Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Insights Into Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystem: a Short Review of Sampling and Analysis Methods

This review summarizes current methods for sampling and analyzing microplastics in rivers and estuaries, including techniques like FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification. The authors highlight the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to ensure that microplastic data across different studies are reliable and comparable.

2024 Jurnal Teknologi 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Distribution of Microplastics in the Water and Riverbank Sediment in Malaysia – A Review

Microplastic abundance and distribution were surveyed in the water column and riverbank sediments of a Malaysian river. Results showed microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber shapes dominating in water and fragments more common in sediments, reflecting contributions from domestic wastewater and plastic litter.

2020 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Source- and polymer-specific size distributions of fine microplastics in surface water in an urban river

Researchers investigated size distributions of fine microplastics from different sources in an urban river, finding that weathering and fragmentation produce a range of particle sizes and that source-specific size signatures can help trace microplastic origins.

2021 Environmental Pollution 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the sediments of small-scale Japanese rivers: Abundance and distribution, characterization, sources-to-sink, and ecological risks

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in sediments of four small-scale Japanese rivers, finding widespread contamination and identifying polymer types and potential sources, highlighting that even small river systems serve as microplastic transport pathways.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of μ-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and py-GCMS as identification tools for microplastic particles and fibers isolated from river sediments

Researchers compared two identification methods — micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC-MS — for characterizing microplastics extracted from river sediments, finding that the methods generally agreed on dominant polymers but differed in sensitivity to certain types. The comparison provides practical guidance for choosing analytical methods in freshwater microplastic monitoring programs.

2018 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 286 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 emergent Life Sciences Research
Article Tier 2

A systems approach to understand microplastic occurrence and variability in Dutch riverine surface waters

Microplastic concentrations in two Dutch rivers ranged from 67 to 11,532 particles per cubic meter, varying by two orders of magnitude across space and one order over time, with polyethylene and polypropylene the most common polymers among 26 types identified. Rigorous quality assurance procedures including partial filter analysis guidelines are proposed to improve measurement reliability.

2020 Water Research 209 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic and Microplastic in the Environment

This review summarizes the sources, pathways, analytical methods, and distribution of microplastics in freshwater environments, emphasizing that rivers and lakes are major conduits transferring plastic pollution from terrestrial sources to the oceans.

2022 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment, characterization, and quantification of microplastics from river sediments

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sediments from 14 sites along the Kaveri River in South India, characterizing particle types, sizes, and polymer compositions to quantify the extent of microplastic pollution in this freshwater system.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics in tributaries of the upper Brahmaputra River along the Himalayan foothills, India

Researchers measured microplastic levels in surface water and riparian soil near two rural rivers in the Eastern Himalaya foothills of India, finding average water concentrations of 0.14 pieces per cubic meter and soil concentrations of 633 pieces per kilogram dry weight. Fibers were the dominant type, and Micro-Raman spectroscopy identified common synthetic polymer types.

2024 Environmental Research Communications 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, determination and environmental fate of microplastics in aquatic system

This review examines the occurrence, detection methods, and environmental fate of microplastics across aquatic systems worldwide. Researchers synthesize evidence showing microplastics are ubiquitous in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and highlight the need for standardized monitoring and better understanding of long-term ecological impacts.

2020 HKBU Institutional Repository (Hong Kong Baptist University)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, potential sources, and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in the inland river basins in Northern China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in a typical urban river system in Northern China, examining both surface water and sediment samples. They found that river sediments contained dramatically more microplastics than surface water, acting as a sink for this pollution, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common types. The study suggests that small fiber and fragment-shaped particles under 0.5 mm dominate these environments, likely originating from everyday plastic products and wastewater discharge.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations
Review Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of MP Pollution in Global Rivers: Distribution Patterns and Fluvial Transport Dynamics

A global review of microplastic pollution in river sediments found the highest concentrations in Africa and Asia, with wastewater treatment plants, industrial discharges, and urban runoff as the primary sources, and rivers transporting an estimated 70–80% of land-based plastic waste to the oceans. This synthesis underscores that rivers are critical intervention points for reducing the flow of microplastics into marine ecosystems.

2026 Water Environment Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Natural Water: Sources and Determination

This paper reviews the sources of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments and the analytical methods used to characterize and quantify microplastic particles, covering sampling, extraction, and identification techniques relevant to freshwater and marine monitoring.

2023 WATER AND WATER PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL NEWS 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Baseline Study on Microplastics in Indian Rivers under Different Anthropogenic Influences

Researchers collected microplastic samples from Indian rivers under different levels of anthropogenic influence and found MPs in all sites, with concentrations correlating with population density and industrial activity, providing one of the first systematic field datasets for major Indian river systems.

2021 Water 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water: occurrence, detection, and impacts – a comprehensive review of multiple studies

This comprehensive review synthesized current knowledge on microplastic occurrence, detection methods, and impacts across marine, freshwater, and remote aquatic ecosystems. Researchers highlighted that microplastic concentrations are particularly high in urban rivers, transported through runoff, atmospheric deposition, and river input. The review identifies critical research gaps including the need for standardized detection methods and more studies on chronic human exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2026 Water Practice & Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the rivers of Gujarat (India) to the Arabian Sea: assessment of the sources, distribution, and associated environmental risk

Researchers collected water samples from the Damanganga and Tapi rivers in Gujarat, India, and from Dumas Beach, analyzing them for microplastics by µ-FTIR, SEM, and Py-GC-MS. MPs were detected at all sites, with characterization of polymer types, sizes, and shapes providing baseline data on MP contamination in rivers draining to the Arabian Sea and the associated environmental risk.

2025 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in river water: occurrence, weathering, and adsorption behaviour

Researchers examined microplastics in river water, characterizing their occurrence, degree of weathering, and capacity to adsorb co-contaminants. The study highlights microplastics as vectors that can transport and re-release other pollutants in freshwater systems.

2025 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification

Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in typical seasonal rivers in northern China: temporal variation and risk assessment

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance and composition in surface water of the Wei River across dry and wet seasons, finding significantly higher MP concentrations in the dry season with polypropylene and polyethylene fibers dominating, and conducted polymer-level risk assessment using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic as a pollution in Babura River Medan: A study Case

Researchers characterized microplastic abundance and composition in the water and sediments of the Babura River in Medan, Indonesia, collecting samples from three sites in July 2020. Using microscopy and FTIR analysis, they identified polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene in fragment, film, and fiber forms, with sediment abundances ranging from 15 to 39 particles per 100g and water concentrations from 68 to 132 particles per liter.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and their abundance along rivers are determined by land uses and sediment granulometry

Researchers studied two river watersheds and found that microplastics were widespread in both water and sediment, with concentrations in water rising alongside increased urban land use. Interestingly, microplastics trapped in sediment were more influenced by the grain size of the riverbed than by human activity. The findings suggest that both human factors and natural river characteristics work together to shape where microplastics end up in freshwater systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative assessment of microplastics in water and sediment of a large European river

Researchers quantified microplastics in both water and sediment of the German river Elbe using three complementary methods (visual inspection, FTIR spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS), finding that different methods detected different particle fractions and that sediment concentrations were far higher than water.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 402 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 1 citations