Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Tracing the journey of microplastics in lake from surface water to accumulation in the sediments

Researchers conducted a comprehensive seasonal and historical study of microplastics in an urban lake in Latvia, using manta trawling for surface water, sediment coring with 210Pb dating for sediment archives, and sediment traps to assess deposition rates over one year. They found surface water concentrations peaked in summer at 5.71 particles per cubic meter, microplastic concentrations in recent sediments were 25 times higher than layers dating to 1924, and the annual deposition rate was approximately 9.47 particles per square centimeter per year.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

What to monitor? Microplastics in a freshwater lake – From seasonal surface water to bottom sediments

Researchers tracked microplastics in a Baltic urban lake through surface water trawling, sediment traps, and dated sediment cores, finding that concentrations peak in summer and have increased 25-fold in recent decades, while particles — mostly polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene — appeared even in sediment layers predating mass plastic production. The study recommends combining surface trawling and sediment trapping as a cost-effective monitoring approach for freshwater microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Advances 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment trapping – An attempt to monitor temporal variation of microplastic flux rates in aquatic systems

Researchers tested sediment trapping as a tool to monitor temporal variation in microplastic influx in an urban boreal lake, conducting a one-year monitoring program that revealed differences in microplastic flux rates between growing season and winter periods including a spring flood event.

2021 Environmental Pollution 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation observed in microplastic deposition rates in boreal lake sediments

Researchers used sediment traps to monitor microplastic deposition rates in a boreal lake over one year across different seasons. The study found that microplastic flux was highest during the growing season and lowest during winter when ice and snow cover limited transport, with a snow disposal site receiving urban snow showing the highest annual deposition rate of 2,300 items per square meter.

2023 Journal of Soils and Sediments 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical Distribution of Microplastics in the Water Column and Surficial Sediment from the Milwaukee River Basin to Lake Michigan

Microplastics were measured in water surface, water subsurface, and sediment samples along the Milwaukee River continuum to Lake Michigan, finding density-dependent vertical distribution with low-density polymers concentrated at the surface and high-density polymers in sediments. The study demonstrates a clear polymer partitioning pattern with depth in freshwater systems.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 440 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric Deposition Of Microplastics Recorded In Icelandic Lake Sediments: Estimating Microplastic Fluxes Using Short Sediment Cores

Researchers sampled sediment cores from six remote Icelandic crater lakes to estimate atmospheric microplastic deposition flux rates, finding that Iceland's position within major oceanic currents and weather patterns makes it a sentinel site for studying long-range Arctic-bound microplastic transport.

2025
Article Tier 2

Application of a microplastic trap to the determination of the factors controlling the lakebed deposition of microplastics

Researchers deployed a microplastic trap in a lake to measure real-world lakebed deposition rates, finding that particle size, density, and seasonal hydrodynamics were key factors controlling microplastic settling, providing field-validated data to improve transport models.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Waters and Sediments of Urban Lake

This book chapter reviews microplastic pollution in urban lake surface waters and sediments, describing sources, distribution patterns, and the ecological consequences of MP accumulation in these widely used but understudied freshwater habitats.

2025
Article Tier 2

Tracking the microplastic accumulation from past to present in the freshwater ecosystems: A case study in Susurluk Basin, Turkey

Researchers tracked the historical accumulation of microplastics in freshwater lake sediment cores, finding a steady increase in particle deposition corresponding to rising plastic production since the mid-20th century and demonstrating that sediment archives can reconstruct the timeline of freshwater microplastic pollution.

2022 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Reconstructing the first record of historical microplastic accumulation from lake sediments in Aotearoa New Zealand: A case study at Lake Wiritoa.

Researchers reconstructed historical microplastic accumulation records from lake sediment cores, establishing the first temporal record of MP deposition in a freshwater lake system. The sediment record revealed accelerating MP accumulation over the 20th century, mirroring global plastic production trends and marking the onset of plastic pollution in the stratigraphy.

2025
Article Tier 2

Historical and current occurrence of microplastics in water and sediment of a Finnish lake affected by WWTP effluents

Researchers characterized microplastics in water and cesium-137-dated sediment cores from a Finnish lake sub-basin receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent. Microplastics were detected back to the 1970s in sediment records, and current concentrations in the lake reflected the wastewater treatment plant as the dominant local source.

2022 Environmental Pollution 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of microplastics in lakes: sources, distribution characteristics, and environmental effects

This review analyzes microplastic pollution in lakes worldwide and finds that contamination levels are higher in shallower lakes near populated areas with more human activity. Microplastics accumulate heavily in lake sediments and can also be trapped in seasonal ice, only to be released during warming periods. Since many communities rely on lakes for drinking water and fishing, understanding how microplastics concentrate in these freshwater systems is critical for protecting public health.

2023 Carbon Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic concentrations, size distribution, and polymer types in the surface waters of a northern European lake

Microplastics were detected in surface waters of a northern European lake, with concentrations, size distributions, and polymer types characterized across multiple sampling sites and seasons. The study adds to growing evidence that even relatively pristine boreal lakes are contaminated with microplastics, likely from atmospheric deposition and tributary inflow.

2019 Water Environment Research 216 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tourism on microplastic pollution amount in Baltic Sea Region lakes

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments from 10 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland across spring, summer, and autumn 2023, finding that tourism pressure in lake catchment areas correlates with elevated microplastic contamination levels.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastic concentrations in water and bottom sediments as a new aspect of ecological monitoring

This study examined the spatial distribution of microplastic particles in the water column and bottom sediments of Lake Ladoga in Russia, using data from 2018-2019. The findings provide baseline data on microplastic contamination in one of Europe's largest freshwater lakes.

2021 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The Fate of Microplastics in Rural Headwater Lake Catchments

Researchers quantified microplastic fluxes over 12 months in three rural headwater lake catchments in Ontario, Canada, using a novel particle balance approach. They found that atmospheric deposition was the dominant source of microplastics entering these remote lakes, and they provided the first observation-based estimates of microplastic residence time in freshwater lakes. The study reveals that even rural areas far from urban centers receive significant microplastic inputs from the atmosphere.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of a freshwater system (Antuã River, Portugal)

This study tracked the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of a freshwater lake, finding seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations and identifying local land use and runoff as key drivers of contamination patterns.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 800 citations
Article Tier 2

Why sampling season and location matter for monitoring micro and mesoplastics on the beach

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution across 11 marine beaches in Latvia over four seasons from autumn 2022 to summer 2023, demonstrating how sampling season and location significantly influence measured pollution levels in the Baltic Sea region due to seasonal weather patterns and local hydrodynamics.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Beneath the Surface: Assessing the Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Microplastics in Lake Champlain and its Tributaries

This study investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in Lake Champlain and its tributaries across multiple seasons, finding MPs in all sampled water and sediment sites. Concentrations were highest near urban tributaries and lower in more remote areas, suggesting land-based runoff as a primary pathway.

2025 SUNY Digital Repository Support (State University of New York System)
Article Tier 2

Plastics in Paradise: Quantifying Microplastics in Lake Champlain Beaches

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics on Lake Champlain beaches, finding contamination at all sampled sites with fragments and fibers as the dominant particle types. The study documents that even inland freshwater shorelines accumulate significant microplastic loads over time.

2025 SUNY Digital Repository Support (State University of New York System)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakes: Distribution patterns and influencing factors

This review analyzed 84 studies across 64 lakes worldwide to understand where microplastics tend to concentrate in freshwater systems. Microplastic levels were highest near areas of heavy human activity and water inflows, and concentrations in lake sediments have been increasing over time, which matters because lakes are important sources of drinking water.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a deep, dimictic lake of the North German Plain with special regard to vertical distribution patterns

Researchers assessed the vertical distribution of microplastics in Lake Tollense, a deep dimictic lake in northern Germany, sampling particles 63-5000 μm at surface, 7 m, and 10 m depths on three occasions. The study found that vertical distribution patterns varied with lake stratification and depth, contributing new data on how physical processes in freshwater lakes influence where microplastics accumulate.

2020 Environmental Pollution 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Research status and prospects of microplastic pollution in lakes

This review systematically covers microplastic pollution research in lakes, including sampling and identification methods, distribution patterns, ecological effects, and knowledge gaps, identifying lakes as important but understudied sinks for microplastic contamination.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater sediment: A review on methods, occurrence, and sources

This review synthesizes methods, occurrence data, and sources of microplastics in freshwater sediments, comparing approaches and providing recommendations for standardized sampling and analysis to fill knowledge gaps relative to marine research.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 480 citations