the southeastern United States.
The Migration of Microplastics Between Freshwater and Saltwater Systems: a Coastal North Carolina Investigation from the Neuse River to the Atlantic Ocean
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This study tracked microplastic migration from the Neuse River through coastal North Carolina estuaries to the Atlantic Ocean, characterizing how freshwater-to-saltwater transitions affect particle transport and distribution. Tracing the full migration pathway from inland freshwater systems to open ocean helps quantify how terrestrial plastic pollution ultimately loads into marine environments where it can persist for decades.
Impact and Fate of Microplastics in the Riverine Ecosystem
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Researchers reviewed the fate, transport, and ecological impacts of microplastics in riverine ecosystems, finding that rivers serve as major conduits for microplastic transfer from terrestrial sources to oceans and that riverine biota face significant exposure-related health risks.
Microplastic Characterization in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds
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This study characterized the presence, types, and abundance of microplastics across the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, two major estuarine systems on the US East Coast. The results provide a regional pollution baseline and underscore how densely populated coastal watersheds function as concentrated conduits delivering microplastics to ecologically sensitive marine environments.
Microplastic Characterization in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds
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Researchers characterized microplastic pollution across the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, documenting polymer types, particle sizes, and spatial distribution patterns in one of the most ecologically and economically important estuarine systems on the U.S. East Coast. High microplastic loads in these heavily fished and recreationally used waters raise concerns about contamination of commercially harvested seafood and recreational exposure pathways for millions of coastal residents.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.