Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Pollution 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Missing relationship between meso- and microplastics in adjacent soils and sediments

A survey of soils and sediments across a large Chinese watershed found that mesoplastic and microplastic concentrations did not correlate between adjacent terrestrial and aquatic compartments, indicating that transfer between land and water is not simply proportional and that local factors including land use and hydrology strongly mediate transport.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in urban rivers in Chengdu city: The influence of land-use type and population and related suggestions

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in urban rivers of Chengdu, China, finding MP abundances of 20-763 items per liter in water and linking higher concentrations to dense residential areas and industrial land use. Polyethylene and polypropylene fibers dominated the MP assemblage, consistent with textile laundering and household waste as primary sources.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in an urban river: The response to urban waste management

Microplastics were detected throughout surface water and sediments of an urban Chinese river (Nanming River) in both dry and wet seasons, with 25 different polymer types identified and the highest concentrations near sewage discharge points and plastic waste dump sites. The study shows that urban river management practices — particularly wastewater handling — are critical in controlling how much plastic reaches downstream ecosystems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 282 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in urban stormwater inlet sediments influenced by land use type of runoff drainage area

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in urban stormwater inlet sediments across different land use types in Ma'anshan City, China. They found microplastics present in all locations, with sediments near main roads showing the highest contamination at over 1,100 items per kilogram, roughly double that of other land use types. The study reveals that polypropylene was the dominant polymer across all areas, and that the characteristics of microplastic pollution vary systematically with surrounding land use patterns.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of land-use patterns on soil microplastics: Distribution characteristics and driving factors in southern China’s Pearl River Delta

A study across different land-use types in China's Pearl River Delta found that agricultural land had higher soil microplastic concentrations than urban or forested areas, with land-use history and plastic mulch film use as the dominant factors controlling MP distribution and polymer composition.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in China’s Aquatic Systems: Spatial Distribution, Transport Pathways, and Controlling Strategies

This review synthesizes recent findings on microplastic pollution across China's rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters. Researchers found that contamination levels vary dramatically by location, with urban waterways showing the highest concentrations and polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymer types. The study identifies rivers as major transport pathways carrying microplastics from inland areas to the sea and evaluates strategies for reducing this pollution.

2025 Microplastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in inland freshwaters of China: A case study in urban surface waters of Wuhan, China

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in inland freshwaters across urban suburban areas of China, finding contamination that reflected land use intensity and population density in the surrounding catchments.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 1061 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban pipeline rainwater runoff is an important pathway for land-based microplastics transport to inland surface water: A case study in Beijing

This study characterized microplastics in urban rainwater pipeline runoff draining from different land-use types, finding that pipelines are an important but understudied pathway for transporting land-based microplastics to surface water. Abundance and polymer composition varied by land use, with commercial and road-adjacent catchments showing the highest loads.

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

Pollution status of microplastics in the freshwater environment of China: a mini review

This review assessed microplastic pollution in China's freshwater environments including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, finding widespread contamination in surface waters, sediments, and biota with variations linked to population density and industrial activity.

2022 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and source-pathway of microplastics in freshwater system of China: A review

This national-scale review examines microplastic characteristics and source-pathway dynamics in Chinese freshwater systems including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, synthesizing data showing that urban runoff, textile washing, and wastewater discharge are dominant sources. The authors identify key knowledge gaps in understanding microplastic transport from inland waters to the ocean in the world's largest plastic-producing country.

2022 Chemosphere 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic distributions in soils of different land-use types: A case study of Chinese farmlands

Microplastic distribution across six types of farmland land use was surveyed from soils in five Chinese provinces to determine how agricultural practices shape soil microplastic contamination. The study found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by land-use type, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation practices as key contributing factors.

2020 Environmental Pollution 278 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban and highway stormwater retention ponds

Microplastics were assessed in stormwater retention ponds across commercial, industrial, residential, and highway landscapes, finding that commercial and industrial areas released more microplastics than residential and highway areas, with PVC, PS, PP, PE, and polyester as dominant polymers. The study identifies land use type as a key predictor of stormwater microplastic loading.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 470 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban tropical freshwater ponds as microplastics hotspots—insight on abundance and characteristics using an improved sampling technique

Researchers surveyed 20 urban freshwater ponds in central India and found microplastics present in all of them, with fragments, films, and foams being the most common types. They introduced an improved, low-cost sampling technique that does not require boats, making it practical for studying smaller water bodies. The results confirm that urban ponds are significant hotspots for microplastic accumulation, with polyethylene and polystyrene being the dominant polymer types.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of land use on the distribution of soil microplastics in the Lihe River watershed, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across five different land use types in a Chinese river watershed. They found that urban soils had the highest microplastic levels, followed by agricultural areas, with woodland having the lowest, and that population density strongly correlated with microplastic diversity. The study suggests that human activity intensity and plastic waste disposal are the main drivers of soil microplastic pollution at the watershed scale.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction and driving factors influencing microplastics and dissolved organic matter in the hyporheic ecosystem of the Jinghe River Basin under different land-use types

Researchers investigated the interactions between microplastics and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in hyporheic zone sediments of the Jinghe River Basin under different land-use types, finding that land use type directly determined DOM fraction differences and influenced microplastic characteristics, with anthropogenic land uses associated with higher abundances of larger microplastic particles (>= 2,000 micrometers).

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Coupled effects of urbanization level and dam on microplastics in surface waters in a coastal watershed of Southeast China

Researchers analyzed the distribution of microplastics across 17 sampling sites in the Minjiang River Watershed in southeast China, finding that microplastic concentrations were positively correlated with urbanization indicators and that dams influenced spatial distribution patterns.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastics in an urban river network area

Researchers investigated microplastic dynamics in an urban river network in eastern China, finding abundances of 2.3 to 104.6 particles per liter that were significantly higher during wet seasons and concentrated near commercial, industrial, and wastewater discharge areas.

2022 Water Research 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Estimating microplastic flows across rural-urban gradients in a French catchment

Researchers estimated microplastic flows across rural-urban gradients in a French catchment, examining how land use and urbanization influence the transport and distribution of microplastic particles through the watershed system.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution differences in freshwater river according to stream order: Insights from spatial distribution, annual load, and ecological assessment

Researchers compared microplastic pollution levels in a freshwater river across different land-use zones, finding higher concentrations near urban and agricultural areas than in forested regions. Fiber-type microplastics were predominant across all sampling locations.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 5 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Quality Estimation of Microplastics in Drainage Ditches in Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia].

Microplastic contamination was found in drainage channels and main drainage waterways in a large irrigation district in Inner Mongolia, China. Fibers dominated, likely from agricultural plastic mulch films, with pollution levels varying by channel type and location within the irrigated area.

2020 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural plastic Legacy in river Sediments: Abundance, oxidation, and occurrence characteristics of microplastics across rural China

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastics in sediments from 25 agricultural rivers across Henan Province, China, finding an average abundance of 1,016 items/kg. MP oxidation degree and polymer composition varied across rivers, reflecting the legacy of agricultural plastic use and the weathering of resident MPs.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in the surface water and sediment of parks in Xi'an city, Northwest China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in urban park water bodies and sediments across Xi'an city, finding concentrations of 2,900-6,970 items per cubic meter in surface water, with distribution patterns linked to surrounding urban land use functions.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 42 citations