We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
“Down by the River”: (Micro-) Plastic Pollution of Running Freshwaters with Special Emphasis on the Austrian Danube
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how rivers, including Austria's Danube, act as major highways for transporting microplastics from land into the ocean, carrying a wide variety of plastic types in high concentrations. Understanding river transport pathways is key to identifying pollution sources and designing effective interventions before plastics reach the sea.
The significance of rivers and streams as transport vectors of terrestrial plastic debris has long been neglected. It is now known, however, that flowing waters have high concentrations of a variety of plastics, differing in chemical composition, physical properties...
More Papers Like This
Impact and Fate of Microplastics in the Riverine Ecosystem
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
The Role of Rivers in Microplastics Spread and Pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
Rivers function as the primary transport corridors for microplastics from land-based sources to oceans, carrying particles downstream through complex hydrological and biological interactions. Targeting river pollution hotspots with intervention measures is one of the most impactful strategies available for reducing the total global flux of microplastics into marine environments.
Trailing the flow: source, fate and sink of microplastics in global rivers
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesized global research on microplastic pollution in rivers, covering sources, entry routes, and the key processes governing transport and transformation—including weathering, aggregation, sinking, and resuspension—along with ecotoxicological and socioeconomic impacts. Because rivers are the primary conduit transferring land-based microplastics to the ocean, understanding riverine dynamics is essential for designing effective interception strategies before contamination reaches marine food webs and human seafood supplies.
Microplastics in Freshwater Environments: Sources, Behaviour, and Ecotoxicity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed sources, transport behavior, and ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems, finding that rivers and lakes are both pathways and sinks for plastic particles and that biological effects on freshwater organisms remain poorly characterized compared to marine systems.
Freshwater Microplastic Pollution: The State of Knowledge and Research
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastics have been detected in freshwater ecosystems worldwide, including in remote regions far from industrial activity, yet scientific understanding of their distribution, transport mechanisms, and biological impacts in rivers and lakes remains limited. Filling this knowledge gap is urgent because freshwater systems are primary sources of drinking water and support food webs directly connected to human 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.