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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Significant regional disparities in riverine microplastics
ClearOccurrence of microplastic pollution in rivers globally: Driving factors of distribution and ecological risk assessment
Researchers constructed a global dataset of microplastic pollution across 862 river water and 445 sediment samples, identifying population density, GDP, and plastic waste generation as key driving factors of riverine microplastic distribution and ecological risk.
Identification of methodological biases to assess global levels of microplastic pollution in rivers
Scientists analyzed over 7,500 water samples from rivers worldwide and found that different testing methods were giving misleading results about microplastic pollution levels. After correcting for these testing flaws, they discovered some areas have much higher plastic contamination than previously thought, while others have less. This matters because microplastics in rivers can end up in our drinking water and food supply, so getting accurate pollution measurements is crucial for protecting human health.
A Comprehensive Review of MP Pollution in Global Rivers: Distribution Patterns and Fluvial Transport Dynamics
A global review of microplastic pollution in river sediments found the highest concentrations in Africa and Asia, with wastewater treatment plants, industrial discharges, and urban runoff as the primary sources, and rivers transporting an estimated 70–80% of land-based plastic waste to the oceans. This synthesis underscores that rivers are critical intervention points for reducing the flow of microplastics into marine ecosystems.
Microplastics pollution in selected rivers from Southeast Asia
Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in rivers across Southeast Asia, a region with high plastic waste discharge but limited monitoring data, documenting the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in these understudied waterways.
Riverine macroplastic gradient along watercourses: A global overview
Researchers conducted a global overview of macroplastic pollution gradients along river systems, from upper reaches to lower stretches. The study found that plastic concentrations generally increase downstream, driven by population density and urbanization, and highlighted that upper and middle river zones have been largely overlooked in previous research.
Microplastics in Asian rivers: Geographical distribution, most detected types, and inconsistency in methodologies
A systematic review of 228 studies on microplastics in Asian rivers found polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET as the dominant polymers, primarily as fibers and fragments, with research concentrated in China and Japan. The diversity of sampling methods and reporting metrics across studies complicates comparative analysis, underscoring the need for standardized analytical frameworks in the region.
A review on microplastics in major European rivers
This review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in six major European rivers, finding polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene as the most common types. The researchers noted significant inconsistencies between studies due to different sampling and analysis methods, making it difficult to compare results or assess true contamination levels. Standardizing how scientists measure microplastics in rivers is essential for understanding the real scope of contamination in European freshwater supplies.
A multidimensional approach for microplastics monitoring in two major tropical river basins, Malaysia
Researchers conducted a multidimensional assessment of microplastic distribution in surface waters of two major Malaysian river basins, providing much-needed field data on microplastic emissions from Asian rivers known to be major contributors to ocean pollution.
Assessment of Different Sampling, Sample Preparation and Analysis Methods Addressing Microplastic Concentration and Transport in Medium and Large Rivers Based on Research in the Danube River Basin
Monitoring microplastics in rivers is hampered by the lack of standardized methods, making it difficult to compare results across studies. This research tested three common sampling approaches on the Danube River and its tributaries, finding that each method produced meaningfully different estimates of microplastic concentrations and transport. The results underscore the urgent need for agreed-upon protocols so that data from different countries and research groups can be reliably combined to track river-to-ocean plastic pollution.
A Regional Difference Analysis of Microplastic Pollution in Global Freshwater Bodies Based on a Regression Model
Analysis of microplastic data from 37 freshwater locations worldwide found pollution is highest in Asia, that developing countries have more contamination than developed ones, and that urban areas exceed rural areas. Population density and GDP both correlated with microplastic concentrations, confirming human activity as the primary driver.
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.
Microplastics in the riverine environment: Meta-analysis and quality criteria for developing robust field sampling procedures
This meta-analysis reviews how microplastics are sampled in rivers and finds that current methods are inconsistent, making it hard to compare results across studies. Better standardized sampling approaches are needed to accurately measure how much microplastic pollution flows through rivers that supply drinking water to communities.
Microplastics in water: occurrence, detection, and impacts – a comprehensive review of multiple studies
This comprehensive review synthesized current knowledge on microplastic occurrence, detection methods, and impacts across marine, freshwater, and remote aquatic ecosystems. Researchers highlighted that microplastic concentrations are particularly high in urban rivers, transported through runoff, atmospheric deposition, and river input. The review identifies critical research gaps including the need for standardized detection methods and more studies on chronic human exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.
Baseline Study on Microplastics in Indian Rivers under Different Anthropogenic Influences
Researchers collected microplastic samples from Indian rivers under different levels of anthropogenic influence and found MPs in all sites, with concentrations correlating with population density and industrial activity, providing one of the first systematic field datasets for major Indian river systems.
A comparative review of microplastics in lake systems from different countries and regions
Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination data from lake systems across multiple countries, finding that abundance, size, and polymer type varied widely by region and identifying land use, population density, and hydrological connectivity as key drivers of lake microplastic levels.
Hydro-geomorphic perspectives on microplastic distribution in freshwater river systems: A critical review
This critical review examined 92 case studies on microplastic distribution in freshwater river systems and highlighted major gaps in how researchers quantify and compare pollution levels. The study found that spatiotemporal aspects and transport mechanisms linking microplastic sources and sinks are insufficiently understood. Researchers developed a new procedure for comparing microplastic measurements across water and sediment samples, offering a path toward more standardized pollution assessment.
Microplastics as a contaminant in Indian riverine system: a review
This systematic review examines microplastic contamination across India's river systems, documenting the types, sources, and concentrations of plastic particles found in major waterways. The findings are concerning for human health because these rivers provide drinking water and irrigation for hundreds of millions of people, creating widespread potential exposure to microplastics.
Global Trends in Research on Microplastic Contamination and River Water Quality: A Bibliometric Review
Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of global research trends on microplastic contamination and river water quality, mapping publication growth, geographic distribution of research, and key research themes from the scientific literature. The analysis reveals rapid growth in research volume with a geographic concentration in China and Europe.
Global plastic export by rivers: large differences in trends between microplastics and macroplastics
A global analysis modeled river export of both micro- and macroplastics to the sea, finding large divergences in trends between the two size classes and highlighting that models focused solely on macroplastics significantly underestimate total riverine plastic inputs to the ocean.
Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling
Researchers analyzed microplastic concentrations reported across 196 studies from 49 countries and found that levels in soils, sediments, and surface water can vary by up to eight orders of magnitude. The study suggests that inland sources like urban stormwater carry concentrations up to 100 times higher than rivers transporting microplastics to coastal areas, and that only 20% of studies captured particles below 20 micrometers, meaning actual contamination may be significantly underestimated.
Assessing small-scale freshwater microplastics pollution, land-use, source-to-sink conduits, and pollution risks: Perspectives from Japanese rivers polluted with microplastics
Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in four small-scale Japanese rivers flowing into the Sea of Japan and Seto Inland Sea. The study found that these small rivers were more heavily polluted than many larger rivers worldwide, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester fibers dominating, suggesting that small-scale rivers are significant but often overlooked conduits transporting land-based microplastics to marine environments.
Population density and agricultural land cover influence microplastic concentrations in river sediments
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in river sediments across nine Mid-Atlantic US watersheds and compared findings from 18 countries, finding no consistent longitudinal trend from headwaters to downstream reaches, but identifying population density and agricultural land cover as significant positive predictors of MP accumulation at a global scale.
Standardization of monitoring data reassesses spatial distribution of aquatic microplastics concentrations worldwide
Researchers created a new method to standardize microplastic measurements across different studies worldwide, enabling accurate comparisons for the first time. After applying the correction, they found that North America had the highest average microplastic concentrations in fresh water, and that contamination levels closely tracked human development indicators. This standardized approach is an important step toward understanding the true scale of microplastic pollution in the water people use.
A comparative analysis of global models for riverine plastic input to the ocean
Researchers compared existing global models estimating riverine plastic input to the ocean, identifying key sources of divergence including the number of rivers modelled, item-to-mass conversion factors, and extrapolation methods from microplastic to macroplastic estimates. The comparative analysis highlighted that modelling choices lead to substantial uncertainty in global plastic flux estimates, underscoring the need for a standardised science-policy framework to evaluate plastic pollution mitigation.