Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Mathematical modeling of microplastic abundance, distribution, and transport in water environments: A review

This review surveys mathematical models used to predict how microplastics move through and accumulate in rivers and oceans. Researchers categorized existing approaches by environment type and modeling method, identifying strengths and gaps in current simulation tools. The study highlights the need for better models that account for real-world complexity, including particle fragmentation and biofouling, to improve predictions of where microplastics end up.

2021 Chemosphere 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the Fate and Transport of Plastic Debris in Freshwaters: Review and Guidance

Researchers reviewed current mathematical models for tracking how plastic debris — including microplastics and nanoplastics — moves through freshwater environments, finding that while many principles from existing particle models apply, plastic's unique combination of high persistence, low density, and extreme size range makes its behavior far more varied and complex to predict.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Rivers as Conduits: A Comprehensive Model of Microplastic Fate and Transport

This study developed a comprehensive model of microplastic fate and transport in rivers, integrating processes of erosion, resuspension, sedimentation, and burial to simulate how microplastics move through river networks toward the ocean.

2024
Article Tier 2

A novel modeling approaches to understand the fate and transport of microplastics in aquatic environment

This paper reviews novel modeling approaches for simulating microplastic fate and transport in aquatic environments, arguing that process-based and data-driven models are needed to complement field monitoring and improve risk assessments.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Numerieke modellering van dispersie van plastic in aquatische milieus

This study developed numerical models to simulate the dispersal and spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastics in aquatic environments — including freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and marine systems — to complement field observations that alone cannot capture the full complexity of plastic transport.

2025 Lirias (KU Leuven)
Systematic Review Tier 1

Applications of mathematical modelling for assessing microplastic transport and fate in water environments: a comparative review

This systematic review evaluates mathematical models used to predict how microplastics move through and accumulate in water systems. Better models help scientists understand where microplastics end up in the environment and, ultimately, how they might reach drinking water sources and affect human exposure.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

On modeling the fate of microplastics along river networks

Researchers developed and applied a modeling framework to simulate the fate and transport of microplastics along river network systems, treating rivers as key conduits transferring land-based microplastic pollution to marine environments. The model accounted for particle ingestion risks to aquatic organisms and evaluated the long-term persistence and transport dynamics of microplastics across freshwater networks.

2022
Article Tier 2

The Complex Dynamics of Microplastic Migration through Different Aquatic Environments: Subsidies for a Better Understanding of Its Environmental Dispersion

This review explores how microplastics move through different aquatic environments, from rivers and lakes to estuaries and oceans, focusing on the physical properties that drive their transport. Researchers found that factors like particle density, size, shape, and biofouling all influence where microplastics accumulate and how far they travel. Understanding these migration dynamics is essential for predicting contamination patterns and designing effective cleanup strategies.

2023 Microplastics 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling microplastics transport and fate in the marine environment around a wastewater effluent discharge pipe

This book chapter presents a model for predicting how microplastics discharged from wastewater treatment plants disperse in the marine environment near effluent outfall pipes. Modeling these transport pathways helps identify where plastic particles from treated wastewater accumulate in coastal marine ecosystems.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the behavior and fate of microplastics in coastal aquatic environments: A comprehensive review illuminating coastal dynamics and driving mechanisms

This comprehensive review examined the behavior and fate of microplastics in coastal aquatic environments, covering transport fluxes from watersheds to the ocean, physical and geochemical dynamics, and interactions with particles and organisms in beach, nearshore, and estuarine zones. The authors highlighted controversy in estimating riverine microplastic fluxes and identified key knowledge gaps.

2025 Earth-Science Reviews 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling Microplastic Dynamics in Estuaries: A Comprehensive Review, Challenges and Recommendations

This comprehensive review examines how process-based computer models have been used to simulate microplastic transport and fate in estuaries — the complex, tidal zones where rivers meet the sea. It evaluates different modeling approaches for capturing hydrodynamics, particle behavior, and interactions with sediment, identifying key gaps and inconsistencies in how microplastic properties are represented. Better estuarine models are needed to predict where plastics accumulate, how long they persist, and what risks they pose to coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydro-environmental effects of microplastic dynamics and distribution in Ganga River basin system: An urban impact analysis

A modeling study examined the hydro-environmental dynamics of microplastic distribution in a water body, simulating how physical processes govern particle movement and accumulation. Hydrodynamic models for microplastics improve our ability to predict contamination hotspots and guide monitoring efforts.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The Spread and Origins of Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments

This chapter examines the sources, distribution, fate, and transport mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, tracing their origins from multiple plastic product categories and detailing the physical and chemical processes that govern their spread through waterways.

2025
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the impact of biofouling on microplastic transport: a modeling study

Researchers developed a modeling study to quantify how biofouling -- the attachment of microorganisms to microplastic surfaces -- affects microplastic transport in river systems by altering particle size, shape, density, and settling velocity, using quantified data to simulate transport dynamics.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Dispersal and transport of microplastic particles under different flow conditions in riverine ecosystem

Researchers developed a particle-tracking model combined with hydrodynamic simulation to study how microplastics travel through river systems under different water flow conditions. They found that flow speed, turbulence, and river channel features significantly influence where microplastics accumulate and how far they travel. The study provides a useful tool for predicting microplastic transport patterns and identifying pollution hotspots in river ecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 80 citations
Article Tier 2

A numerical model of microplastic erosion, transport, and deposition for fluvial systems

Researchers developed a numerical model of microplastic erosion, transport, and deposition in river systems, finding that rivers act as temporary sinks trapping significant fractions of MPs before they reach the ocean, with implications for estimating marine MP loading from terrestrial sources.

2025 Earth Surface Dynamics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A numerical framework for modeling fate and transport of microplastics in inland and coastal waters

Researchers developed a new three-dimensional numerical framework called CaMPSim-3D for predicting microplastic fate and transport in rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. The model couples Lagrangian particle tracking with hydrodynamic modeling to help identify pollution sources and accumulation hotspots, providing a tool for informed decision-making on microplastic prevention and cleanup.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Physical transport properties of marine microplastic pollution

Researchers reviewed the physical transport properties of marine microplastics — including buoyancy, settling velocity, and biofouling effects — and developed models predicting the dispersal of both pelagic and benthic plastic pollution from land-based sources across different ocean regions. The study highlights how hydrodynamic behavior varies by polymer type and particle size, leading to differential accumulation patterns in surface waters, the water column, and seafloor sediments.

2012 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling Microplastic Transport in River Systems Using the SWAT Hydrological Model

Researchers developed a novel modelling approach using the SWAT hydrological model to simulate microplastic transport through river basin systems, integrating hydrological and physical plastic properties. The model provides a tool for understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of freshwater microplastic pollution to support mitigation planning.

2025 Natural and Engineering Sciences
Article Tier 2

A Lagrangian Model for Microplastics Transport in Rivers

Researchers developed a Lagrangian computational model to simulate how microplastics are transported through river systems, accounting for particle buoyancy, turbulence, and settling behavior. The model provides a tool for predicting microplastic fate and accumulation in freshwater environments.

2024 Jornadas de jóvenes investigadores del I3A
Article Tier 2

Lagrangian Modeling of Marine Microplastics Fate and Transport: The State of the Science

This comprehensive review synthesizes Lagrangian modeling approaches used to track the fate and transport of marine microplastics, covering particle dynamics, buoyancy, biofouling, and sedimentation processes across global ocean systems. The authors identify key knowledge gaps and recommend standardization of model parameters to improve predictions of plastic distribution and exposure risk.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the spatiotemporal distribution, bioaccumulation, and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: A review

Researchers modeled the spatiotemporal distribution and ecological risk of microplastics across a coastal marine environment, incorporating hydrodynamic data and bioaccumulation factors for multiple species. The model predicted highest microplastic concentrations near urban outflows with risk extending through the food web.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro-plastics in Aquatic Environment: Source, Fate, Emerging Threats, and Regulatory Effort

This review covers sources, distribution, and threats of microplastics in aquatic environments, tracing their movement through rivers, estuaries, lakes, and oceans and their accumulation in sediments and the food chain. The paper also reviews emerging policy frameworks aimed at reducing plastic pollution, providing a broad overview of the microplastic problem in water systems.

2023 International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pathways: Investigating Vertical and Horizontal Movement from Riverine Environments to Oceans

Researchers investigated the vertical and horizontal movement of microplastics in riverine systems en route to the ocean, examining how physical MP characteristics and hydrodynamic conditions govern whether particles settle near riverbeds or float at the surface, and how both gravity-driven and flow-driven transport contribute to their ultimate fate.

2025