Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Toward an ecotoxicological risk assessment of microplastics: Comparison of available hazard and exposure data in freshwaters

Researchers compiled available exposure and toxicity data to perform the first probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics specifically in freshwater environments. The study found that while current concentrations in most freshwaters may not yet pose widespread ecological risk, localized hotspots could exceed harmful thresholds, highlighting the need for more standardized freshwater monitoring.

2018 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 188 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastic particles

Researchers developed a framework for assessing the ecological risk of microplastic particles, incorporating particle characteristics, environmental concentrations, and species sensitivity data. The assessment identified conditions under which current environmental microplastic levels pose significant risk to aquatic organisms.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution research methodologies, abundance, characteristics and risk assessments for aquatic biota in China

Researchers reviewed the current state of microplastic pollution research in China's aquatic environments, covering detection methods, abundance data, characteristics, and risk assessments for aquatic organisms. The review highlights that China's marine and freshwater environments are seriously polluted by microplastics, with ingestion by aquatic organisms posing potential ecological harm.

2020 Environmental Pollution 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Chinese Rivers: A detailed analysis of distribution, risk factors, and ecological impact

Researchers aggregated data from 2,474 microplastic samples across 165 publications to assess ecological risk in Chinese rivers, finding widespread contamination with average abundance varying substantially by watershed characteristics. A revised risk assessment accounting for particle morphology and polymer toxicity raised concern levels beyond previous estimates.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A new holistic perspective to assess the ecological risk of microplastics: A case study in Baiyangdian Basin, China

Researchers developed a more comprehensive method for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution by considering not just concentration but also the physical and chemical properties of the particles. Applied to a Chinese wetland basin, the approach revealed that traditional methods significantly underestimate the true ecological risk, with human activity and poor water flow contributing to the highest danger zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastic particles

Researchers applied an ecological risk assessment framework to evaluate the hazard posed by microplastic particles across multiple environmental compartments, using species sensitivity distributions and environmental concentration data. The assessment highlighted specific particle types and size ranges that present the greatest ecological risk.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Meta Analysis Tier 1

[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments and Their Environmental Ecological Risk Assessment].

This meta-analysis pools data from studies worldwide to map where microplastics are found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and assesses their ecological risks. Understanding how widespread microplastics are in water sources matters because contaminated water is one of the main ways people are exposed to these particles.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: probabilistic environmental risk assessment and current knowledge in occurrence and ecotoxicological studies

Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of microplastic occurrence in freshwater ecosystems and performed the first probabilistic environmental risk assessment for specific polymer types. They established predicted no-effect concentration values for polystyrene and polyethylene and calculated risk quotients suggesting that current microplastic levels in most freshwater environments pose a low ecological risk.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: addressing ecological risk through lessons learned

Researchers reviewed the current state of microplastic ecological risk assessment and proposed applying lessons learned from more established fields of environmental research. The study suggests that despite widespread concern about microplastic pollution, scientific understanding of actual ecological risk remains limited, and future research should follow more rigorous risk assessment frameworks.

2015 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 312 citations
Article Tier 2

Beyond the ocean: contamination of freshwater ecosystems with (micro-)plastic particles

This review examined the available data on microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and urban water systems — and found it to be widespread globally, though often underreported compared to marine environments. The authors highlight the need for reliable concentration data and chemical characterization of freshwater plastics to properly assess ecological risk.

2015 Environmental Chemistry 540 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring bioaccumulation patterns and ecological risks of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems

This review comprehensively examined microplastic bioaccumulation and ecological risk in aquatic ecosystems, covering sources, environmental pathways, and the risks microplastics pose to organisms across trophic levels in rivers, lakes, and marine environments.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Critical Review of Sources, Transport Mechanisms and Ecotoxicological Risks

This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution in rivers, oceans, and other aquatic environments, covering where these particles come from, how they move through water systems, and the harm they can cause. Evidence indicates that microplastics accumulate toxins and disrupt growth, feeding, and reproduction in aquatic species, with potential consequences for human health through seafood and drinking water. The authors stress the need for better global monitoring, stronger waste management systems, and development of eco-friendly plastic alternatives.

2025 Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology 2 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Analysis, prevalence and impact of microplastics in freshwater and estuarine environments: an evidence review

This systematic review summarized the existing research on microplastics in freshwater rivers, lakes, and estuaries. It found that current microplastic levels in most freshwater environments are below the concentrations that cause lethal harm to aquatic life, but the highest-pollution sites may already pose risks for subtler health effects on fish and other organisms. The review also highlighted that different sampling methods produce very different results, making it hard to compare studies.

2020 2 citations
Article Tier 2

From Origins to Impacts: A Comprehensive Review of Microplastics in Freshwater Environments

This comprehensive review covers microplastics in freshwater ecosystems from sources and transport to biological uptake and food web effects, synthesizing current evidence on ecological risks and identifying research priorities.

2024 International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research
Article Tier 2

Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in freshwater environments, covering sources, distribution, and ecological impacts in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Researchers found that freshwater microplastic contamination is widespread globally but that standardized sampling and analysis methods are still lacking. The study calls for more consistent research approaches so that contamination levels across different water bodies can be meaningfully compared.

2018 Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 3293 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Environments: A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Concentration, Toxicity and Ecological Risks in Southeast Asia

This review covers microplastic distribution, concentration, toxicity, and ecological risks in aquatic ecosystems across Southeast Asia, summarizing the physical and chemical hazards to aquatic organisms including ingestion blockage, bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and biomagnification.

2025 Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems in India: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines the occurrence, sources, and ecological risks of microplastics across freshwater ecosystems in India, synthesizing current literature on contamination levels in rivers, lakes, and other inland water bodies.

2025 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL REVIEWS
Article Tier 2

The contamination of microplastics in China's aquatic environment: Occurrence, detection and implications for ecological risk

This review summarized microplastic contamination across marine environments, freshwater systems, and wastewater treatment plants in China, one of the world's top plastic-producing countries. The study highlights that research on how microplastics transfer between connected water environments remains lacking, and the microscale toxicity of microplastics is still poorly understood.

2021 Environmental Pollution 91 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research.
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in aquatic environments: a comprehensive review on distribution, concentration, toxicity and ecological risks in Southeast Asia

This comprehensive review examines microplastic distribution, concentrations, and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems across Southeast Asia, highlighting risks including ingestion-induced blockages, chemical bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and biomagnification through food chains.

2025 The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository (The International Islamic University Malaysia)
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats, identification of knowledge gaps and prioritisation of research needs

This review synthesizes the growing body of research on microplastic contamination in freshwater rivers, lakes, and sediments, which has received far less attention than marine environments. Researchers found that freshwater microplastic concentrations can rival or exceed those reported in ocean studies, particularly near urban and industrial areas. The study identifies critical knowledge gaps including the lack of standardized sampling methods and limited understanding of how microplastics affect freshwater organisms and ecosystems.

2015 Water Research 2541 citations
Article Tier 2

A framework for systematic microplastic ecological risk assessment at a national scale

This study developed a framework for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution across China by analyzing data from 128 studies and over 3,400 sites. The research found that microplastic contamination is widespread in Chinese soil, water, and sediments, with some areas reaching concerning levels. This kind of large-scale risk assessment is important for understanding how widespread microplastic pollution may affect ecosystems and, ultimately, human health through contaminated food and water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 77 citations
Review Tier 2

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.

2020 Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 85 citations