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Plastic and Microplastic in the Environment
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This review summarizes the sources, pathways, analytical methods, and distribution of microplastics in freshwater environments, emphasizing that rivers and lakes are major conduits transferring plastic pollution from terrestrial sources to the oceans.
"In recent years, microplastics (MPs) have received special attention from the mass media and scientific community. MPs are ubiquitously found all over the world, from overpopulated to remote regions. Until now, studies on MPs is mainly focused on marine environments. Freshwater environments are reported as the main sources of MPs to the oceans, however, knowledge of MPs in the environments is insufficient. This chapter reviewed the potential sources and pathways of MPs in freshwater environments. A summary of the analytical methods for sample collection, preparation, and analysis of MPs was also presented. Furthermore, the global distribution of MPs in river and lake systems was also reported. This review showed that MPs have been found ubiquitously in freshwater environments from remote to densely populated areas. The MPs pollution in China was reported higher than in other parts of the world.
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Sources, Occurrence, and Analysis of Microplastics in Freshwater Environments
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This review summarizes current knowledge on microplastic sources and occurrence in freshwater environments, noting that freshwater systems are major conduits delivering microplastics to the ocean. The review highlights that freshwater microplastic research lags far behind marine studies despite rivers and lakes being primary pollution pathways.
Microplastics Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Freshwater Environments: An Overview
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This overview examines the emerging problem of microplastic contamination in freshwater environments, covering sources, occurrence, and potential effects on aquatic ecosystems. The authors discuss how microplastics enter lakes and rivers through wastewater treatment plants, runoff, and degradation of larger plastic debris. The review highlights that freshwater microplastic pollution deserves the same research attention as marine contamination, given that rivers serve as major transport pathways for plastics reaching the ocean.
Microplastic Pollution in Fresh Water
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This review summarizes current knowledge on microplastic pollution in freshwater systems, covering sources such as atmospheric deposition, stormwater runoff, and wastewater, as well as the diverse shapes, sizes, and polymer types found in rivers and lakes. The authors highlight that freshwater microplastic contamination is comparable in scale to marine contamination and that the pathways to human health via drinking water and food supply demand urgent policy attention.
Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review
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Researchers systematically reviewed the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and streams — documenting their sources, how they move through water, the damage they cause to aquatic organisms, and the methods used to detect them. Their review serves as a baseline reference for future research and calls for improved waste management to protect freshwater environments from ongoing microplastic contamination.
Impacts, fate and trophic transfer of microplastics in the freshwater environment
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This review examines the distribution, fate, and trophic transfer of microplastics in freshwater environments, documenting their presence in rivers and lakes worldwide. The authors summarize evidence for microplastic ingestion by freshwater biota and discuss implications for ecosystem health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.