Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

A multivariate analysis of microplastics in soils along the headwaters of Yangtze river on the Tibetan Plateau

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soils along the headwaters of the Yangtze River on the Tibetan Plateau. The study found average concentrations of 64 to 89 items per kilogram, with polyethylene films being the most common type, and statistical modeling indicated that population density was the primary driver of microplastic accumulation in these remote highland soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

An integrated evaluation of potentially toxic elements and microplastics in the highland soils of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Researchers conducted the first integrated assessment of toxic elements and microplastics in grassland and farmland soils on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. They found microplastic abundances ranging from 200 to over 3,600 particles per kilogram, with polypropylene dominating in grasslands and polyethylene in farmlands. The study reveals that even remote highland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau are not immune to microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in soils on the high-altitude area of the Tibetan Plateau: Multiple environmental factors

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau, a remote and sparsely populated region. The study found that microplastic abundance varied with land use, altitude, meteorological conditions, and distance from roads, with greenhouse soils showing the highest concentrations, indicating that even remote high-altitude environments are not free from microplastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic characteristic in the soil across the Tibetan Plateau

Researchers systematically investigated microplastic pollution across the Tibetan Plateau, finding widespread contamination averaging 47 items per kilogram of soil, with fibers predominating and concentrations influenced by proximity to human activities.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 129 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence characteristics and ecological impact of agricultural soil microplastics in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, China

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in agricultural soils on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau in China, a remote area with low population density. They found microplastic concentrations ranging from about 17 to 950 particles per kilogram, with polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene being the most common types. The study suggests that facility-based agriculture significantly increases soil microplastic levels, and nearly half of the areas assessed showed relatively high polymer risk.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Particle Size Distribution and Depth to Bedrock of Chinese Cultivated Soils: Implications for Soil Classification and Management

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it characterises particle size distribution and depth to bedrock in Chinese agricultural soils to inform soil classification and land management.

2023 Agronomy 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic ecological risk and environmental carrying capacity of agricultural soils based on integrated characterization: A case study

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in agricultural soils of the Tarim River Basin in China, finding concentrations ranging from 0 to 4,000 particles per kilogram. Polyethylene and polypropylene from agricultural mulch films and drip irrigation were the dominant plastics found. Early warning models predict that polyethylene and polypropylene levels may approach environmental carrying capacity thresholds in the near future, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to manage plastic pollution in farming regions.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing surface soil heavy metal contamination and source attribution in the Qinghai Lake Basin

Researchers analyzed 227 soil samples across China's Qinghai Lake Basin to map heavy metal contamination, finding generally low pollution levels with transportation as a key source; they recommend future research examine the combined threat of heavy metals and microplastics in alpine ecosystems.

2026 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

[Distribution and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Cultivated Soil in Northeastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau].

Researchers analysed 95 cultivated soil samples from the northeastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau using density separation, metallographic microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, finding microplastic abundances ranging from 68 to 3,668 particles per kilogram in surface soils.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in a remote region of the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for natural environmental response to human activities

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in a remote region of the Tibetan Plateau and found plastic particles in surface water, sediment, and soil even in this sparsely populated area. Tourism was identified as the primary source of water contamination, while agriculture and historical industrial activity contributed to soil pollution. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution from human activities extends even to some of the most remote environments on Earth.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Land-use patterns determine the distribution of soil microplastics in typical agricultural areas on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Researchers found that land-use patterns strongly determine microplastic distribution in agricultural soils on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with facility agriculture and farmland soils containing significantly higher microplastic abundance than grassland and orchard soils.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Researchers collected and analyzed 22 grassland soil samples from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and found microplastics present in every sample, with an average abundance of 1,202 particles per kilogram. Polyethylene terephthalate was the dominant polymer type, and most particles were in the 10-50 micrometer size range. The findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination reaches even remote, high-altitude grassland environments far from major population centers.

2023 Toxics 19 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence of microplastics in farmland and grassland soils in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau: Different land use and mulching time in facility agriculture

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmland and grassland soils on the remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The study found an average of about 50 microplastic particles per kilogram of soil, with plastic film and polyester being the most common types. Notably, longer use of plastic mulch in farming was linked to higher microplastic levels, suggesting that agricultural plastic use is a key source of soil contamination even in remote regions.

2021 Environmental Pollution 225 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-Asset Variations and Their Driving Factors in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China, under the Context of Global Change

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it analyzes ecological asset changes and their environmental drivers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using remote sensing data.

2023 Sustainability 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Driving factors of the distribution of microplastics in the surface soil of the typical uninhabited and habited areas in the Qinghai–Tibet plateau, China

A large survey across the remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau found microplastics in surface soils everywhere sampled, with abundance rising near roads and residential areas and with increasing rainfall, pointing to both traffic and atmospheric transport as key delivery pathways. Different regions had different dominant sources — traffic emissions in some areas, household activity in others — suggesting that pollution control strategies need to be tailored locally rather than applied uniformly. Even this high-altitude, supposedly pristine region is significantly contaminated, highlighting the truly global reach of microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence and effect of altitude on microplastics distribution in agricultural soils of Qinghai Province, northwest China

Microplastic distribution was investigated in agricultural soils of Qinghai Province at different altitudes, finding that altitude influenced microplastic characteristics and abundance, with lower-altitude agricultural areas showing higher contamination from plastic film use.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation characteristics and source analysis of microplastics derived traffic of soil in the Tibetan Plateau

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soil along a highway on the Tibetan Plateau and found an average of about 2,248 particles per kilogram, with most particles smaller than 100 micrometers. The microplastics came from multiple traffic-related sources, including tire wear and road markings. The study shows that even remote, high-altitude areas are accumulating microplastics from transportation infrastructure, and the small particle sizes found pose particular environmental and health risks.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil horizons regulate bacterial community structure and functions in Dabie Mountain of the East China

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines how soil horizon depth influences bacterial community structure and nutrient cycling functions in mountain forest soils.

2023 Scientific Reports 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of soil properties and land use patterns on the distribution of microplastics: A case study in southwest China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types in Guizhou Province, southwest China. The study found that soil properties and land use patterns significantly influence microplastic abundance and distribution, with agricultural and urban soils generally showing higher contamination levels than less intensively managed areas.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews biodiversity gaps in high-altitude mountain soils, covering microorganisms, fungi, and invertebrates, and identifies major geographic and taxonomic blind spots in soil ecology research, with no connection to plastic pollution.

2023 2 citations