Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution in Nigerian Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Pathways, Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies. A Review

This review synthesized evidence on microplastic contamination across Nigerian aquatic ecosystems, including rivers, lagoons, seafood, and drinking water. The authors describe complex pollution pathways and impacts on organisms across trophic levels, while highlighting the need for Nigeria-specific research and stronger waste management policies.

2025 American Journal of Environment and Climate
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic Pollution in the Environment in Nigeria: A Rapid Systematic Review of the Sources, Distribution, Research Gaps and Policy Needs

This systematic review examines plastic pollution across Nigeria's environment, including water, soil, air, and food. The research finds that plastic contamination is widespread but under-studied in African countries, with significant gaps in data and policy. Understanding plastic pollution in developing nations is critical because these regions often lack the waste management infrastructure to prevent microplastic contamination of food and water.

2022 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of fishes, sediment and water from some inland rivers across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria for microplastics

Researchers analyzed fish, sediment, and water samples from inland rivers in Nigeria for microplastic contamination, finding particles across all matrices sampled. The study provides baseline pollution data for a region with limited prior microplastic monitoring.

2024 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in river sediments and water of southwestern Nigeria: insights on the occurrence, seasonal distribution, composition, and source apportionment

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in river water and sediments across southwestern Nigeria, providing some of the first baseline data for the region. They found microplastics at every sampling site, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms, and concentrations varying by season and location. The study points to urban runoff, agricultural activities, and inadequate waste management as the primary sources of this pollution.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Plastic Pollution and the Nigerian Dimensions

This review examines global plastic pollution trends with a focus on Nigeria, covering plastic production history, environmental distribution, ecological effects, and policy challenges in the West African context. The authors document how weak waste management infrastructure and high plastic consumption growth rates make Nigeria particularly vulnerable to microplastic pollution in rivers, coastlines, and food chains.

2025 Journal of Geography Environment and Earth Science International
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Determinant Sources of Plastics and Microplastics Pollution in Inland Waterways Navigation in Lower River Niger

Researchers assessed plastic and microplastic pollution in Nigerian inland waterways, providing a baseline evaluation of contamination sources from navigation activities and identifying hotspots along the lower Niger River.

2024 International journal of social science and research
Article Tier 2

The importance of microplastics pollution studies in water and soil of Nigeria ecosystems

This review highlights the lack of microplastic pollution research in Nigeria, despite the country's growing plastic production and consumption. The author calls for more local studies to generate data needed for science-based policy on plastic waste management in African ecosystems.

2019 Analytical Methods in Environmental Chemistry Journal 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Progress and future perspectives of microplastic research in Nigeria

This review summarizes the state of microplastic research in Nigeria as of 2019-2020, noting detection in rivers, lagoons, and coastal waters, and highlighting the limited research capacity and funding constraining progress in this important but underrepresented region.

2021 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Surface Water and Sediments of Otammiri River, Imo State, Nigeria

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in the surface water and sediments of Otammiri River, characterizing the abundance, morphology, polymer types, and spatial distribution of microplastics to evaluate contamination levels and ecological risks in this Nigerian freshwater system.

2024 Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic pollution in the environment in Nigeria: A rapid systematic review of the sources, distribution, research gaps and policy needs

Researchers conducted a systematic review of plastic pollution research in Nigeria and found critical data gaps — covering only 15 of 36 states — with microplastics detected in fish, insects, and water, highlighting the need for stronger policies, better monitoring, and expanded research to address the growing plastic crisis in West Africa.

2022 Scientific African 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Presence in Sediment and Water of a Lagoon Bordering the Urban Agglomeration of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria

This study investigated microplastic contamination in water and sediment from a lagoon bordering Lagos, Nigeria, finding plastics present at all sites. The study is the first of its kind in the area and raises concerns about how microplastic exposure affects aquatic organisms and the communities that depend on this water body for food and livelihoods.

2020 Geosciences 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Pollution and Framework Towards Sustainable Plastic Waste Management in Nigeria: Case Study

Nigeria faces a growing plastic pollution crisis driven by the rapid expansion of companies producing plastic bottles and sachet water packaging. This paper examines the scale of the problem and proposes a framework for more sustainable plastic waste management, drawing on case studies of existing challenges and potential interventions. While focused on policy and waste management rather than microplastics specifically, reducing plastic waste at source directly limits the amount that fragments into environmental microplastics.

2025 Environments 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and Abundance of Microplastics in Benthic Organisms from Some Niger Delta, Nigeria Coastal Rivers

Researchers investigated the presence and abundance of microplastics in benthic organisms collected from coastal rivers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, documenting contamination levels in organisms from these ecologically significant waterways.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in carnivorous fish species, water and sediments of a coastal urban lagoon in Nigeria

Researchers investigated microplastic presence in water, sediment, and carnivorous fish species from the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria for the first time. The study found microplastics across all environmental compartments and in three fish species, suggesting that microplastic contamination is widespread in this coastal urban lagoon ecosystem and may enter local food chains.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastics Residue in Water and Biota of Majidun Estuarines, Lagos Nigeria

Researchers characterized microplastics in surface water and commercially harvested aquatic species from the Majidun River estuary in Lagos, Nigeria, providing the first documented assessment of microplastic pollution in this location. Multiple polymer types were identified in both water and biota samples.

2024 University of Zambia Journal of Agricultural and Biomedical Sciences
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Macro Litter and Microplastics Abundance in the Ogunpa River, Ibadan: Intimation for Solid Waste Management and Environmental Policy

Researchers characterized macro litter and microplastic abundance across five sites on the Ogunpa River in Ibadan, Nigeria during the wet season, finding high plastic contamination driven by inadequate waste management and recommending targeted environmental policy responses.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
Article Tier 2

Concentration, characterization, and risk assessment of microplastics in two main rivers in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in two major rivers in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria, that serve as sources for drinking water, fishing, and farming. Significant concentrations of microplastics were detected in both rivers, predominantly fibers and fragments composed of polyamide and polyethylene, with pollution load indices exceeding safe thresholds and indicating moderate to high ecological risk.

2024 Environmental Health Engineering and Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Macrodebris and microplastics pollution in Nigeria: first report on abundance, distribution and composition

Researchers conducted the first assessment of macrodebris and microplastics in five rivers in southeastern Nigeria, finding plastics as the dominant macrodebris type at 59% and documenting small microplastic particles as small as 11 micrometers across all sites.

2019 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying Plastic Waste and Microplastic Contamination in African Aquatic Systems: An Imperative for Sustainable Waste Management

This review assessed the scale of plastic waste and microplastic contamination in African aquatic systems, finding that inadequate waste management infrastructure amplifies plastic pollution in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters across the continent.

2023 Acadlore Transactions on Geosciences 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the incidence of microplastics at Ndibe, Cross River, Nigeria

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence in water and fish samples from Ndibe Beach on the Cross River in Nigeria, documenting widespread contamination at a popular recreational site and highlighting the threat microplastics pose to aquatic ecosystems and local communities in the Niger Delta region.

2022 Zoologist (The) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution of Water, Sediment, and Selected Fish Species from Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Researchers sampled water, sediment, and multiple fish species from three communities in Sagbama, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to characterize microplastic contamination across aquatic compartments. Microplastics were detected in all matrices, with fibers dominating, establishing baseline contamination data for this Niger Delta region where residents rely heavily on local fish for food.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution of Water, Sediment, and Selected Fish Species from Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Researchers sampled water, sediment, and multiple fish species from three communities in Sagbama, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to characterize microplastic contamination across aquatic compartments. Microplastics were detected in all matrices, with fibers dominating, establishing baseline contamination data for this Niger Delta region where residents rely heavily on local fish for food.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments in Africa: status and research opportunities

This review examines the status of microplastic pollution research in African aquatic environments, noting that Africa's high rate of plastic waste mismanagement has resulted in widespread contamination of freshwater and marine ecosystems. Researchers found significant research gaps in the region despite its outsized contribution to global plastic pollution, and identified opportunities for expanded monitoring given microplastics' capacity to adsorb persistent organic pollutants.

2022 Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and Abundance of Microplastics in Benthic Organisms from Some Niger Delta, Nigeria Coastal Rivers

Researchers examined benthic organisms—crabs, oysters, shrimps, lobsters, and others—from seven rivers in Nigeria's Niger Delta, finding 100% microplastic presence across all species and all sampling sites.

2025 Asian Journal of Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology