Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Concept development of granular traps : A study to reduce the spread of microplastics from artificial turf

This Swedish engineering thesis developed a concept for granular traps to prevent microplastics from artificial turf sports fields from spreading to surrounding environments via stormwater runoff. Tire crumb rubber and artificial turf infill are major sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.

2021 KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Fate of recycled tyre granulate used on artificial turf

Researchers reviewed the environmental fate of recycled tyre rubber granulate used as infill on artificial turf fields, finding that while the material provides significant CO2 savings compared to alternatives, dispersal of approximately 3,000-5,000 kg per field per year to surrounding environments raises microplastic pollution concerns.

2021 Environmental Sciences Europe 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis of rubber release from tires into the environment

A dynamic material flow analysis model estimated the annual and cumulative release of rubber from vehicle tires into the environment via road wear, finding that tire rubber represents a substantial fraction of total microplastic pollution in terrestrial and aquatic systems. The study helps quantify this important but often overlooked microplastic source.

2019 Environmental Pollution 184 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Tyre granulate on the loose; How much escapes the turf? A systematic literature review

Without mitigation measures, an average artificial football turf loses approximately 950 kg/year of tire rubber infill to the environment, with snow removal adding up to 830 kg/year more. The most effective reduction strategies target snow clearing, mechanical brushing, and granulate carried off by players.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Using Dynamic Release Modeling to Predict Historic and Current Macro- and Microplastic Releases

Researchers developed a Dynamic Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis model coupled with a release model to quantify historic and current macro- and microplastic emissions in Switzerland, providing a dataset tracking plastic releases across product lifecycles.

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

Quantifying the Sustainability of Football (Soccer) Pitches: A Comparison of Artificial and Natural Turf Pitches with a Focus on Microplastics and Their Environmental Impacts

A comparative life cycle assessment of artificial turf and natural grass football pitches found that artificial turf generates substantial microplastic emissions, particularly from rubber crumb infill, with total environmental impacts differing by metric.

2024 Sustainability 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of Generation and Ecological Impacts of Nano- and Microplastics from Artificial Turf Systems in Sports Facilities

This review examines how artificial turf in sports facilities generates nano- and microplastics through mechanical wear, UV radiation, and weathering of synthetic grass fibers and infill materials. These plastic particles have been detected in drainage systems and surrounding soils near sports facilities, with laboratory studies showing harmful effects on soil organisms and aquatic life. The findings highlight artificial turf as an overlooked but significant source of microplastic pollution in urban environments.

2025 Environments 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Using Dynamic Release Modeling to Predict Historic and Current Macro- and Microplastic Releases

Researchers developed a Dynamic Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis model coupled with a release model to quantify historic and current macro- and microplastic emissions in Switzerland, providing a companion dataset to a publication in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

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

The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments.

This study found that artificial turf fibers made of polyethylene and polypropylene are widely present in river and ocean waters, having been transported there by stormwater runoff from sports fields, gardens, and rooftops. The findings reveal artificial turf as an underappreciated and widespread source of microplastic fiber pollution in aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Mapping Plastic and Plastic Additive Cycles in Coastal Countries: A Norwegian Case Study

Researchers developed a comprehensive method using dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis to map the entire plastic cycle in Norway, including 232 plastic additives. For the first time, they modeled the progressive leaching of microplastics during the use phase of consumer products. The study provides a detailed picture of how plastic polymers and their chemical additives move through coastal economies and eventually reach the environment.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental impacts of artificial turf: a scoping review

This scoping review examines the environmental impacts of artificial turf, documenting concerns around microplastic pollution from synthetic grass fibers and infill materials, chemical leaching, and end-of-life waste disposal.

2024 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A microplastic used as infill material in artificial sport turfs reduces plant growth

Researchers found that rubber crumb microplastics used as infill in artificial sport turfs reduced plant growth, highlighting that plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems may pose risks to vegetation that are currently poorly understood.

2019 Plants People Planet 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Probabilistic material flow analysis and emissions modeling for five commodity plastics (PUR, ABS, PA, PC, and PMMA) as macroplastics and microplastics✰

Researchers developed probabilistic material flow models for five engineering plastics (PUR, ABS, PA, PC, PMMA) tracking their flows from production through use to environmental release, providing quantitative estimates of microplastic emissions to air, water, and soil across Europe.

2021 Resources Conservation and Recycling 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Catchment-scale mechanistic predictions of microplastic transport and distribution across land and water

Researchers developed the first catchment-scale model successfully predicting microplastic transport from land to water, validated against field data, revealing how soil accumulation, runoff dynamics, and in-stream transport interact to determine where microplastics concentrate before reaching the ocean.

2022 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling land use influence on polymer-specific microplastics abundance and transportation from terrestrial to aquatic environments

Researchers developed a model to understand how land use patterns influence the abundance and transport of specific microplastic polymers from land into waterways. The study found that different land uses contribute distinct polymer types to the environment, providing evidence that targeted land management strategies could help reduce microplastic pollution in aquatic systems.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Estimating microplastic flows across rural-urban gradients in a French catchment

Researchers estimated microplastic flows across rural-urban gradients in a French catchment, examining how land use and urbanization influence the transport and distribution of microplastic particles through the watershed system.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Textile microfibers reaching aquatic environments: A new estimation approach

Researchers developed a new estimation approach for quantifying the mass flow of textile microfibers from household laundry that ultimately reaches aquatic environments, addressing the absence of accurate models for assessing microfiber contributions to microplastic pollution. The method provides a more systematic framework for estimating the environmental load from domestic washing.

2020 Environmental Pollution 89 citations
Article Tier 2

A mass budget and box model of global plastics cycling, fragmentation and dispersal in the land-ocean-atmosphere system

Researchers constructed a global mass budget and box model tracking plastic polymer flows from production through fragmentation into microplastics across land, ocean, and atmosphere. The model suggests ocean microplastic stocks are much larger than surface measurements indicate, and that atmospheric transport plays a significant role in redistribution of marine-derived microplastics.

2025
Article Tier 2

Simulating microplastics temporal dynamics, driving mechanisms and giving insights on sources

Researchers developed a watershed-scale model to simulate temporal dynamics of microplastic concentrations across air, soil, and water compartments, incorporating land use, hydrology, and seasonal variation. The model reproduced observed patterns in a French river catchment and identified agricultural soils as the dominant terrestrial source to receiving waters.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polymer-Specific Modeling of the Environmental Emissions of Seven Commodity Plastics As Macro- and Microplastics

A polymer-specific material flow model estimated the environmental emissions of seven major commodity plastics as both macro- and microplastics into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding significant differences in emission pathways by plastic type. The model highlights that understanding polymer-specific behavior is essential for accurate pollution estimates and effective mitigation strategies.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 252 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributing to the assessment of the impact of urban activities on microplastic transport through air and runoff infiltration

Researchers investigated the contribution of urban activities to microplastic transport through both airborne pathways and stormwater runoff infiltration, quantifying plastic particle fluxes in an urban watershed. The study found that road surfaces, construction materials, and tire wear were significant urban sources, with rainfall events mobilizing microplastics into both air and subsurface water.

2024 theses.fr (ABES) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic dispersion and accumulation in the environment using a mass flow analysis approach

Researchers developed a material flow analysis model to quantify global plastic emissions and project their environmental accumulation through 2050 under business-as-usual, reduction, and zero-production scenarios. Results show that rubber microplastics from car tyres account for over 60% of global microplastic releases, accumulating primarily along roadsides and in subsurface waters, while packaging plastics from lower-middle-income countries dominate macroplastic inputs.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Modelling microplastic fibre emissions from synthetic textiles: An Australian case

Researchers modeled microplastic fiber emissions from synthetic textiles across Australia, estimating emission quantities, identifying geographic hotspots, and tracing fibres to their environmental receiving compartments. The model found that domestic laundry is the dominant emission source, with most fibres ultimately reaching wastewater treatment systems or water bodies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Quantifying shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles; a source of microplastics released into the environment

Researchers quantified the shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles during simulated washing, finding that fabric type, age, and wash conditions significantly affected fiber release, and establishing a quantitative basis for estimating textile-derived microplastic inputs.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 590 citations