Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

The urban microplastic footprint: investigating the distribution and transport

Researchers investigated the distribution and transport of microplastics within an urban environment, mapping the 'urban microplastic footprint' to understand how city infrastructure and land use patterns drive the spatial distribution and downstream export of plastic particles to receiving water bodies.

2025
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban runoff: Global occurrence and fate

This review examines global microplastic occurrence in urban runoff, finding concentrations up to 8,580 particles per liter, and highlights critical gaps in understanding microplastic mobilization, transport, and flux from urban environments to waterways.

2022 Water Research 187 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and tyre wear particles in urban runoff from different urban surfaces

Researchers measured microplastics and tire wear particles in stormwater runoff from roads, parking lots, and rooftops in Sweden. They found that road runoff carried the highest concentrations by far, with large variations between rainfall events. The findings highlight urban roads as a major source of microplastic pollution entering nearby waterways through stormwater.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributing to the assessment of the impact of urban activities on microplastic transport through air and runoff infiltration

Researchers investigated the contribution of urban activities to microplastic transport through both airborne pathways and stormwater runoff infiltration, quantifying plastic particle fluxes in an urban watershed. The study found that road surfaces, construction materials, and tire wear were significant urban sources, with rainfall events mobilizing microplastics into both air and subsurface water.

2024 theses.fr (ABES) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in stormwater runoff: case study Vitsippsbäcken

This Swedish thesis quantified microplastic concentrations in stormwater runoff from a small urban catchment, finding that stormwater is a significant pathway for delivering microplastics to freshwater systems. Urban stormwater runoff is increasingly recognized as a major and underregulated source of microplastic pollution.

2018
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in an urban area: a case study in Greater Paris

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across Greater Paris, finding that urban areas generate and accumulate substantial microplastic pollution through multiple pathways including stormwater, atmospheric deposition, and river transport.

2015 Environmental Chemistry 1661 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Micropollutants in Urban Water Run-off

This study investigates the quality of urban stormwater runoff, focusing on concentrations of micropollutants including heavy metals and microplastics. The research evaluates how runoff from urban surfaces contaminates both groundwater and surface water, and assesses current stormwater management strategies in cities.

2023 International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM ...
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Presence, Aging, and Potential Sources in Urban Runoff in a Large Piedmont Metropolitan Area: Polymer-Type-Specific Analysis

Scientists found over 20,000 tiny plastic particles in rainwater runoff from a large metropolitan area, with the plastics coming from both local sources like degraded items on the ground and particles falling from the atmosphere. These microplastics can end up in our water supply and food chain, potentially affecting human health. The study helps identify where these harmful plastic particles come from in big cities, which is important for finding ways to reduce our exposure to them.

2026 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic transport and distribution in the urban environment of Coimbra municipality

Researchers tracked microplastic transport and distribution across five urban watersheds in Coimbra, Portugal, sampling atmospheric deposition, runoff, and streams before and during rainfall. Wet deposition carried more MPs than dry deposition, stream concentrations nearly doubled during rain events, and more urbanized, smaller watersheds had higher MP loads.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Abundance, Distribution and Drivers of Microplastic Contaminant in Urban River Environments

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in urban river environments and identified key drivers of accumulation hotspots, finding that land use, hydrology, and infrastructure factors concentrated microplastics at predictable locations that could inform targeted management interventions.

2018 Preprints.org 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation of Microplastics from the Effluent of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant and from its Natural Receptor

Researchers characterized microplastics in effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and in the receiving Jiu River in Romania, both upstream and downstream of the discharge point. The results show that even treated wastewater carries microplastics into surface waters, contributing to river contamination.

2022 Materiale Plastice 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 ACS ES&T Water 312 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

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.

2024 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban water systems, Tehran Metropolitan, Iran

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across Tehran's urban water systems, including runoff, drinking water, groundwater, rivers, and wastewater effluent. They found microplastics present in all parts of the system, with residential and commercial runoff showing the highest concentrations. The study revealed that different land use types influenced the amount and characteristics of microplastic pollution, suggesting that urbanization patterns play a significant role in water contamination.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of Microplastic Pollution Characteristics in Global Urban Freshwater Catchments

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic pollution characteristics in urban freshwater catchments worldwide, examining sources, concentrations, and transport pathways from terrestrial to marine environments. Researchers found that human activities are the fundamental driver of microplastic pollution and that freshwater catchments serve as critical conduits for microplastic transfer to oceans.

2022 Advances in human services and public health (AHSPH) book series
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in urban catchments: Review of sources, pathways, and entry into stormwater

This review examines microplastic sources, transport pathways, and entry mechanisms into urban stormwater systems, identifying atmospheric deposition, tire and road wear particles, and micro-litter as major contributors and highlighting the need for improved source control strategies.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Is road pavement wear a source of microplastics in stormwater runoff?

This study investigated whether road pavement wear is a measurable source of microplastics in stormwater runoff, distinct from the better-characterized tire wear contribution. Pavement-derived particles were identified in stormwater samples, confirming that road surface material itself contributes to microplastic loading in urban runoff alongside tire wear and other sources.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)