Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Dynamics of plastic debris and its density change between river compartments in the Tuul River system, Mongolia

Researchers investigated the migration dynamics and aging of plastic debris between floodplain, surface water, and sediment compartments of the Tuul River in Mongolia. The study characterized plastic occurrence by abundance, size, shape, polymer type, and photodegradation across river compartments to understand how plastic properties change during transport.

2024
Article Tier 2

The microplastic dynamics between river surface water and sediment compartments

Researchers monitored microplastic distribution in surface water and bottom sediments along an urban river in Japan in August 2022 and 2023, tracking how floating microplastics transported downstream by river flow are deposited into bed sediments. The study aimed to elucidate the exchange dynamics between water column and sediment compartments that account for the discrepancy between observed riverine plastic loads and expected ocean inputs.

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

Changes in distribution and types of plastic debris in urban river shores, Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia

Researchers surveyed plastic debris along the Tuul River shoreline in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, finding that microplastics comprised 63% of debris by count, with polystyrene foam dominating micro- and meso-sized fractions (99% and 72% respectively) and fiber and foam abundance increasing from upstream to downstream, reflecting urbanization patterns.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of plastic debris and its density change between river compartments in the Tuul River system, Mongolia

This study tracked the dynamics of plastic debris density changes as material moves between river compartments — from riverbanks to surface water to riverbed — finding that weathering progressively increases apparent density and causes particles to sink. Density change is a key driver of plastic fate in river systems.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of microplastics in urban rivers under varying hydrological regimes

Monitoring of urban rivers showed that microplastic concentrations fluctuate significantly with varying hydrological conditions such as storm events and seasonal flow changes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for accurately characterizing the river microplastic load and its variability over time.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of flow on the amount, retention and loss of plastic pollution in an urban river

Researchers sampled both microplastics and macroplastics at four sites along an urban river in Ontario, Canada during normal flow and storm conditions. The study found that storm events significantly influence plastic transport dynamics, with flow conditions affecting how much plastic pollution is retained in or flushed through urban river systems toward downstream water bodies.

2025 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of seasonal variation and resuspension on microplastics in river sediments

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in river sediments across multiple seasons and examined the role of resuspension events, finding that MP levels varied significantly by season and that high-flow events released previously deposited particles, redistributing contamination downstream.

2021 Environmental Pollution 214 citations
Article Tier 2

High spatiotemporal resolution analysis on suspended sediment and microplastic transport of a lowland river

Researchers conducted dense spatial and time-series monitoring of microplastic and suspended sediment transport along Hungary's Tisza River, finding that microplastic concentrations closely tracked sediment levels during floods but diverged during low water. Most detected particles were fibers likely from wastewater, and the data showed that floods, tributaries, and river dams all influence how microplastics move through river systems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive review of the co-transport of microplastics and suspended sediments in aquatic environments: macroscopic transport and microscopic mechanisms

Researchers reviewed how microplastics and suspended sediments interact and travel together through rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, identifying water flow conditions, particle density, and plastic shape as key factors governing their joint migration and deposition. Understanding these co-transport dynamics is essential for predicting where microplastics accumulate and assessing their ecological risks.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe
Article Tier 2

Microplastic clouds in rivers: spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastic pollution in a fluvial system

Researchers tracked microplastic concentrations along 750 kilometers of the Tisza River over three years, finding that floods flush stored sediments — and the microplastics trapped in them — downstream in distinct "clouds" of pollution. Average microplastic concentrations more than doubled from 2021 to 2023, underscoring that flood events dramatically accelerate microplastic transport in river systems.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Sinks and sources: Assessing microplastic abundance in river sediment and deposit feeders in an Austral temperate urban river system

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance in river sediments and depositional zones, finding that sediment acts as both a sink and a temporary source, with stored microplastics re-mobilized during high-flow events.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 477 citations
Article Tier 2

Storm Response of Fluvial Sedimentary Microplastics

Researchers investigated how storm events affect microplastic concentrations in river sediments, finding that flood conditions remobilize stored particles and significantly increase microplastic loads in fluvial systems. The study identified key physical controls on microplastic storage and transport in river channels.

2020 Scientific Reports 129 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in surface water of typical urban rivers in North China, risk assessment and influencing factors

Researchers measured microplastic levels in two urban rivers in North China across wet and dry seasons and found that concentrations generally increased from upstream to downstream. The most common plastics were polyethylene and polypropylene fibers, with natural factors dominating upstream and human activities driving pollution downstream. The study provides a reference for understanding how urbanization contributes to microplastic contamination in river systems.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and their abundance along rivers are determined by land uses and sediment granulometry

Researchers studied two river watersheds and found that microplastics were widespread in both water and sediment, with concentrations in water rising alongside increased urban land use. Interestingly, microplastics trapped in sediment were more influenced by the grain size of the riverbed than by human activity. The findings suggest that both human factors and natural river characteristics work together to shape where microplastics end up in freshwater systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 29 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

Spatio and temporal dynamics of microplastic fluxes within the watercourses of a peri-urban watershed

Researchers tracked the spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastic fluxes within a river catchment over time, linking plastic transport patterns to land use activities. The study found that land use type is a key driver of when and how much microplastic enters and moves through watercourses.

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

Investigation of microplastics in urban rivers of Eastern China in summer: abundance, characteristics and ecological risk assessment

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were investigated in urban rivers in Eastern China during summer 2023, covering both the plum rain and typhoon rain seasons. The Qinhuai River showed average concentrations of 470 items per liter, with the highest abundance of 484 items per liter at downstream sites, increasing with water flow.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal assessment and characterization of microplastics in two urban (Balu) and peri-urban (Shitalakshya) rivers of Bangladesh

This study assessed microplastic contamination in the Shitalakshya and Balu rivers of Bangladesh across seasons, finding that sediments contained far higher concentrations than water samples, with the Balu River reaching up to 5,673 MPs per kg of dry sediment during the dry season.

2025 RSC Advances
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems - influence of river runoff on microplastic concentrations

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in the subsurface water of the River Tollense in Germany, measuring particle concentrations (above 20 µm) and correlating levels with hydrological parameters including discharge and flow velocity. They detected a mean transport of 648 particles per second at measured discharge rates, finding that river runoff characteristics significantly influenced microplastic export from the catchment.

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

How flooding rivers deliver plastic to the ocean: A case study of microplastic and mesoplastic load–discharge relationships

A field study tracked how a flooding river delivered plastic debris to the ocean, mapping the rapid transport of macroplastics and microplastics during a high-flow event. The research shows that floods are major episodic drivers of plastic export from land to sea, contributing disproportionately to ocean plastic budgets.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of biofilm and hydrodynamics on the fate of microplastic particles in rivers: an experimental study

Researchers conducted experimental flume studies to investigate how biofilm formation and hydrodynamic conditions jointly govern microplastic particle fate in rivers, examining why some urbanized and industrialized river reaches show no significant upstream-to-downstream increase in microplastic concentration despite theoretical inputs.

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

Water or sediment? Assessing seasonal microplastic accumulation from wastewater treatment works

Researchers assessed seasonal microplastic accumulation in two subtropical South African rivers relative to wastewater treatment works, finding that seasonal differences were more pronounced in sediment than in water and that elevated pollution loads were present even upstream of treatment facilities.

2023 H2Open Journal 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems - influence of river runoff on microplastic concentrations

Researchers investigated the presence and characteristics of microplastic pollution in the subsurface waters of the Tollense River in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, examining how river runoff volumes and hydrodynamic conditions influence microplastic concentrations and transport. The study found that runoff events were a key driver of temporal variability in microplastic loads, highlighting the importance of hydrological dynamics in understanding microplastic export from freshwater catchments to the marine environment.

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

[Composition and Distribution of Microplastics in the Water and Sediments of Urban Rivers in Beijing].

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in water and sediments from eight sampling points along urban rivers in Beijing. Microplastics were widespread, with fibers being the most common type, likely from laundry and textile sources. Urban rivers are important conduits that transport microplastics from cities into larger water bodies and ultimately the ocean.

2021 PubMed 1 citations