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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Stormwater microplastic polymer types, particle sizes, and impact of techniques
ClearStormwater microplastic polymer types, particle sizes, and impact of techniques
Researchers characterized microplastic size distribution, morphology, polymer composition, and loading in urban stormwater runoff across two sampling campaigns using different standardized methods (NOAA and ASTM protocols) with FTIR and FTIR-microscopy analysis. They found MP concentrations of 86 particles/L in the 63-250 µm size range and assessed how subsampling strategies affect estimated concentrations and polymer diversity in environmental samples.
Urban stormwater microplastic size distribution and impact of subsampling on polymer diversity
Researchers examined how subsampling affects the characterization of microplastics in urban stormwater, finding that small subsamples can underestimate polymer diversity and that fibrous microplastics dominated across urban and suburban sites.
Characterizing microplastics in urban runoff: A multi-land use assessment with a focus on 1–125 μm size particles
Researchers collected stormwater runoff from three different urban land use types and found microplastics present across all sites, with significant variation in polymer types depending on the area. By using multiple detection techniques, they were able to identify particles as small as 1 micrometer, revealing that the smallest size fractions dominated the total count. The study emphasizes that urban runoff is a major pathway for microplastic pollution reaching waterways.
Stormwater runoff microplastics: Polymer types, particle size, and factors controlling loading rates
Researchers characterized microplastics in stormwater runoff samples collected at urban outfall locations. The study identified 17 different polymer types across various storm events, with concentrations around 0.99 particles per liter for the 500-1000 micrometer size range, and found that rainfall intensity and land use were key factors controlling microplastic loading rates.
Microplastics in Stormwater: Sampling and Methodology Challenges
Stormwater runoff washes microplastics from roads, lawns, and urban surfaces directly into streams and rivers, but measuring this pathway consistently has been hampered by a lack of standardized sampling methods. This study collected stormwater sediment samples from control measures across multiple U.S. regions and found that conventional sampling tools designed for chemical contaminants are poorly suited for capturing the full range of microplastic sizes and shapes. The results call for purpose-built sampling protocols for stormwater microplastics to improve the reliability of pollution monitoring.
Microplastics in urban stormwater sediments and runoff: An essential component in the microplastic cycle
This review systematically analyzed microplastic contamination in urban stormwater runoff and sediments, finding concentrations that varied enormously across global studies. Researchers found that stormwater is a major but underappreciated pathway for delivering microplastics to rivers, lakes, and oceans. The study highlights that better stormwater management practices are needed to reduce this significant source of aquatic microplastic pollution.
Estimated discharge of microplastics via urban stormwater during individual rain events
Researchers collected stormwater samples from 15 locations during rain events to assess microplastic discharge through urban runoff. The study found highly variable microplastic concentrations influenced by catchment characteristics, and provided estimates of the quantity of microplastics released to receiving waters during rain events, highlighting urban stormwater as an important pathway for microplastic pollution.
Microplastic Pollution in Stormwater: Preliminary Findings from the Oregon Coast
Researchers collected stormwater samples and analyzed them for microplastic content, providing preliminary findings on particle abundance, types, and size distributions in urban stormwater runoff. The results confirm stormwater as a significant pathway for microplastics from land surfaces into receiving water bodies.
Factors Controlling Microplastic Concentrations and Polymer Profiles in Wastewater, Storm Water, and Surface Water
A critical review of 143 studies found that microplastic concentrations in wastewater span eight orders of magnitude, with the highest levels in the smallest particle size fractions, while polyethylene and polypropylene are the most commonly detected polymers across freshwater systems. The wide variation is largely an artifact of inconsistent sampling, extraction, and analytical methods, making direct comparisons between studies unreliable and complicating decisions about water treatment and regulation.
Representative subsampling methods for the chemical identification of microplastic particles in environmental samples
Researchers evaluated different subsampling approaches for selecting microplastic particles from environmental samples for chemical identification, testing representativeness across particle count, size, and polymer type. The study identified best-practice protocols for achieving reliable estimates of plastic fraction and polymer composition from large heterogeneous samples.
Inter-storm variation in microplastic concentration and polymer type at stormwater outfalls and a bioretention basin
Microplastic concentrations, polymer types, and inter-storm variability were measured at two stormwater outfalls and a bioretention basin, finding that polymer fingerprints reflected local catchment materials and that concentrations varied substantially between storm events.
Urban Stormwater Runoff: A Major Pathway for Anthropogenic Particles, Black Rubbery Fragments, and Other Types of Microplastics to Urban Receiving Waters
Researchers quantified microplastics in urban stormwater runoff from 12 watersheds surrounding San Francisco Bay and found concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 24.6 particles per liter, much higher than typical wastewater treatment plant effluent. The study suggests that stormwater runoff is a major and underappreciated pathway for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles to enter urban waterways.
Land use-based characterization and source apportionment of microplastics in urban storm runoffs in a tropical region
Urban stormwater runoff in a tropical monsoon region contained 4.7 particles/L and 3.8 mg/L microplastics on average, with concentrations following land use order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential, and approximately 85% of sources identifiable by morphology and polymer type.
Design of model microplastics to study their transport in urban waters
Researchers designed model microplastic particles with controlled physical properties to systematically study their transport behavior in urban water systems. The work provides a foundation for understanding how microplastic size, density, and shape influence fate and transport in stormwater and urban drainage networks.
Microplastic emission characteristics of stormwater runoff in an urban area: Intra-event variability and influencing factors
Researchers found that stormwater runoff from both industrial and residential urban catchments contained substantial microplastics (54–639 particles per liter), with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating, and that microplastic concentrations peaked early in rain events following longer dry periods.
Understanding the dynamics of microplastics transport in urban stormwater runoff: Implications for pollution control and management
Researchers modeled how microplastics travel through urban stormwater runoff into water bodies. They found that a microplastic's shape, size, and density strongly influence whether it settles or floats during transport, and that local factors like street slope and surface friction significantly affect how quickly particles reach storm drains. The findings could help cities design better stormwater management strategies to capture microplastics.
Microplastic emission characteristics of stormwater runoff in an urban area: Intra-event variability and influencing factors
Researchers investigated microplastic emission characteristics in urban stormwater runoff from industrial and residential catchments. Microplastics were detected in concentrations of 54 to 639 particles per liter, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the dominant polymers and fragments the most common shape, and concentrations were higher after longer dry periods.
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.
Quantitative Analysis of Urban Microplastic Dissemination and Accumulation in Marine Ecosystems: Pathways, Processes, and Impacts
Researchers used water and sediment sampling across urban, riverine, and marine environments to quantify microplastic pathways from cities into marine ecosystems, finding the highest concentrations in urban areas linked to industrial activity and poor waste management. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET were the most common polymer types, with seasonal peaks in concentration tracking periods of high rainfall and urban runoff.
Quantification Challenges in Polymer Analysis in Urban Runoff and Wastewater using Pressurized Liquid Extraction and Double-Shot Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Researchers optimized methods for isolating and measuring common microplastics like polyethylene and polystyrene in urban runoff and wastewater samples. They found that standard extraction techniques achieved only 43-58% recovery rates, and that calibration methods significantly affected measurement accuracy. The study highlights ongoing challenges in reliably quantifying microplastic pollution in real-world water samples.
Storm events as key moments of microplastic contamination in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers monitored microplastic concentrations in waterways before, during, and after storm events and found that storm-driven runoff caused major spikes in microplastic abundance, identifying storm events as key transport moments that standard monitoring programs typically miss.
Variance and precision of microplastic sampling in urban rivers
Researchers assessed the variance and precision of microplastic sampling methods in urban rivers, finding that high spatial and temporal variability in microplastic concentrations requires carefully designed sampling strategies to obtain representative measurements and reliable data for river microplastic assessments.
Assessing meso-, micro-, and nanoplastic pollution in Los Angeles County estuaries
Researchers assessed meso-, micro-, and nanoplastic pollution levels in Los Angeles County estuaries, quantifying plastic loads by size class and polymer type and identifying urban stormwater as the dominant input pathway.
Microplastic characterization and transport mode —A flow-integrated approach to sampling urban waterways
Researchers implemented a flow-integrated monitoring approach to measure microplastic concentrations across varying water flow conditions in urban Southern California waterways. They found that concentrations varied by up to five orders of magnitude between low-flow and storm conditions, with tire wear particles significantly elevated during storms. The study demonstrates that sampling strategies must account for flow variability to accurately estimate microplastic transport in urban rivers.