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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Occurrence, environmental behavior, and co-pollution of microplastics with HMs in urban channelized rivers
ClearEnvironmental behavior of microplastic - heavy metal synergistic contamination in a typical urban-rural river network
Researchers investigated the seasonal co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in urban and rural rivers in a Chinese inland city. They found that both pollutant types were present in all water samples and that microplastics can adsorb heavy metals, potentially increasing the combined environmental risk. The study reveals that river networks connecting urban and rural areas serve as pathways for spreading this dual contamination.
Abundance, Distribution and Drivers of Microplastic Contaminant in Urban River Environments
Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in urban river environments and identified key drivers of accumulation hotspots, finding that land use, hydrology, and infrastructure factors concentrated microplastics at predictable locations that could inform targeted management interventions.
Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastic contaminated with heavy metals in a tropical river: Effect of land use and population density
Researchers studied microplastic pollution in Thailand's Chao Phraya River and found that population density and land use strongly influence contamination levels. Urban areas had the highest microplastic concentrations, and many particles were contaminated with heavy metals. The findings suggest that microplastics in rivers can serve as carriers of toxic metals, compounding the pollution risk for downstream communities.
Distribution and variation of metals in urban river sediments in response to microplastics presence, catchment characteristics and sediment properties
Researchers found that microplastic presence, alongside catchment urbanization and traffic activity, is associated with elevated heavy metal concentrations — particularly lead — in Brisbane River sediments, suggesting microplastics act as co-contaminants and vectors for metal pollution in urban waterways.
Lead levels and abundance of microplastics in surface water and sediment along a rural–urban river gradient
Researchers sampled water and sediment along a rural-to-urban river and found microplastics at every location, with concentrations decreasing downstream in surface water but not following a clear pattern in sediment. They also found that higher microplastic levels in sediment were linked to higher lead concentrations, suggesting the two pollutants tend to accumulate together.
Abundance, Distribution, and Drivers of Microplastic Contamination in Urban River Environments
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in sediments from the River Tame and its tributaries flowing through Birmingham, UK, finding microplastics in every sample at an average of 165 particles per 100 grams. The study identified urban density, wastewater treatment plant proximity, and river hydrodynamics as key drivers of microplastic accumulation hotspots in urban rivers.
Co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals to urban river sediments: The vertical distribution characterization and comprehensive ecological risk assessment
Researchers studied how microplastics and heavy metals are distributed at different depths in urban river sediments and found that pollution risk actually increases deeper in the sediment. Polyethylene fragments were the most common type of microplastic found, and the combination of microplastics with heavy metals like zinc, arsenic, and cadmium creates a compounded ecological risk. These findings suggest that looking only at surface sediment may underestimate the true extent of pollution in urban waterways.
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.
Microplastics exacerbate heavy metal pollution stress in the surface water of a mining city: Occurrence, drivers, and vector effects
Researchers studied the co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in surface water of a coal mining city and found that microplastics act as vectors that exacerbate heavy metal transport and pollution. The study identified key drivers of combined contamination from mining activities, farmland reclamation, and urban runoff. The findings suggest that microplastics in mining regions amplify the environmental risks of heavy metal pollution by carrying and concentrating toxic metals.
Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments
Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.
Occurrence of Microplastics in Kemena River and Niah River of Sarawak, Malaysia
Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in water and riverbed sediments of the Kemena and Niah Rivers in Sarawak, Malaysia, finding that urbanization along these rivers correlates with higher microplastic concentrations in freshwater environments.
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.
Spatial Connections between Microplastics and Heavy Metal Pollution within Floodplain Soils
Researchers investigated the spatial relationship between microplastic contamination and heavy metal pollution in floodplain soils. They found that microplastics and heavy metals co-occur in these environments and that their distribution patterns are linked to flooding events and sediment deposition. The study suggests that floodplains act as temporary sinks where these pollutants accumulate together, potentially compounding their environmental impact.
The competition of heavy metals between hyporheic sediments and microplastics of driving factors in the Beiluo River Basin
Researchers studied the competitive enrichment of heavy metals between river sediments and microplastics in the Beiluo River Basin. They found that while sediments generally had higher heavy metal concentrations overall, microplastics selectively accumulated certain metals at higher rates depending on environmental conditions. The study highlights that microplastics in river systems can act as carriers that redistribute heavy metal contamination in complex ways.
Multi-contaminants in road runoff of a compact city: Characteristics, interactions, and ecological risks
Researchers characterised multi-contaminant pollution in road runoff from a compact city, examining the sources, transport mechanisms, interactions, and ecological risks of co-occurring contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, and other pollutants. The study found that microplastics in road runoff interact with co-contaminants in ways that amplify ecological risk, with urban density and road surface type influencing contaminant profiles.
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.
Evaluating the role of microplastics as a vector in metal cycling within the River Thames
Researchers characterized how microplastics in River Thames water adsorb toxic heavy metals, comparing adsorption capacity across different plastic types and water chemistry conditions. Microplastics consistently adsorbed metals including lead, cadmium, and copper, providing the first data on metal-binding capacity for Thames microplastics and supporting their role as carriers of inorganic pollutants in urban rivers.
Assessment of combined microplastic and metallic contamination in surface sediment and water along a historically industrialised gravel-bed river (Severn River, UK)
Researchers assessed the combined contamination of microplastics and heavy metals in surface sediment and water along the historically industrialised Severn River in the UK. The study examined how industrial legacy influences the co-occurrence and distribution of these pollutants in a gravel-bed river system.
Dynamics of microplastics in urban rivers under varying hydrological regimes
Monitoring of urban rivers showed that microplastic concentrations fluctuate significantly with varying hydrological conditions such as storm events and seasonal flow changes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for accurately characterizing the river microplastic load and its variability over time.
Partitioning of heavy metals in sediments and microplastics from stormwater runoff
Researchers studied how heavy metals distribute between sediment particles and microplastics in stormwater runoff. UV-weathered microplastics absorbed significantly more heavy metals than new plastic, competing with sediments for metal uptake. This matters because microplastics in stormwater can transport concentrated heavy metals from urban areas into rivers and lakes, creating a combined pollution problem.
Interaction and bacterial effects of microplastics pollution on heavy metals in hyporheic sediments of different land-use types in the Beiluo River Basin
Researchers studied how microplastics and heavy metals interact in river sediments across different land-use types in a Chinese river basin. They found that microplastics concentrated more heavily in shallow sediments and that the metals detected on microplastic surfaces were present at much higher levels than in surrounding sediment. The study suggests that microplastics may serve as concentrators and carriers of heavy metal contamination, potentially amplifying pollution risks.
Microplastic pollution in sophisticated urban river systems: Combined influence of land-use types and physicochemical characteristics
This study assessed microplastic pollution across an urban river network in China, finding that land-use type and water physicochemical properties jointly influence microplastic distribution, with industrial and residential areas contributing highest loads.
Microplastics and trace metals in river sediment: Prevalence and correlation with multiple factors
Researchers examined microplastic and trace metal levels in river sediment in Vietnam and found that while metals tended to cluster together and correlate with nutrients and fine soil particles, they showed only weak connections to microplastic levels. The study suggests that microplastics and metals behave independently in river systems, each influenced by a different set of environmental factors.
Revealing microplastic dynamics: the impact of precipitation and depth in urban river ecosystems
Microplastic abundance was monitored at different depths and during different precipitation events in urban rivers in Brazil, finding that rainfall significantly increases MP concentrations and that deeper water layers can carry higher loads than surface water.