Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Protocol for Riverine Macroplastic Monitoring: Long-term and Cost-effective Monitoring of Riverine Plastic Debris Pollution in the Lower Mekong River

This protocol document establishes standardized methods for monitoring macroplastic debris in the Mekong River — identified as one of the world's top plastic-contributing rivers to the ocean. Reliable long-term monitoring data is foundational for understanding riverine plastic transport and designing effective reduction interventions.

2023
Article Tier 2

Protocol for Microplastic Monitoring in Fish

Researchers developed a standardized protocol for monitoring microplastics in fish in the Mekong River Basin, responding to evidence that the Mekong is among the ten rivers contributing over 90% of plastic debris to the global marine environment.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in riverine systems: Recommendations for standardized sampling, separation, digestion and characterization

This paper provides standardized recommendations for microplastic sampling, separation, digestion, and characterization protocols in riverine systems, addressing methodological inconsistency that limits cross-study comparability. The authors propose harmonized operating procedures for field sampling and laboratory analysis to improve the reliability and comparability of microplastic data across river studies globally.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Riverine Plastic Pollution: Field Sampling Protocol and Implementation in U.S. Rivers

This paper presents a standardized field sampling protocol for measuring plastic pollution in U.S. rivers. Consistent methodology is essential for comparing data across studies and is designed to capture both surface and submerged plastics including microplastics in riverine systems.

2023
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 APN Science Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Environmental Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

A Practical Overview of Methodologies for Sampling and Analysis of Microplastics in Riverine Environments

This practical review compiles and evaluates sampling and analytical methods for detecting and characterizing microplastics in rivers, including collection devices, extraction protocols, and spectroscopic identification techniques. It provides guidance for researchers designing monitoring studies to ensure reliable and comparable results.

2020 Sustainability 205 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

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.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

A Methodology to Characterize Riverine Macroplastic Emission Into the Ocean

This paper presents a standardized methodology for measuring and characterizing macroplastic emissions from rivers into the ocean, addressing a major data gap in global plastic budget estimates. Consistent measurement frameworks are essential for understanding how much plastic enters the ocean from land-based sources via rivers.

2018 Frontiers in Marine Science 269 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of cost-effective methodologies to identify and quantify microplastics in seawater samples

Researchers developed low-cost, practical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in seawater samples, addressing the lack of standardized protocols. Consistent, affordable detection methods are essential for expanding global microplastic monitoring and enabling meaningful comparisons across different regions and studies.

2020 Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The transport and vertical distribution of microplastics in the Mekong River, SE Asia

Researchers measured microplastic levels throughout the water column of the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam, finding concentrations increased significantly from rural to urban areas. Most microplastics were fibers, predominantly polyester, and 86% were transported within the water column rather than at the surface. The study reveals that surface-only sampling methods substantially underestimate actual microplastic levels in major rivers.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the yangtze river: Evaluating pollution levels and the need for standardized research methods

This review synthesizes data from 21 studies to assess microplastic pollution levels across the Yangtze River Basin, characterizing particles by abundance, size, shape, and polymer type while applying strict QA/QC protocols and highlighting the critical need for standardized research methods.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

First attempt to measure macroplastic fragmentation in rivers

Researchers developed the first method to directly measure how large plastic debris fragments into microplastics while traveling through rivers. They found that river transport causes significant breakdown of plastic waste into smaller pieces, confirming that rivers are major producers of secondary microplastics. This is important for understanding where microplastics come from, since rivers eventually carry these particles to oceans and drinking water sources.

2024 Environment International 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Variance and precision of microplastic sampling in urban rivers

Researchers assessed the variance and precision of microplastic sampling methods in urban rivers, finding that high spatial and temporal variability in microplastic concentrations requires carefully designed sampling strategies to obtain representative measurements and reliable data for river microplastic assessments.

2022 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Are We Underestimating Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments?

This review argues that current microplastic monitoring methods likely underestimate the true extent of contamination in aquatic environments, especially for small particles and fibers. The authors call for standardized, more sensitive detection methods to better inform regulation and risk assessment.

2017 Environmental Management 277 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the yangtze river: Evaluating pollution levels and the need for standardized research methods

This review synthesizes data from 21 studies to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of microplastic pollution throughout the Yangtze River Basin, applying QA/QC protocols to characterize particle abundance, size, shape, and polymer type while calling for standardized research methods to improve comparability.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Microplastic Filter Development for River Conservation: A Case Study in Yogyakarta

Researchers developed a sustainable microplastic filter for protecting freshwater river environments, testing a pilot-scale filtration system in a real river setting. The filter reduced downstream microplastic concentrations and was designed for low-cost, low-maintenance deployment.

2024
Article Tier 2

Estimation of macroplastic yield from river basin to coastal area: A case study of the Klang River, Malaysia

Researchers studied macroplastic distribution along a 20-kilometer stretch of the highly polluted Klang River in Malaysia and developed a method to estimate total plastic yield from the river basin to the coast. They found 240 items of weathered macroplastics and characterized their composition and degradation patterns. The study provides a practical protocol for quantifying how much plastic pollution flows from rivers into coastal marine environments.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of riverine macro- and mesoplastic monitoring approaches.

This review evaluated and compared existing monitoring approaches for riverine macro- and mesoplastics, identifying key methodological inconsistencies that limit cross-study comparisons and calling for standardization to improve understanding of plastic transport and accumulation in freshwater river systems.

2026 Environmental monitoring and assessment
Article Tier 2

Mission Tara Microplastics: a holistic set of protocols and data resources for the field investigation of plastic pollution along the land-sea continuum in Europe

Researchers present a comprehensive set of sampling protocols from the Tara Microplastics mission, which investigated plastic pollution along nine major European rivers by measuring microplastic concentrations, microbial communities, and biophysicochemical parameters along salinity gradients.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Small-Scale Microplastics Abundance and Characterization in Urban River: A Case Study in Metro River, Indonesia

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in the Metro River in Indonesia, finding that abundance and characteristics varied by land use type, with urban areas showing higher concentrations of fragments and fibers in this rapidly developing region.

2023 Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences 9 citations