Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic Pollutants on Nematodes and Their Biodiversity in Irish River Sediments

Microplastics from commercial cosmetics were characterized by ATR-FTIR, and a nematode study of Irish river sediments examined how these MP characteristics relate to nematode biodiversity, finding MPs altered nematode community structure in contaminated sediment zones.

2024 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics in Irish river sediment

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sediments from 16 sites along the River Barrow in Ireland, detecting plastics at all sites with fibers as the dominant shape and polyethylene terephthalate as a common polymer, confirming widespread freshwater microplastic pollution in Irish river systems.

2022 Heliyon 32 citations
Article Tier 2

A case study on small-size microplastics in water and snails in an urban river

Researchers used laser direct infrared chemical imaging to investigate microplastic pollution in water and snails from a highly urbanized river. The study found small-size microplastics present in both the water and the tissues of aquatic snails, highlighting urban rivers as hotspots for microplastic contamination and potential ecological exposure.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Automated μFTIR Imaging Demonstrates Taxon-Specific and Selective Uptake of Microplastic by Freshwater Invertebrates

Researchers used automated micro-FTIR imaging to quantify microplastic ingestion by multiple freshwater invertebrate taxa from field-collected sediments, finding taxon-specific differences in ingestion rates and selectivity for particle type and size, suggesting that feeding behavior mediates microplastic exposure.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Karakterisasi Mikroplastik Dari Sedimen Padang Lamun, Pulau Panjang, Jepara, Dengan Ft-ir Infra Red

Researchers identified microplastics in seagrass bed sediments at Panjang Island, Indonesia, using infrared spectroscopy to characterize the types present. The study confirms that microplastic pollution has reached this coastal ecosystem, which provides important habitat for marine life.

2021 Jurnal Sains &Teknologi Lingkungan 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The accumulation of microplastic pollution in a commercially important fishing ground

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in sediments of the Irish Sea fishing grounds used for Norway lobster harvesting, identifying seven polymer types via micro-FTIR spectroscopy and finding persistent contamination at all sampled sites across both 2016 and 2019 surveys.

2022 Scientific Reports 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and transport of microplastics across the streambed interface during bank filtration

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and spatial distribution across surface water, riverbed sediments, and groundwater at two German lowland river sites -- the Teltow Canal and the Havel -- under bank filtration conditions, collecting monthly surface water and quarterly groundwater samples over one year alongside sediment freeze cores to 100 cm depth, analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy.

2025
Article Tier 2

The contamination of in situ archaeological remains: A pilot analysis of microplastics in sediment samples using μFTIR

Researchers presented what is believed to be the first evidence of microplastic contamination in archaeological sediment samples, using micro-FTIR spectroscopy to identify polymer types and size ranges. The study suggests that microplastics may migrate through archaeological layers over time, potentially compromising the scientific integrity of archaeological deposits and the environmental data they contain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 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

Laboratory assessment for determining microplastics in freshwater systems – characterization and identification along Somesul Mic River

Researchers applied Raman and FTIR spectroscopy alongside microscopy to characterize microplastics in water and sediment samples from the Somesul Mic River in Romania, identifying multiple polymer types and assessing which analytical methods worked best. Developing reliable, standardized laboratory methods for detecting microplastics in freshwater is essential for generating comparable data on environmental contamination levels.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics negatively impact the survival, growth and emergence of sediment-dwelling invertebrates

Researchers exposed sediment-dwelling invertebrates, including midges and worms, to environmentally realistic concentrations of polyethylene microplastics and found significant reductions in survival, growth, and emergence rates. The study provides evidence that even at concentrations currently found in freshwater sediments, microplastics can negatively affect benthic organisms that play key roles in ecosystem functioning.

2018 Environmental Pollution 317 citations
Article Tier 2

FTIR based assessment of microplastic contamination in soil water and insect ecosystems reveals environmental and ecological risks

Researchers in southern India used infrared spectroscopy to measure microplastic contamination in soil, water, and insects, finding polypropylene and polystyrene in over 91% of samples. The study revealed that insects like beetles and bees can carry microplastics on their bodies and spread them through ecosystems, highlighting another pathway by which plastic pollution can move through the food chain toward humans.

2025 Scientific Reports 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation of Microplastics from Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in the Danube River

Researchers isolated microplastics from three freshwater species — mollusks, worms, and midge larvae — collected from the Danube River during a major scientific survey. Using different organism types as biological monitors showed that microplastic contamination is widespread in the river's aquatic ecosystem.

2022 Facta Universitatis Series Medicine and Biology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution: a review of techniques to identify microplastics and their threats to the aquatic ecosystem

This review summarizes existing research on methods for identifying microplastics in water and their effects on aquatic ecosystems. The paper covers detection techniques like infrared and Raman spectroscopy and discusses how microplastics threaten aquatic organisms through ingestion and entanglement. Since these contaminated organisms enter the human food chain, the findings underscore why understanding aquatic microplastic pollution matters for human health.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics and associated ecological risk in the Hirakud Reservoir, Odisha, India

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in the water and sediments of India's Hirakud Reservoir, characterizing particles by abundance, shape, size, color, and chemical composition using scanning electron microscopy and FTIR. They also evaluated the ecological risk posed by the contamination. The study highlights that even inland freshwater reservoirs in India are experiencing significant microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Water and Health 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess the Degree of Alteration of Artificially Aged and Environmentally Weathered Microplastics

Researchers used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to compare the chemical weathering of microplastics collected from an Italian river with artificially aged plastic samples. They found that environmental microplastics showed distinct patterns of chemical degradation that differed from lab-accelerated aging. The study demonstrates how FTIR analysis can serve as a useful tool for assessing how long microplastics have been exposed to environmental conditions.

2023 Polymers 197 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

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

The applicability of reflectance micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the detection of synthetic microplastics in marine sediments

Researchers developed and validated an optimized micro-FT-IR spectroscopy protocol for detecting microplastics in coastal marine sediments, providing a detailed operating procedure. The standardized method improves detection reliability and enables comparison of results across laboratories studying sediment microplastic contamination.

2012 The Science of The Total Environment 375 citations
Article Tier 2

Sequential combination of micro-FTIR imaging spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC/MS for microplastic quantification. Application to river sediments

Researchers developed a protocol combining micro-FTIR imaging and pyrolysis-GC/MS for sequential microplastic analysis in river sediments. While both methods showed consistent total mass concentrations across sites, they found discrepancies in polymer proportions due to each method's specific limitations, providing practical recommendations for comparing results across different analytical approaches.

2025 Analytical Methods 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The development of an analytical procedure for the determination of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers developed an improved analytical procedure for detecting and identifying microplastics in freshwater environments. The method combines careful sample preparation with advanced instrumental techniques like infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The study highlights the importance of standardized methods to ensure that microplastic measurements across different studies are reliable and comparable.

2024 Analytical Methods 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis, Occurrence, and Degradation of Microplastics in the Aqueous Environment

This book chapter reviews the major analytical techniques used to detect and quantify microplastics in freshwater environments, covering sampling strategies, sample preparation, and identification methods such as FT-IR spectroscopy. It also discusses the wide diversity of polymer types found in aquatic systems and how they influence degradation and environmental risk.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 293 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Kolavai Lake, Tamil Nadu, India: quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in the surface water of lake

Researchers quantified microplastic pollution in Kolavai Lake in Tamil Nadu, India, finding an average abundance of 6.1 particles per liter in surface water. They identified polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the most common types using infrared spectroscopy. The study also examined the ratio of microplastics to zooplankton, raising concerns about how these tiny particles could enter the food chain when consumed by aquatic organisms.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 citations