Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Study on Water Quality and Trophic Status of Subtropical Cascade Reservoirs in Dongjiang River Basin in Dry Season

Researchers assessed the water quality and nutrient levels (trophic status) of three large reservoirs in China's Dongjiang River Basin during the dry season. These reservoirs supply drinking water to over 40 million people, making water quality monitoring — including for emerging contaminants like microplastics — essential for public health.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Polish freshwater ecosystems: Current state of knowledge and research gaps

This review compiled and compared data on microplastic contamination in Polish freshwater ecosystems, analysing 65 aquatic systems (47 lakes, 13 rivers, and others) based on studies published up to 2024 to identify the current state of knowledge and research gaps.

2025 Journal of Water and Land Development
Systematic Review Tier 1

Forrageando no Antropoceno: explorando as dinâmicas de reservatórios e poluição plástica em organismos de água doce.

This systematic review examines how reservoir construction and plastic pollution affect freshwater organisms. It highlights that microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems threatens the organisms that make up food chains, with potential consequences for the safety of drinking water and freshwater food sources.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Pollution of Beach Sand from Selected Recreational Reservoirs by Microplastics

Researchers analyzed beach sand samples from three recreational reservoirs in southern Poland (Silesian Voivodship) to assess microplastic pollution levels in freshwater beach environments. The study found microplastics present in beach sand across all sampled sites, contributing to evidence that sediments and beach sands serve as long-term microplastic sinks in aquatic environments.

2022 Civil And Environmental Engineering Reports
Article Tier 2

Distribution, risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments and their potential risk on water supply safety of a drinking water reservoir, middle China

Researchers assessed the distribution and risk of heavy metals in reservoir sediments, finding that bio-enrichment and bio-amplification pathways allow sediment-bound metals to enter the food chain and pose potential risks to downstream water supply safety.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Reservoir Ecotoxicology

This textbook introduces the concept of reservoir ecotoxicology — the study of how toxic substances affect artificial lakes and their ecosystems. Reservoirs serve vital functions in water supply and energy production, making understanding contamination in these systems important for public health and environmental management.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study of the Occurrence of Microplastics in the Sediments of the Rzeszów Reservoir Using the Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Method

Sediments in the Rzeszów Reservoir in Poland were found to contain extremely high concentrations of microplastics — up to 120,000 particles per kilogram of dry sediment — with polyurethane as the most prevalent polymer and the highest levels near the reservoir inlet. A polymer hazard index placed all sampled stations in the highest ecotoxicological risk category, underscoring that reservoir sediments can be significant long-term sinks and sources of toxic microplastic exposure for aquatic life.

2023 Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Unseen contaminants in Portuguese reservoirs: linking microplastics to ecological potential and human pressures

Water samples from two Portuguese reservoirs (Rabagão and Aguieira) collected throughout 2023 revealed microplastic contamination correlated with ecological quality indicators and proximity to human pressures, suggesting MPs should be incorporated into freshwater quality assessments.

2025
Article Tier 2

Integrated assessment of the surface source of water supply according to environmental-risk indicators

Researchers assessed surface water quality and environmental health risks in the Dnipro Reservoir watershed using a four-stage risk assessment framework, identifying wastewater discharge, uncontrolled runoff, and bank erosion as major pollution sources. The study quantified health risks from multiple contaminants to support water supply management.

2023 Journal of Geology Geography and Geoecology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of ecological risk for ecosystems caused by dredged materials in freshwater environments

Researchers assessed ecological risks posed by chemical contaminants in dredged freshwater sediments, evaluating metals, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants including microplastics across multiple risk metrics to inform safe disposal and management decisions.

2024 Global Journal of Ecology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Results of interdisciplinary studies of the contamination of Lake Onego water area by microplastic particles

Researchers conducted an interdisciplinary study of microplastic contamination in Lake Onego using seasonal hydrochemical data from 2019 to 2021, mapping the distribution of synthetic polymer particles and associated heavy metals, identifying sources and accumulation zones, and assessing pollution hazard in one of Europe's largest lakes.

2023 Proceedings of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological disturbances and abundance of anthropogenic pollutants in the aquatic ecosystem: Critical review of impact assessment on the aquatic animals.

This critical review assessed the ecological disturbances caused by anthropogenic pollutants including microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, examining uptake, accumulation, and biological effects across invertebrate and vertebrate species, and identifying gaps in understanding of long-term ecotoxicological impacts at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2023 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Unseen contaminants in Portuguese reservoirs: linking microplastics to ecological potential and human pressures

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in two Portuguese reservoirs and found MPs present in both, predominantly as fibers with polyethylene and polyester being the most common polymer types. The Rabagao reservoir had significantly higher contamination levels than Aguieira, with the highest concentrations found near dam structures. The study links microplastic abundance to anthropogenic pressures including aquaculture, wastewater discharges, and recreational activities.

2025 Frontiers in Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Status of Surface Waters in the Sącz Agglomeration Based on Physicochemical Parameter Studies

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reports physicochemical water quality measurements (heavy metals, suspended solids, pesticides) in rivers near the Sącz agglomeration in Poland, with no focus on plastic pollution.

2026 Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska
Article Tier 2

Physico-chemical profile of historical Ramala Water Reservoir of Chandrapur Maharashtra

Researchers examined the physico-chemical profile of the Ramala Water Reservoir in Chandrapur, India, collecting water samples monthly from November 2020 to March 2021. They found that most parameters remained within permissible limits, though elevated phosphate and nitrate levels, along with significant eutrophication, were observed, concluding the water was suitable for human consumption and fisheries.

2022 World Journal of Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Water and Sediment Chemistry as Drivers of Macroinvertebrates and Fish Assemblages in Littoral Zones of Subtropical Reservoirs

This paper is not about microplastic pollution. It examines how water chemistry and sediment metal concentrations drive macroinvertebrate and fish communities in the littoral zones of three subtropical reservoirs in South Africa, finding that anthropogenic activities like car washing and wastewater treatment contribute metals to the sediments.

2023 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution Patterns and Water Quality in the Water Area of the Tsimlyanskoye Reservoir in the Modern Period

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution patterns and water quality in Tsimlyanskoye Reservoir in Russia, characterizing spatial variation in particle abundance and composition across the reservoir's water area in the current period.

2024 Успехи современного естествознания (Advances in Current Natural Sciences)
Article Tier 2

Emerging Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Effects, and Mitigation Approaches

This study explores emerging pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, including drug residues, pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics, examining their sources and ecological impacts. Researchers found that these contaminants accumulate in water bodies through industrial and agricultural pathways and may affect human health through the food chain. The study highlights the need for better monitoring technologies and integrated management strategies to protect water quality.

2024 International Journal of Aquaculture 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Heavy Metals in Lake Water and Sediments on Bottom Invertebrates Inhabiting the Brackish Coastal Lake Łebsko on the Southern Baltic Coast

This study measured heavy metals in water and sediments of a brackish coastal lake in Poland and assessed their effects on bottom-dwelling invertebrate communities. While focused on heavy metal pollution, the research methodology and findings are relevant to the broader challenge of monitoring multiple co-occurring contaminants including microplastics in coastal lake environments.

2020 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and ecological risk assessment of a pond ecosystem

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in a freshwater pond in Turkey, finding particles at all five sampling stations across multiple size classes. The study contributes baseline data on microplastic pollution in inland freshwater ecosystems in the region, where such monitoring is still limited despite the potential for drinking water and wildlife exposure.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Sediments of Xinfengjiang Reservoir in South China: Levels, Source Identification and Health Risk Assessment

Sediments in China's largest drinking water reservoir contained elevated levels of heavy metals including cadmium and arsenic, primarily from upstream agricultural and mining activities. This finding is concerning because microplastics in the same sediment can adsorb and concentrate these toxic metals, compounding contamination risks.

2020 Applied Environmental Biotechnology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination assessment in water and economic fishes in different trophic guilds from an urban water supply reservoir after flooding

Microplastic contamination was assessed in water and economically important fish from an urban reservoir after flooding, with flood events significantly increasing microplastic concentrations and affecting distribution across trophic guilds, highlighting how flood pulses transport and redistribute plastic pollution in drinking water systems.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and fish from a large recreational lake

Researchers surveyed microplastics in water, sediment, and fish from a large recreational lake in China, finding MPs across all sampled compartments with higher concentrations near tourist facilities and boat launch areas, raising concerns about human exposure through lake recreation and consumption of contaminated fish.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Lake sediments as microplastic sink: The case of three lakes from Northern and Central Poland

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in bottom sediments from three lakes in northern and central Poland with low surrounding human activity, finding between 4 and 21 microplastic particles per kilogram of wet sediment. These values were low compared to lakes in urbanized areas, suggesting anthropogenic pressure significantly drives sediment microplastic accumulation.

2024 Quaestiones Geographicae 4 citations