Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution in Surface Waters and Sediments of Urban Lakes

This book chapter reviews microplastic pollution in surface waters and sediments of urban lakes, examining sources including stormwater runoff and atmospheric deposition, and discussing ecological effects on lake-dwelling organisms.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in lakes: Sources, impact, and solutions

This review comprehensively covers the sources, pathways, ecological impacts, and remediation strategies for microplastic pollution in freshwater lakes, highlighting how particles from urban runoff, wastewater, and atmospheric deposition accumulate in lake ecosystems and transfer into food webs.

2025 World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences
Article Tier 2

Research status and prospects of microplastic pollution in lakes

This review systematically covers microplastic pollution research in lakes, including sampling and identification methods, distribution patterns, ecological effects, and knowledge gaps, identifying lakes as important but understudied sinks for microplastic contamination.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of microplastics in lakes: sources, distribution characteristics, and environmental effects

This review analyzes microplastic pollution in lakes worldwide and finds that contamination levels are higher in shallower lakes near populated areas with more human activity. Microplastics accumulate heavily in lake sediments and can also be trapped in seasonal ice, only to be released during warming periods. Since many communities rely on lakes for drinking water and fishing, understanding how microplastics concentrate in these freshwater systems is critical for protecting public health.

2023 Carbon Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Global microplastic contamination in freshwater lakes: Spatial patterns, environmental drivers, and methodological challenges

This review systematically analyzed 84 studies covering more than 300 lakes worldwide to assess global microplastic contamination in freshwater lake systems. Surface water MP concentrations ranged from below 0.001 to over 200 MP/L, with fibers and fragments dominating, polyethylene and polypropylene most common, and highest levels found in shallow, lowland, and eutrophic systems near urbanized shorelines.

2025 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

[Characterization of Microplastic Pollution of Sediments from Urban Lakes].

Sediments from urban lakes in Maanshan City, China contained microplastics in both spring and summer, with fragments and fibers as the most common types. Local industrial and domestic activities were identified as the likely sources, adding to evidence of widespread microplastic contamination in freshwater sediments.

2020 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastics in Man-made Water Bodies

This chapter reviews microplastic pollution in man-made water bodies including reservoirs, urban lakes, and coastal water management systems. It covers sources, distribution, and ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater environments that communities rely on for water supply and recreation.

2023 BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS eBooks
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakes: Distribution patterns and influencing factors

This review analyzed 84 studies across 64 lakes worldwide to understand where microplastics tend to concentrate in freshwater systems. Microplastic levels were highest near areas of heavy human activity and water inflows, and concentrations in lake sediments have been increasing over time, which matters because lakes are important sources of drinking water.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Variability of microplastic loading and retention in four inland lakes in Minnesota, USA

Researchers measured microplastic levels in four small lakes in Minnesota and found that watershed size and urban development were the biggest factors driving contamination. Surface water concentrations varied widely, and sediment levels did not directly correlate with what was found in the water above. The study highlights how local land use patterns influence where microplastics end up in freshwater ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Pollution 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Water of Urban Lakes in Changsha, China

Microplastic concentrations were measured in eight urban lakes in Changsha, China, with researchers finding widespread contamination and identifying local land use and hydrological connectivity as key factors influencing microplastic abundance.

2019 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 156 citations
Article Tier 2

Freshwater Microplastics

This book chapter or review provided a comprehensive overview of freshwater microplastics — covering sources, occurrence, transport pathways, and ecological impacts in rivers and lakes globally.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 661 citations
Review Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Impact of Microplastics: A Literature Review

This literature review summarizes the types, sources, distribution, and pollution status of microplastics in marine and lake environments, their interactions with other contaminants, and removal technologies. It finds MPs are prevalent across aquatic environments and harmful to biological and human health, with some effective removal technologies available but implementation remaining limited.

2025 Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH)
Article Tier 2

Monitoring of microplastic concentrations in 132 Iowa lakes in relation to abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic factors

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in 132 lakes across Iowa, examining how biological, physical, and human factors influence plastic levels. Lakes near populated areas and with greater human activity showed higher microplastic concentrations, demonstrating that freshwater lakes are broadly contaminated by plastic pollution.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in 132 Iowa lakes and variability in relation to abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic factors

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations across 132 lakes in Iowa, finding that microplastics were nearly ubiquitous even in rural, minimally developed lakes — though concentrations were higher in lakes near urban areas, agricultural land, and higher human population density. Fiber-type microplastics were most common, consistent with patterns seen globally. The broad survey across diverse lake types provides compelling evidence that microplastic contamination of freshwater lakes is widespread across the American Midwest, not limited to industrial or highly urbanized regions.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Microplastics in Urban Freshwater Lakes: A Case Study in Songshan Lake of Dongguan, China

Researchers found microplastics in both surface water and sediments of Songshan Lake, an urban freshwater lake in China, identifying fiber shapes as dominant and using principal component analysis to trace sources including atmospheric deposition, runoff, and recreational activities.

2022 Water 30 citations
Article Tier 2

A Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Microplastics in the Shorelines of Urban Lakes

Researchers conducted a qualitative and quantitative assessment of microplastics in shoreline sediments of urban lakes, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on the water column rather than the zone where water and land meet.

2025 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in surface water of tropical urban lakes: A case study in Ha Noi, Vietnam

Surface water surveys across three urban lakes in Hanoi found microplastics in all locations, with abundance highest in West Lake, which is surrounded by dense population, restaurants, and aquaculture activity. The findings confirm that urban lakes in developing Southeast Asian cities are significant microplastic repositories, with direct implications for the people who use these waters for recreation, fishing, and drinking water supply.

2023 VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in rural and urban surface waters: the cases of Lake Sampaloc and Lake Yambo in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines

This study compared microplastic contamination in two Philippine lakes with different human-use profiles — one used for ecotourism and one more urbanised — finding microplastic particles in both, with characteristics reflecting local pollution sources. The results underscore that freshwater lakes, even smaller and less-studied ones, are not spared from microplastic pollution and warrant greater monitoring attention.

2023 SciEnggJ 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A survey on the effect of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

This review surveys plastic pollution in the Great Lakes of North America, examining the distribution of micro-, meso-, and macroplastics across these ecologically and economically important freshwater systems. The Great Lakes contain significant quantities of microplastics from surrounding urban and industrial areas, threatening freshwater biodiversity and drinking water quality.

2021 Journal of Future Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the sediments of a UK urban lake

Researchers sampled sediments from Edgbaston Pool, a small UK urban lake, and found microplastics throughout, including at depth — indicating historical accumulation. The study adds freshwater lakes to the list of microplastic-contaminated environments and suggests that urban lakes serve as local sinks for plastic pollution.

2017 Environmental Pollution 297 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Freshwater Environment: A Review on Techniques and Abundance for Microplastic Detection in Lake Water

This review examines microplastic pollution in freshwater environments, summarizing detection techniques and reporting on abundance data from rivers, lakes, and streams worldwide. The authors highlight methodological inconsistencies that complicate cross-study comparisons and call for standardized sampling and analysis protocols.

2023 Trends in Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs

Researchers conducted the first standardized cross-national survey of plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs, finding plastic in every water body sampled and showing that densely populated urban lakes and large reservoirs with long water-retention times accumulate plastic at concentrations rivaling the most polluted ocean garbage patches.

2023 Nature 356 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Fresh Water

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.

2023 INTERANTIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Waters and Sediments in a Lentic System: A Case Study in a Tropical Wet Urban Lake of Samarinda, Indonesia

Researchers sampled water and sediment from a tropical urban lake in Samarinda, Indonesia, finding microplastic contamination at all 10 sampling sites with an average of 0.91 particles per litre in water and 375 particles per kilogram in sediment. Fibres — likely from textiles — dominated in both water and sediment, and polyethylene was the most common polymer identified. The study highlights how urban lakes in rapidly developing tropical cities are becoming significant repositories of microplastic pollution, driven by inadequate waste management infrastructure.

2025 Lakes & Reservoirs Science Policy and Management for Sustainable Use 1 citations