Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Reservoir sediments in central Europe as archives of human-environmental interaction during the past 115 years - the example of the Urft Reservoir

Researchers used sediment cores from the Urft Reservoir in Germany spanning 115 years to reconstruct how mining, land-use change, and industrial activity have shaped regional environmental contamination, including the emergence of microplastics in more recent sediment layers.

2024
Article Tier 2

115 years of sediment deposition in the Urft reservoir (Eifel Mountains, western Germany)

Scientists analyzed 115 years of sediment layers in a German reservoir to track how industrial and human activities have changed environmental conditions over time. Sediment archives like this can reveal when microplastics first appeared in the environment and how their concentrations have changed.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene – a case study on reservoir sediments in Central Europe

Researchers analyzed sediment cores from Central European reservoirs to reconstruct a century of changing sediment fluxes, heavy metal contamination, and microplastic inputs linked to human land use change and climate-driven erosion. Microplastics appeared in cores beginning in the mid-20th century, with accelerating accumulation rates tracking regional industrialization and plastic production growth.

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

Retrospective trend analysis of biocides in suspended particulate matter of major German rivers

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of biocide contamination in suspended particles from major German rivers over two decades. While this study focused on chemical biocides rather than microplastics specifically, the findings provide context for understanding how persistent pollutants accumulate on particulate matter in waterways. The results revealed distinct temporal trends for different biocide classes, highlighting the value of long-term environmental specimen banking for monitoring emerging contaminants.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Time-varying microplastic contributions of a large urban and industrial area to river sediments

Researchers analyzed dated sediment cores from upstream and downstream of a large city to track microplastic pollution trends from the 1980s to 2021. They found that downstream contamination was roughly ten times higher than upstream, but that industrial-source plastics showed a relative decline since the 2000s. The study provides rare long-term historical data suggesting that some pollution reduction policies may be having a measurable effect.

2024 Environmental Pollution 20 citations
Article Tier 2

210Pb chronology in sediment cores evidencing the historical pollution of microplastics in reservoirs in the São Paulo State, Brazil

Using radioactive lead dating of sediment cores, researchers traced a 50-year history of microplastic accumulation in São Paulo reservoirs, showing contamination increased sharply after the 1970s as plastic production scaled up.

2023
Article Tier 2

Tracing history of pollution by pre-production plastic pellets and changes in environmental regulations by using coastal sediment archives

Researchers used radiometric dating of coastal sediment cores combined with microplastic extraction from successive core intervals to reconstruct a historical record of pre-production plastic pellet pollution and assess how changes in environmental regulations have influenced accumulation rates over time. The study linked temporal patterns in pellet deposition to specific regulatory milestones, demonstrating that marine sediment archives preserve a datable record of industrial plastic pollution history.

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

Temporal distribution of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in four marine species from the Atlantic coast (France)

Researchers examined how microplastic and other anthropogenic particle abundances in lake sediments have changed over time using sediment cores, linking increases to historical industrialization and urbanization. The temporal record provides context for understanding how plastic pollution has accelerated in recent decades.

2024 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Historical trends of microplastic pollution in the Seine River (France) from 1960 to 2020 through the study of sedimentary archives

Researchers reconstructed the historical trend of microplastic pollution in the Seine River basin from 1960 to 2020 by analyzing sedimentary archives, using sediment cores as long-term records to track how contamination levels have changed upstream of Paris over six decades.

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

Historical trends of microplastic pollution in the Seine River (France) from 1960 to 2020 through the study of sedimentary archives

Researchers reconstructed the spatial and temporal history of microplastic pollution in the Seine River basin from 1960 to 2020 using sedimentary archives, characterizing contamination trends across the watershed to provide a long-term pollution record for a major European river system.

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

Sediment profiles and recording the effects of anthropogenic activities

Sediment core profiles were used to record the historical accumulation of anthropogenic pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic compounds in a coastal environment. The stratigraphy provides a timeline of pollution linked to industrialization and population growth.

2024 IntechOpen eBooks
Article Tier 2

Tracing the Anthropocene through microplastic sedimentary records: Drivers and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Baiyangdian Lake, North China

Scientists found that tiny plastic pieces in lake sediment can track how human activities have changed over the past 80 years, with plastic pollution spiking after dam construction in 1963 and again around 2000 due to increased development. The study shows that microplastics are now everywhere in our environment, even in protected nature areas, though at lower levels than in more developed zones. This matters because these tiny plastics can enter our food and water supply, and understanding where they accumulate most helps us better protect both ecosystems and human health.

2026
Article Tier 2

Chronological evidence of microplastic accumulation and contamination onset in Central Baltic Sea sediments

Analysis of well-preserved Baltic Sea sediment cores revealed a 50-year chronological record of microplastic accumulation, showing contamination onset in the mid-20th century with accelerating deposition in recent decades.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Unveiling historical suspended sediment concentrations: Tracing microplastics and microfibers in a mediterranean lowland river

Researchers examined historical suspended sediment samples from a Mediterranean river catchment for microplastics, establishing a baseline of contamination dating back to 2005 and tracking changes over the study period. The retrospective analysis revealed that microplastic concentrations in riverine sediment have increased over time.

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

Human activities affect the multidecadal microplastic deposition records in a subtropical urban lake, China

Researchers analyzed sediment cores from a subtropical urban lake in China to reconstruct 64 years of microplastic deposition history. They found that microplastic concentrations in the sediment increased significantly over the decades, correlating closely with urbanization, population growth, and economic development. The study provides evidence that human activities are the primary driver of long-term microplastic accumulation in freshwater lake environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Lake sedimentary archives of medieval mining and smelting in Sweden : tracking environmental changes from site to landscape

This thesis used lake sediment records to track environmental changes caused by medieval mining and smelting in Sweden, demonstrating that human-caused pollution predates the industrial era. The research contextualizes modern microplastic pollution within a longer history of human environmental impact.

2019 DiVA at Umeå University (Umeå University)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Sediment Cores from Asia and Africa as Indicators of Temporal Trends in Plastic Pollution

By extracting microplastics from dated sediment cores in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Africa, researchers reconstructed the historical increase in plastic pollution over decades. The study shows that microplastic accumulation in sediments tracks the global rise in plastic production, making sediment cores a useful record of pollution history.

2017 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 438 citations
Article Tier 2

A temporal record of microplastic accumulation in sediment cores of the Great Lakes, North America, reflects macroeconomic and regional influences

Researchers analyzed sediment cores from Lake Huron and Lake Ontario spanning several decades to track historical trends in microplastic accumulation in the Great Lakes. They found that microplastic levels increased steadily from the 1960s through the late 1980s, mirroring global plastic production rates, with subsequent fluctuations reflecting economic shifts and regional factors. The study demonstrates that lake sediment records can serve as proxies for tracking both global and local changes in plastic pollution over time.

2024 FACETS 10 citations
Article Tier 2

210Pb chronology assessing the historical microplastics dynamics and aging effects in urban areas with separate sewer systems and multiple-use reservoir

By examining sediment cores dated using radioactive lead (Pb-210), researchers reconstructed decades of microplastic accumulation history in an urban Brazilian river basin. The record showed that microplastic levels dropped after wastewater treatment plants were built after 2006 — but tire wear particle concentrations kept rising as vehicle numbers grew, reaching extremely high levels. The study demonstrates that different types of microplastics have different pollution drivers, and that improving sewage treatment alone is insufficient to address the full scope of plastic contamination in urban waterways.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic inventory in sediment profile: A case study of Golden Horn Estuary, Sea of Marmara

Researchers analyzed a 105 cm sediment core from the Golden Horn Estuary using radiodating, finding that over 90% of accumulated microplastics were buried below 15 cm, that MP pollution predated 1950, and peaked in the 1980s coinciding with peak global plastic production.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Decadal changes in microplastic accumulation in freshwater sediments: Evaluating influencing factors

Researchers analyzed decadal trends in microplastic accumulation using freshwater sediment cores, examining how land use, hydrological factors, and global plastic production influenced deposition over time. Microplastic concentrations increased consistently across cores, with local factors modulating the rate of accumulation at individual sites.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracing history of pollution by pre-production plastic pellets and changes in environmental regulations by using coastal sediment archives

Researchers collected dated sediment cores from the Hakefjord near Stenungsund on the Swedish west coast, a location adjacent to Sweden's largest polyethylene and PVC pellet production facilities, to reconstruct the historical accumulation of pre-production plastic pellets using radiometric dating. They found that pellet accumulation in sediments has tracked production increases since 1963, with approximately 0.75 million tonnes of polyethylene pellets now produced yearly at the site, and used sediment archives to trace the influence of changing environmental regulations.

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

New developments in paleo-ecotoxicology: Emerging approaches in applying lake sediment archives to assess impacts from aquatic pollution

This review examines how lake sediment archives (paleolimnology) can be used to reconstruct historical trends in aquatic pollution impacts, including how contaminant exposure has driven shifts in biological communities over decades. It discusses emerging analytical methods including microplastic analysis in dated sediment cores as tools for assessing long-term ecological change.

2025 Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health