Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Introduction to Microfiber Pollution

This introductory chapter provides an overview of microfiber pollution, defining microfibers as secondary microplastics with diameters less than 10 micrometers and lengths of 5–20 mm, and documenting their ubiquitous presence in marine and freshwater environments. The chapter outlines the environmental persistence, ingestion by marine organisms, food chain accumulation potential, and emerging regulatory concern surrounding synthetic microfibers as a class of environmental contaminant.

2024
Article Tier 2

Introduction to Textile Pollution

This introductory chapter examines textile-derived microplastic pollution, reviewing evidence that microfibers are the most commonly found plastic shape inside wild animals, potentially due to their relative environmental abundance and reduced egestion rates compared to other particle shapes. The review covers ingestion across marine mammals, birds, fish, macroinvertebrates, and plankton, and discusses how polymer type, size, and shape influence the degree of biological effects.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibrous microplastics in the environment: Sources, occurrence, impacts, and mitigation strategies

This review provides a comprehensive look at fibrous microplastics, which can make up over 90 percent of microplastics found in some environmental samples. Researchers traced these fibers primarily to synthetic textiles, with laundering being a major release pathway, and documented their presence in water, soil, air, and living organisms. The study emphasizes that fiber-shaped microplastics deserve special attention due to their prevalence and unique potential to cause harm.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibers: a preliminary discussion on their definition and sources

This paper proposes clearer definitions for "microfibers" as a distinct category of microplastics and reviews their major environmental sources, noting that they are found nearly everywhere and released from both synthetic and natural textiles. Clearer terminology is important for comparability across research studies and for developing targeted policy responses to fiber pollution.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 141 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and Ubiquity of Microfibers

This review addresses the sources and ubiquity of microfibers in the environment, arguing for a clearer definition of microfibers as emerging contaminants and synthesizing evidence of their prevalence in freshwater and marine ecosystems globally.

2024
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microfiber Pollutants in Freshwater Ecosystems

This chapter reviews microfiber pollution in freshwater ecosystems, covering sources, environmental distribution, interactions with flora and fauna, and the pathways through which microfibers enter food webs and harm aquatic organisms.

2024
Article Tier 2

Marine Microfiber Pollution

This chapter reviews marine microfiber pollution, covering sources from synthetic textiles and cosmetics, their environmental persistence, abundance as the most common microplastic form, and ecological impacts on marine organisms.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibers: Environmental Problems and Textile Solutions

This review argued that microfibers (long thin plastic particles) are the most numerically abundant type of microplastic in aquatic environments when sampling methods account for their shape, yet they receive less attention than other forms. The authors identified textile production and laundering as primary sources and outlined textile-based solutions including fiber-shedding-resistant fabrics and wastewater filtration.

2022 Microplastics 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of research on migration, distribution, biological effects, and analytical methods of microfibers in the environment

This review examined the environmental distribution, transport pathways, biological effects, and analytical detection methods for microfibers as the most abundant microplastic form in the environment. Microfibers were found in marine, freshwater, atmospheric, and soil environments globally, and laundry effluent and textile industry wastewater were identified as the dominant emission sources.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in the Environment

This book chapter provides a general overview of microplastic pollution, describing the formation, classification, distribution, and environmental fate of plastic particles across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

The Pollution of Atmospheric Microplastics and Their Potential Risks to Humans

This review summarizes what is known about airborne microplastics—tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe—including their sources, distribution, and potential health risks. Fibers are the most common form found in air, and inhalation is an important but underestimated route of human microplastic exposure.

2021 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Environment

This book chapter introduces the growing problem of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment, covering their origins, distribution, and potential impacts. Plastics have transformed modern life but now accumulate throughout ecosystems and the food chain, raising broad environmental and health concerns that are the subject of rapidly growing scientific investigation.

2020 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging microplastics in the environment: Properties, distributions, and impacts

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution, covering the most common types of plastics found in the environment, their physical characteristics, and how they are distributed across water, soil, and air. Researchers summarized the potential harmful effects of microplastics on ecosystems and living organisms. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps that still need to be addressed to fully understand the environmental and health risks of these tiny particles.

2022 Chemosphere 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in the Environment

This review examines the ubiquitous presence of microplastics as emerging environmental pollutants across all major environmental compartments, synthesizing data on their sources, fates, and concentrations over time and space to characterize the scale of global contamination.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Environment

This chapter reviews the sources, distribution, and environmental persistence of microplastics — small plastic debris less than 5 mm — in both marine and terrestrial environments. It provides an accessible overview of how microplastics enter ecosystems and the concerns they raise for wildlife and human health.

2018 22 citations
Review Tier 2

Emerging environmental challenge: a critical review of airborne microplastics

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of airborne microplastic pollution, covering their sources, distribution in indoor and outdoor environments, and potential health effects. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are present in diverse settings from homes to remote mountain regions, with textile fibers being the most common type. The study highlights that understanding the health risks of inhaling these particles remains an urgent research priority.

2024 Environmental Research Communications 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollutants—Potential Impact on Ecosystems

This book chapter reviews the origins, environmental distribution, and ecological impacts of microplastic pollutants across terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems, and discusses current methods for identifying and removing these persistent contaminants.

2024 ACS symposium series 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution

This book chapter provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution, covering the sources, environmental distribution, ecological impacts, and remediation challenges of plastic particles across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics

This overview paper introduced the topic of microplastics — their origins, classification, environmental distribution, and ecological significance — as an entry point into the broader field of plastic pollution science. It contextualizes current research challenges and policy needs.

2024 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Fibrous microplastics released from textiles: Occurrence, fate, and remediation strategies

This review focuses on fibrous microplastics released from synthetic textiles like polyester, which are the most common type of microplastic found in the environment. These fibers are shed during washing and wearing, are too small for most wastewater filters to catch, and persist in ecosystems for long periods. The review warns that data on the long-term health effects of fibrous microplastic exposure in humans is still very limited.

2023 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Status and prospects of atmospheric microplastics: A review of methods, occurrence, composition, source and health risks

This review summarized the sampling methods, occurrence, composition, sources, and health risks of atmospheric microplastics. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are detected both indoors and outdoors, with fibers being the most common shape, and that inhalation represents an important but understudied exposure pathway. The study suggests that atmospheric transport plays a significant role in the global distribution of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastic pollution from origin to environmental impact and remediation approaches

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution, covering their sources from synthetic textiles, cosmetics, and packaging to their fate in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The study critically examines detection techniques, structural and chemical classification methods, and the health risks microplastics pose to organisms including humans.

2025 Discover Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Sources, Distribution and Ecological Implications

This review examines the sources, environmental distribution, and ecological implications of microplastics, which are now found across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments worldwide. The study discusses how these persistent plastic fragments can enter food webs and highlights priorities for future monitoring, risk assessment, and pollution mitigation efforts.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in the Environment

This book chapter provides an overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution as emerging environmental contaminants, describing their formation, persistence in the environment, pathways of biological exposure, and potential toxicity to ecosystems and human health.

2025