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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The fate and ecological consequences of microplastics in non-perennial streams
ClearEffects of drying on plastic fragmentation and microplastic size on the functional role of a shredder organism Gammarus fossarum.
This study found that drying conditions in intermittent rivers accelerate plastic fragmentation, producing more and smaller microplastics as drying duration increases. Subsequent lab experiments showed these smaller particles were more lethal to the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum, a key shredder organism, suggesting that intermittent rivers and seasonal streams — which make up a large fraction of global waterways — may be underappreciated hotspots of microplastic generation and ecological harm.
Occurrence, Fate and Fluxes of Plastics and Microplastics in Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems
This review examines the occurrence, transport pathways, and fate of plastics and microplastics in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems globally, synthesizing evidence that these systems are both sources and sinks and that microplastics cycle between compartments in complex ways.
Microplastic contamination in urban aquatic environments: Occurrence characteristics in urban streams and stormwater runoff from urban surfaces
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in urban streams and stormwater runoff across different seasons and found that wastewater treatment plant discharges were a major source during dry weather. During rainy periods, stormwater runoff from roads and rooftops contributed additional microplastics, predominantly fibers and fragments. The study highlights that urban water systems receive microplastic pollution from multiple pathways year-round.
Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: Overview of the Problem and Current Research Areas
This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in aquatic environments, covering sources, distribution, ecological impacts, and knowledge gaps. The paper identifies priority research areas needed to better understand and manage microplastic contamination in water bodies.
Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions
This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.
Microplastic: A Silent Contaminant in Aquatic Ecosystems and Its Ecological Consequences
This review examines microplastics as a pervasive but underappreciated contaminant in aquatic ecosystems, synthesizing evidence on their sources, distribution, uptake pathways in aquatic organisms, and broader ecological consequences for freshwater and marine food webs.
Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: what we know and what we need to know
This review examines the state of knowledge on microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems, which have received far less scientific attention than marine environments despite being major pathways for plastic transport. Researchers found that freshwater microplastic concentrations can be extremely high near urban areas and that organisms from insects to fish readily ingest these particles. The study identifies key research gaps including the need for standardized detection methods and better understanding of how microplastics move through and affect freshwater food webs.
Distribution and transport of microplastic and fine particulate organic matter in urban streams
Researchers found that urban streams both transport and retain microplastic and fine particulate organic matter, using particle transport dynamics methods to quantify retention rates and identify streams as significant intermediary sinks in the plastic pollution pathway to oceans.
A case study investigating temporal factors that influence microplastic concentration in streams under different treatment regimes
Microplastic concentrations in streams fluctuate significantly over time, influenced by rainfall events and seasonal factors, which can make single-sample studies misleading. The study emphasizes the need for repeated, time-series sampling to accurately assess microplastic pollution in rivers.
Effects of seasonal variation and resuspension on microplastics in river sediments
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in river sediments across multiple seasons and examined the role of resuspension events, finding that MP levels varied significantly by season and that high-flow events released previously deposited particles, redistributing contamination downstream.
Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems : effects and drivers
This thesis assessed how microplastic exposure affects freshwater microorganisms, macroinvertebrates, and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, finding that microplastics are a pervasive contaminant of freshwater environments with unclear but potentially significant ecological impacts.
Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream
Researchers found distinct microplastic contamination patterns between sediments and aquatic biota in an urban stream, with sediments accumulating more particles while biota showed selective uptake based on particle size and shape, highlighting the complex dynamics of microplastic distribution in urban freshwater systems.
Microplastic pollution in streams spanning an urbanisation gradient
Researchers sampled microplastics in small streams across an urbanization gradient and found contamination at all sites, with concentrations comparable to those in larger rivers and lakes. Fragments and small particles between 63 and 500 micrometers were the most common forms detected. Surprisingly, catchment-scale factors like population density and stormwater overflows did not predict microplastic levels well, suggesting that local-scale sources may be more important for pollution in small streams.
Transport dynamics of microplastics from land to sea: the role of particle properties and stream morphology.
Researchers measured how particle properties including size, density, and polymer type interact with stream morphology to determine microplastic transport distances in 15 streams. Both plastic characteristics and stream structure independently influenced how far microplastics travel before settling, with implications for estimating fluxes to the ocean.
A Global Perspective of Beginning to the End of the Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment
This comprehensive review examines microplastics in aquatic environments from initial release through environmental fate, biological uptake, and ecological effects, identifying key knowledge gaps in freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Microplastics in freshwater systems: Occurrence and effects
This virtual special issue review synthesised current knowledge on the occurrence and effects of micro- and nanoplastics in freshwater systems, addressing a gap given that most prior research had focused on marine environments. Researchers highlighted that freshwater ecosystems are critical transport pathways for land-to-ocean plastic flux and documented the growing evidence for ecological effects on freshwater organisms and food webs.
Effect of microplastics pollution in riverine ecosystem: A review
This review covers microplastic contamination in riverine ecosystems, discussing the diverse forms of microplastics -- including threads, fragments, films, and pellets -- their ingestion by aquatic organisms, long-distance transport, and accumulation in sediments.
Microplastics as contaminants in freshwater environments: A multidisciplinary review
This multidisciplinary review covers microplastic sources, abundance, composition, transport, and biological effects in freshwater systems globally, arguing that freshwater environments are both major conduits and sinks for microplastic pollution.
Sources, Occurrence, and Analysis of Microplastics in Freshwater Environments
This review summarizes current knowledge on microplastic sources and occurrence in freshwater environments, noting that freshwater systems are major conduits delivering microplastics to the ocean. The review highlights that freshwater microplastic research lags far behind marine studies despite rivers and lakes being primary pollution pathways.
Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review
Researchers systematically reviewed the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and streams — documenting their sources, how they move through water, the damage they cause to aquatic organisms, and the methods used to detect them. Their review serves as a baseline reference for future research and calls for improved waste management to protect freshwater environments from ongoing microplastic contamination.
Anthropogenic Litter in Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution and Microbial Interactions
Researchers quantified anthropogenic litter in urban rivers and streams and found that microplastics dominated by mass and particle count compared to macroplastic items. The study highlights urban freshwater systems as major conduits for plastic pollution moving toward marine environments and documents distinct microbial communities on plastic surfaces.
Prevalence, Fate and Effects of Plastic in Freshwater Environments
This review summarizes the prevalence, environmental fate, and biological effects of plastics in freshwater ecosystems, an area that has received less attention than marine plastic pollution. Freshwater bodies are major pathways for microplastics to reach marine environments and are themselves affected by plastic contamination.
Distribution, biological effects and biofilms of microplastics in freshwater systems - A review
This review examines microplastic distribution, biological effects, and biofilm formation in freshwater systems, highlighting knowledge gaps compared to marine studies and the ecological risks posed by microplastics as vectors for pathogens and pollutants.
Streambed pollution: A comprehensive review of its sources, eco-hydro-geo-chemical impacts, assessment, and mitigation strategies
This comprehensive review covers the sources, ecological impacts, and mitigation strategies for streambed pollution from multiple contaminants including sediments, nutrients, metals, and emerging pollutants including microplastics. Streambeds are critical habitat for many organisms and act as both sinks and sources of contaminants in river systems. The review identifies microplastics as a rapidly growing streambed pollutant with poorly understood long-term ecological effects.