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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Spatial variation of microplastics and dissolved organic matter: deciphering their coupled impact on eukaryotic community assembly in the Fen River
ClearMicroplastics and benthic animals reshape the geochemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter by inducing changes in keystone microbes in riparian sediments
Researchers found that microplastics and benthic animals together reshape the geochemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter in riparian sediments. The study revealed that both stressors altered keystone microbial communities, leading to changes in how organic matter is processed in river ecosystems, with implications for pollutant behavior and nutrient cycling.
Spatial distribution and vertical characteristics of microplastics in the urban river: The case of Qinhuai River in Nanjing, China
Researchers investigated the spatial distribution and vertical characteristics of microplastics in the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, China. The study found an average concentration of about 668 microplastic items per liter, with abundance patterns varying between surface and deep water at different points along the river, and identified correlations between microplastic presence and shifts in microbial community structure.
Interventions of river network structures on urban aquatic microplastic footprint from a connectivity perspective
Researchers analyzed how urban river network structures influence microplastic distribution in Nanjing, China, finding that river connectivity patterns significantly affect the spatial variability of microplastic footprints in urban waterways.
Hydrodynamics regulates microbial degradation of microplastics by modulating bottom-up and top-down effects in a river-lake confluence zone
Researchers examined how hydrodynamic conditions in river-lake confluence zones regulate microbial degradation of microplastics by modulating bottom-up and top-down effects within multi-trophic microbial communities.
The Effect of Microplastics on Microbial Succession at Impaired and Unimpaired Sites in a Riverine System
Researchers compared microbial biofilm diversity on microplastic polymers and natural substrates at impaired and unimpaired riverine sites, examining how environmental nutrient loads, seasonality, and geography influence microbiome succession on plastic surfaces in freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution in sophisticated urban river systems: Combined influence of land-use types and physicochemical characteristics
This study assessed microplastic pollution across an urban river network in China, finding that land-use type and water physicochemical properties jointly influence microplastic distribution, with industrial and residential areas contributing highest loads.
Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River
Researchers demonstrated that microplastic surfaces in an urban river host a microbial community that is distinct from surrounding water and sediment communities, establishing microplastic as an abundant and ecologically distinct habitat for river microorganisms.
Microplastic characteristics in organisms of different trophic levels from Liaohe Estuary, China
Researchers collected organisms from multiple trophic levels at Liaohe Estuary, China, and measured microplastic ingestion across primary consumers, secondary consumers, and top predators, finding that MP abundance did not increase consistently with trophic level, suggesting complex feeding and depuration dynamics.
Interventions of river network structures on urban aquatic microplastic footprint from a connectivity perspective
Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution across a Nanjing, China urban river network using multiple detection methods, finding ubiquitous and abundant microplastics with distinct hotspots and heterogeneous characteristics linked to how river infrastructure structures such as weirs and gates interrupt microplastic connectivity and flow.
Ecological risks in a ‘plastic’ world: A threat to biological diversity?
This review synthesized evidence on how microplastic pollution affects biological diversity and community structure across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding that most studies document effects at the individual level but that community- and ecosystem-level impacts remain poorly characterized.
Combined toxicity of microplastics and antibiotics towards aquatic ecosystems: A case study in Beiluo River, China.
eDNA analysis of aquatic communities in the Beiluo River, China found that combined microplastic and antibiotic contamination significantly altered community structure, with MPs predominantly from agriculture and urban sewage and antibiotics from livestock operations exerting synergistic effects.
Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status
A broad survey of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates across multiple rivers found that microplastic accumulation was widespread regardless of local urban development levels, suggesting that factors beyond proximity to urban areas—such as river hydrology and upstream sources—drive MP exposure in freshwater invertebrates.
Microplastics pollution alters bacterial community in hyporheic sediments: A case study from the Beiluo River Basin
Researchers surveyed microplastics in hyporheic zone sediments (the biologically active layer beneath riverbeds) of China's Beiluo River and found that PET fragments smaller than 30 µm dominated, with polymer type and particle size driving distinct shifts in bacterial community composition and suppressing overall microbial diversity.
Tracing the invisible microplastics in river water and fish organs and its implication of riverine ecosystem integrity
Researchers analyzed microplastics in river water and fish organ tissues from a river in South Asia, finding contamination throughout the aquatic food web. The study used the plastisphere framework to discuss how microbial communities colonizing microplastics may influence particle fate and biological effects.
Microplastic exposure drives divergent assembly mechanisms in riverine microorganisms: Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) triggers metabolic shifts vs polyethylene-enhanced network complexity
Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics affect microbial communities in river water over 60 days. They found that both types significantly altered bacterial diversity, but through different mechanisms: PBAT triggered metabolic shifts in microorganisms while polyethylene increased the complexity of microbial networks. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully disrupt aquatic microbial ecosystems.
Evidence of selective enrichment of bacterial assemblages and antibiotic resistant genes by microplastics in urban rivers
Researchers sampled microplastics from two urban rivers in China and found that the bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles were distinctly different from those in the surrounding water. The microplastic-associated bacteria had lower diversity but higher proportions of biofilm-forming species and functions linked to human disease. Notably, the study found that microplastics selectively enriched antibiotic resistance genes, raising concerns about plastics serving as reservoirs for drug-resistant bacteria.
Environmental fate of microplastics in the world's third-largest river: Basin-wide investigation and microplastic community analysis
Researchers conducted a basin-wide investigation of microplastics throughout the entire Yangtze River system, sampling water, sediment, and soil. The study found microplastics in all samples with abundance increasing from upstream to downstream, driven by both geographical and human factors, with major cities at the middle and lower reaches identified as key pollution nodes.
Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments
Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.
Comparative analysis of microplastic and microbial communities in varied aquatic environments: Disparities in occurrence, interconnections, and ecological implications
Comparative surveys of microplastics and associated microbial communities across river, reservoir, and bay environments in the Dongjiang watershed found that MP abundance and microbial community composition differed significantly by water type, with MP surfaces hosting distinct microbial assemblages.
Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in an urban river: The response to urban waste management
Microplastics were detected throughout surface water and sediments of an urban Chinese river (Nanming River) in both dry and wet seasons, with 25 different polymer types identified and the highest concentrations near sewage discharge points and plastic waste dump sites. The study shows that urban river management practices — particularly wastewater handling — are critical in controlling how much plastic reaches downstream ecosystems.
Towards sustainable management of riverine ecosystems: Variability of microplastic diversity and distribution patterns in ecosystem compartments
Researchers analyzed the diversity and distribution patterns of microplastics across different compartments of riverine ecosystems, including surface water, sediment, and soil. They found that surface water and sediments primarily accumulated smaller, low-density, fibrous microplastics, with distribution patterns mainly influenced by population density, flow velocity, and precipitation. The study reveals that microplastic communities across ecosystem compartments are distinct but not fully isolated, reflecting a balance between dispersion and environmental filtering.
Interventions of river network structures on urban aquatic microplastic footprint from a connectivity perspective
Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution in a typical urban river network in Nanjing, China, using multiple detection methods and the Renkonen similarity index to assess how river infrastructure structures such as dams and sluices influence microplastic spatial variability and footprint from a connectivity perspective.
Microbial community niches on microplastics and prioritized environmental factors under various urban riverine conditions
Researchers manipulated organic content, salinity, and dissolved oxygen in bioreactors to assess which environmental factors most strongly shaped microbial communities colonizing microplastics in urban rivers. Dissolved oxygen and organic carbon content were identified as priority drivers of plastisphere community composition, with implications for predicting pathogen enrichment on MPs across river conditions.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastics in an urban river network area
Researchers investigated microplastic dynamics in an urban river network in eastern China, finding abundances of 2.3 to 104.6 particles per liter that were significantly higher during wet seasons and concentrated near commercial, industrial, and wastewater discharge areas.