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Towards the Control of Microplastic Pollution in Urban Waters
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This thesis investigates microplastic pollution in urban waterways, focusing on wastewater and stormwater as transport pathways from cities to receiving water bodies. Researchers found widespread microplastic presence and identified key sources, behaviors, and transport mechanisms. The work supports development of urban water management strategies specifically designed to address microplastic discharges.
Water pollution has long been considered a challenge in urban areas, and new types of pollution are continuously introduced to society. Urban wastewater and stormwater act as transport pathways of pollution from urban areas to receiving waterways. Microplastics are a new type of pollution that is being highlighted as problematic, and the presence of microplastics is widespread in the environment. The knowledge about behaviour, sources and transport pathways is still limited. Still, there have been suggestions for ways to control microplastic pollution. Moreover, many other pollutants have been introduced, and to a various extent controlled, in the urban water system before, which means that there are strategies for pollution control in place.
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Mitigating Microplastics Pollution in Urban Water Systems : Flow, actors, and control measures
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This thesis reviews how microplastics flow through urban water systems, identifying control points and policy measures needed to meet the EU's zero-pollution goal for 2050. Urban stormwater and wastewater are major pathways transporting microplastics from city streets to rivers and coastal waters.
Microplastic in urban sources and receiving water within an urban area
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This international study measured microplastic concentrations in urban stormwater sources and receiving water bodies within a city, quantifying how urban runoff pathways contribute to microplastic loads in local aquatic environments.
Design of model microplastics to study their transport in urban waters
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Researchers designed model microplastic particles with controlled physical properties to systematically study their transport behavior in urban water systems. The work provides a foundation for understanding how microplastic size, density, and shape influence fate and transport in stormwater and urban drainage networks.
A Review of Microplastic Pollution Characteristics in Global Urban Freshwater Catchments
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This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic pollution characteristics in urban freshwater catchments worldwide, examining sources, concentrations, and transport pathways from terrestrial to marine environments. Researchers found that human activities are the fundamental driver of microplastic pollution and that freshwater catchments serve as critical conduits for microplastic transfer to oceans.
Microplastics in urban stormwater sediments and runoff: An essential component in the microplastic cycle
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This review systematically analyzed microplastic contamination in urban stormwater runoff and sediments, finding concentrations that varied enormously across global studies. Researchers found that stormwater is a major but underappreciated pathway for delivering microplastics to rivers, lakes, and oceans. The study highlights that better stormwater management practices are needed to reduce this significant source of aquatic microplastic pollution.
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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.