Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Identifying the characteristics of and factors driving spatiotemporal water quality variations in the Yellow River Basin, China, from 2008 to 2020

This study analyzed water quality data from the Yellow River Basin in China from 2008 to 2020, identifying pollution sources and spatial trends across the watershed. While focused on general water quality rather than microplastics specifically, such assessments provide important context for understanding pollution dynamics in large river systems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

[Microplastics pollution in the Yellow River basin: current status and control strategy].

This review summarizes microplastic contamination in the Yellow River basin, finding that pollution increases from upstream to downstream with the highest concentrations in the Yellow River Delta wetland, and that both sediment and surface water are impacted at levels posing risks to aquaculture and human health.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Water Quality Evaluation, Spatial Distribution Characteristics, and Source Analysis of Pollutants in Wanquan River, China

This paper is not about microplastics — it assesses water quality in a Chinese river basin, finding that agricultural runoff and domestic sewage are the main pollution sources, without examining plastic contamination.

2023 Applied Sciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distributions of macronutrients, heavy metals and microplastics in surface sediments of the mainstem and lakes in the middle part of the Yellow River Basin

Researchers mapped the distribution of macronutrients, heavy metals, and microplastics in sediments along the middle section of the Yellow River and adjacent lakes in China. They found that microplastic concentrations ranged from 233 to 3,333 items per kilogram in river sediments, with nylon as the dominant polymer type. Contamination levels increased significantly after the river flowed through intensive agricultural areas, with urban lakes showing the highest heavy metal concentrations.

2025 Geoscience Frontiers 1 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in the Yellow River Basin].

Researchers examined the spatial distribution, composition characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastic pollution across the Yellow River Basin in China, assessing contamination levels in the nation's historically significant waterway system.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Yellow River: Current status and research progress of biotoxicological effects

A comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution in China's Yellow River found average abundances of 5,358–654,000 items/m³ in water and 43.57–615 items/kg in sediment, with fibers dominant in water samples, and reviewed evidence of biotoxicity in fish, invertebrates, and microorganisms.

2021 China Geology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributions from typical sources to microplastics in surface water of a semiarid urban river

Researchers quantified the contributions of typical sources to microplastic pollution in the Yellow River's Lanzhou section. The study found that wastewater treatment plant effluent and urban tributaries were the dominant sources, with fibers and fragments composed mainly of polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide, highlighting the role of urban areas in river microplastic contamination.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in water and sediment in the Henan section of the Yellow River based on the MultiMP comprehensive evaluation method

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in the Henan section of the Yellow River, analyzing both surface water and sediment samples using the MultiMP risk assessment method. The study found microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber-shaped particles in the 25-150 micrometer range being most common, and the findings suggest moderate ecological risk that warrants continued monitoring.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Temporal and spatial variation of microplastics in Baotou section of Yellow River, China

This study tracked microplastic contamination in the Yellow River near Baotou, China, across different seasons and locations, sampling surface water, sediment, and nearby soil. Researchers found microplastics everywhere they looked, with fibers being the dominant type and concentrations varying by season and proximity to urban areas. The findings highlight that major rivers can serve as pathways carrying land-based microplastic pollution toward the ocean.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastic contamination in the major tributaries of the Yellow River on the Loess Plateau

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution across 96 sampling sites in three major tributaries of the Yellow River on the Loess Plateau, finding that microplastic abundance and characteristics differed among tributaries based on land use and human activity. The study identified environmental factors driving microplastic contamination patterns in these river systems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural plastic Legacy in river Sediments: Abundance, oxidation, and occurrence characteristics of microplastics across rural China

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastics in sediments from 25 agricultural rivers across Henan Province, China, finding an average abundance of 1,016 items/kg. MP oxidation degree and polymer composition varied across rivers, reflecting the legacy of agricultural plastic use and the weathering of resident MPs.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

The Changes in Dominant Driving Factors in the Evolution Process of Wetland in the Yellow River Delta during 2015–2022

This paper is not about microplastics; it uses satellite time-series imagery to analyze changes in wetland area and type in the Yellow River Delta between 2015 and 2022.

2023 Remote Sensing 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in Lanzhou section of the Yellow River: Characteristics, ecological risk assessment, and factors analysis

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediments along the Lanzhou section of China's Yellow River. They found that most particles were small fibrous fragments of PET and polypropylene, with higher abundances during the dry season, and that human activity and weather patterns influenced microplastic distribution. Ecological risk assessments indicated the overall pollution level in this stretch of the river was relatively low.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Yellow River Delta wetland: Occurrence, characteristics, human influences, and marker

Microplastics were surveyed across different zones of the Yellow River Delta wetland with varying levels of human activity, finding widespread contamination even in protected areas with minimal human presence, with MP abundances ranging from 136 to 2060 items/kg. The study identifies direct human activities as a stronger driver of wetland microplastic contamination than tourism.

2019 Environmental Pollution 86 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Method for Water Environment Assessment considering Trends of Water Quality

Researchers developed a comprehensive water quality assessment method that accounts for both current pollution levels and trends over time, applying it to rivers feeding a major Chinese reservoir. Water quality assessment frameworks are increasingly being adapted to include microplastic contamination as a standard monitoring parameter.

2021 Advances in Civil Engineering 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution characteristics and prospective risk of microplastics in the Zhengzhou section of Yellow River, China

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution across fourteen sampling sites in the Zhengzhou section of the Yellow River in China. The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 2.33 to 15.50 particles per liter, higher than other inland Chinese rivers, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types and polyethylene the most common polymer.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface sediments of a typical river with a highly eroded catchment, a case of the Yan River, a tributary of the Yellow River

Microplastic contamination was characterized in riverbed sediments of rivers on the Loess Plateau in northwest China, an area subject to heavy erosion, finding widespread contamination dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene fragments. The study fills a gap in knowledge on microplastic pollution in inland arid and semi-arid river systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of land use types on microplastics in river water: A case study on the mainstream of the Wei River, China

Researchers studied how different land use types along China's Wei River, a major tributary of the Yellow River, influence microplastic concentrations in the water. The study found that urban and agricultural areas contributed more microplastics than other land use types, with seasonal variations also playing a role, highlighting how human activities directly shape plastic pollution patterns in river systems.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

[Microplastic Pollution Status and Ecological Risk Evaluation in Weihe River].

This Chinese study characterized microplastic abundance, shapes, sizes, colors, and polymer types in the Weihe River in northwest China. The findings document significant microplastic contamination in a major regional river that drains one of China's most densely populated agricultural areas, raising concerns about both ecosystem and human health.

2023 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters and sediments of the Wei River, in the northwest of China

Microplastics were measured in surface water and sediments across the Wei River basin in northwest China, finding water concentrations of 3.67–10.7 items/L and sediment concentrations of 360–1,320 items/kg, with fibers (50.1%) and small particles (<0.5 mm) dominant. The study documents widespread microplastic contamination in the largest tributary of the Yellow River, driven by urbanization and agricultural runoff.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 573 citations