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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic pollution in riparian soils of the rapidly growing city of Thimphu, Bhutan
ClearMicroplastic Pollution in Riparian Soils of the Rapidly Growing City of Thimphu, Bhutan
Researchers measured microplastic levels in riverside soils throughout Thimphu, Bhutan's rapidly growing capital, and found urban areas had far higher concentrations than rural ones, with blue-colored plastic particles most common and drainage outlets serving as key pollution pathways. The study highlights how fast-growing cities in developing regions can quickly accumulate soil microplastic pollution when waste management lags behind economic growth.
Microplastic contamination is ubiquitous in riparian soils and strongly related to elevation, precipitation and population density
Soil samples along the Yangtze River showed microplastics were present at all sites (mean 3,877 items/kg), with subsoils containing more than topsoils, polyamide as the dominant polymer (32%), and contamination strongly correlated with population density, precipitation, and elevation.
Microplastics contamination in the soil from Urban Landfill site, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in soil samples from an urban landfill site in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They found microplastics in all samples, predominantly fibers and fragments made of polyethylene and polypropylene, with concentrations varying across the landfill. The study provides some of the first evidence of terrestrial microplastic pollution in Bangladesh and identifies urban landfills as significant reservoirs of soil microplastic contamination.
Microplastic diversity, risks and soil impacts: A multi-metric assessment across land-use systems
Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance, polymer diversity, and ecological risk across seven land-use types in India's Brahmaputra Valley, finding that built-up areas had the highest particle counts while forest soils paradoxically showed the greatest polymer hazard scores due to high-risk polymers, and that land-use type shapes both the quantity and composition of soil microplastic contamination.
Distribution of Microplastics in an Urban Soil:The Case of a Medium-Sized Cityin the Central Valley of Chile
Researchers systematically sampled soils across an entire Chilean city and found microplastics at 95% of sampling sites, with plastic fibers making up 68% of the particles detected. The near-universal contamination signals that urban soils are a widespread and underappreciated reservoir of microplastic pollution.
Urban soil microplastic characterization across diverse land use types along the Anyangcheon stream in Seoul, Korea
Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in urban soils along the Anyangcheon stream in Seoul, South Korea, across three different land-use types. They found microplastics at all sampling locations, with variations in abundance and polymer composition between high schools, park playgrounds, and residential areas. The study provides new data on the spatial distribution of soil microplastics in densely populated urban settings and their potential relationship to nearby waterways.
Spatial distribution of microplastics in soil with context to human activities: a case study from the urban center
Researchers mapped the spatial distribution of microplastics in topsoil across different land use types in an urbanized city in the upper Indus plain. They found that agricultural and urban areas had significantly higher microplastic concentrations than less developed areas, with fibers being the dominant particle type. The study links microplastic soil contamination patterns to specific human activities including irrigation with wastewater, plastic mulching, and industrial discharge.
Characteristics of microplastics in tributaries of the upper Brahmaputra River along the Himalayan foothills, India
Researchers measured microplastic levels in surface water and riparian soil near two rural rivers in the Eastern Himalaya foothills of India, finding average water concentrations of 0.14 pieces per cubic meter and soil concentrations of 633 pieces per kilogram dry weight. Fibers were the dominant type, and Micro-Raman spectroscopy identified common synthetic polymer types.
Microplastic occurrence in urban and industrial soils of Ahvaz metropolis: A city with a sustained record of air pollution
Researchers documented microplastic contamination in urban and industrial soils of Ahvaz, Iran for the first time, finding concentrations up to 3,135 particles per kilogram in urban areas, with the highest levels in city centers lacking adequate sanitation infrastructure.
Microplastic pollution in urban green-belt soil in Shihezi City, China
Researchers found microplastic concentrations ranging from 287 to 3,227 particles per kilogram in urban green-belt soils in Shihezi City, China, with fibers dominating and polystyrene and polyethylene as the primary polymer types, pointing to atmospheric deposition and road runoff as key sources.
Characterization of Microplastics and Associated Heavy Metals in Urban Soils Affected by Anthropogenic Littering: Distribution, Spatial Variation, and Influence of Soil Properties
Researchers sampled soils across residential, commercial, and industrial land-use types in urban areas and found microplastics in every location, with polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyamide as the dominant polymer types, at concentrations up to 850,000 particles per kilogram. Heavy metals were also associated with the plastic particles, meaning microplastics in urban soil may serve as combined carriers of chemical toxicants. The findings highlight urban soil as a major but underappreciated reservoir of microplastic pollution.
Microplastic characteristic in the soil across the Tibetan Plateau
Researchers systematically investigated microplastic pollution across the Tibetan Plateau, finding widespread contamination averaging 47 items per kilogram of soil, with fibers predominating and concentrations influenced by proximity to human activities.
A multivariate analysis of microplastics in soils along the headwaters of Yangtze river on the Tibetan Plateau
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soils along the headwaters of the Yangtze River on the Tibetan Plateau. The study found average concentrations of 64 to 89 items per kilogram, with polyethylene films being the most common type, and statistical modeling indicated that population density was the primary driver of microplastic accumulation in these remote highland soils.
Effects of land use on the distribution of soil microplastics in the Lihe River watershed, China
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across five different land use types in a Chinese river watershed. They found that urban soils had the highest microplastic levels, followed by agricultural areas, with woodland having the lowest, and that population density strongly correlated with microplastic diversity. The study suggests that human activity intensity and plastic waste disposal are the main drivers of soil microplastic pollution at the watershed scale.
Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh: a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems
Researchers reviewed the sources, dispersion routes, and environmental consequences of plastic waste across global and Bangladesh-specific contexts, finding that inadequate infrastructure and limited resources make plastic pollution — including microplastics entering agricultural soils, marine environments, and food chains — an especially acute threat in developing countries.
Microplastic Pollution in Residential Soils
Researchers collected surface soil from three residential density zones in Surabaya, Indonesia, and characterized microplastics by abundance, shape, color, and polymer type. Microplastics were present in all samples, with concentrations higher in denser residential areas, likely reflecting greater per-capita plastic use and outdoor plastic degradation.
Pollution Characteristics of Microplastics in Soils in Southeastern Suburbs of Baoding City, China
Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in soils from the southeastern suburbs of Beijing, finding widespread contamination across 12 sampling sites with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms, and highlighting agricultural activities and urban runoff as likely sources. The study contributes soil-ecosystem baseline data to a research area dominated by aquatic microplastic studies.
Microplastics in Sitalakhya River: Distribution and Properties Across Land Uses in Dhaka's Peripheral Waterway
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in the water and bed sediments of the Sitalakhya River on the periphery of Dhaka city, sampling four locations representing commercial, residential, industrial, and agricultural land uses and finding microplastic abundances ranging from 20 to 412 items/kg in sediment and 3 to 38 items/100L in water. The study found that land use type significantly influenced both the abundance and physical characteristics of microplastics, with industrial zones exhibiting the highest contamination levels.
Assessing microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils: Insights from pristine, agricultural, and urban environments
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils including pristine, agricultural, and urban sites to determine whether long-range atmospheric deposition reaches this sparsely populated island. Microplastics were detected across all site types, confirming atmospheric transport as a pathway to remote northern ecosystems.
Microplastics and heavy metal contamination along a land-use gradient in a Himalayan foothill river: Prevalence and controlling factors
Researchers mapped microplastic and heavy metal contamination in a river flowing through India's Himalayan foothills, finding plastic particles at every sampling site. Concentrations were highest near industrial areas and human settlements, with polyethylene and polystyrene being the most common plastic types. The study shows how human activity drives plastic pollution even in relatively remote freshwater environments.
Microplastic Abundance and Characteristics in The Soil Around the Jambi Talang Gulo Landfill
Researchers measured microplastic abundance and characterized particle types in soil surrounding the Talang Gulo landfill in Jambi, Indonesia, finding that the high volume of plastic waste at the facility contributes to elevated microplastic contamination in surrounding soils through environmental weathering and fragmentation.
Microplastics in Urban Soils From Different Land Use Activities of Cyberjaya (Malaysia): Exploring Occurrence, Relationships, Sources and Pollution Level
Researchers surveyed urban soils across five different land uses in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, and found microplastics in all of them, with construction areas showing the highest concentrations. The types of plastic particles varied by location, suggesting that the sources and characteristics of soil microplastic contamination depend on what activities take place in that area.
Analysis of microplastics in soils on the high-altitude area of the Tibetan Plateau: Multiple environmental factors
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau, a remote and sparsely populated region. The study found that microplastic abundance varied with land use, altitude, meteorological conditions, and distance from roads, with greenhouse soils showing the highest concentrations, indicating that even remote high-altitude environments are not free from microplastic pollution.
Quantification and characterization of microplastics (MPs) pollution in peri-uburban agricultural lands of Lahore, Pakistan
Microplastics were quantified and characterized in peri-urban agricultural soil samples from Lahore, Pakistan, collected from four sites, finding widespread MP contamination linked to irrigation with wastewater and proximity to urban plastic use.