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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Riverine Plastic Pollution: Field Sampling Protocol and Implementation in U.S. Rivers
ClearEvaluation 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.
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.
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.
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.
Same but Different: A Framework to Design and Compare Riverbank Plastic Monitoring Strategies
This paper proposed a framework for designing and comparing riverbank plastic monitoring programs, addressing how differences in methodology make existing datasets difficult to compare. By standardizing site selection, sampling effort, and data reporting, the framework aims to improve understanding of macroplastic sources, sinks, and transport in rivers.
Is There a Difference in Yield? A Comparative Analysis of Microplastics Sampling Techniques in River Water with a Low-Velocity Flow
Researchers compared three microplastic sampling techniques in low-velocity river water, quantifying differences in particle abundance and characteristics to evaluate which method most accurately captures microplastic concentrations in surface water environments.
Visual Observation to Detect Macroplastic Object in River: A Review of Current Knowledge
This review examines visual observation methods for detecting macroplastic objects in rivers, using a systematic approach to assess current research trends, methodologies, and future directions in riverine plastic monitoring. Researchers found that visual observation is a widely used and adaptable method for measuring plastic quantity, composition, and distribution, though standardization gaps limit cross-study comparisons and effective mitigation strategy design.
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.
Microplastics in Stormwater: Sampling and Methodology Challenges
Stormwater runoff washes microplastics from roads, lawns, and urban surfaces directly into streams and rivers, but measuring this pathway consistently has been hampered by a lack of standardized sampling methods. This study collected stormwater sediment samples from control measures across multiple U.S. regions and found that conventional sampling tools designed for chemical contaminants are poorly suited for capturing the full range of microplastic sizes and shapes. The results call for purpose-built sampling protocols for stormwater microplastics to improve the reliability of pollution monitoring.
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.
Protocol for Riverine Microplastics Monitoring
Researchers developed a standardized protocol for riverine microplastic monitoring in the Mekong River, establishing cost-effective and long-term methodologies to generate reliable baseline data on plastic debris pollution and its impacts on aquatic environments.
Terenowe metody badania zanieczyszczenia rzek makroplastikiem
This paper reviews field methods for measuring macroplastic pollution in rivers, discussing their environmental impacts on living organisms and the aesthetic degradation of riparian landscapes, as well as the downstream connection to microplastic generation.
Microplastic Prevalence in 4 Oregon Rivers Along a Rural to Urban Gradient Applying a Cost-Effective Validation Technique
Microplastics were found in all samples from four Oregon rivers spanning rural to urban settings, and microfiber abundance was correlated with human population within 5 km of sampling sites. The study demonstrates that even remote rural rivers carry measurable plastic pollution, underscoring the pervasive reach of microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.
Controlling Factors of Microplastic Riverine Flux and Implications for Reliable Monitoring Strategy
This review examines the controlling factors that determine microplastic flux from rivers to the sea, identifying hydrology, land use, river morphology, and sampling methodology as key variables, and arguing for standardized monitoring approaches to enable reliable riverine flux estimates.
Sampling and processing methods of microplastics in river sediments - A review
This review summarizes and evaluates sampling and processing methods for detecting microplastics in river sediments, which are less studied than marine sediments. It identifies inconsistencies across studies in mesh size, extraction technique, and analytical methods as key barriers to comparing microplastic data across river systems globally.
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.
A first estimation of uncertainties related to microplastic sampling in rivers
Researchers collected 16 water samples from a French river to test how sampling strategy affects microplastic concentration estimates. Results showed wide variability depending on net deployment time, highlighting that standardized methods are essential before data from different studies can be reliably compared.
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.
Contamination of the environment with plastic debris : “Development, improvement, and evaluation of monitoring methods”
This doctoral thesis developed and evaluated methods for monitoring plastic debris contamination in the environment, covering both large debris and microplastics. The research addresses the lack of standardized monitoring protocols, which has been a major obstacle to comparing microplastic pollution levels across different studies and regions.
Methods for Studying Microplastic Pollution in Natural Waters: Current State and Recommendations
This methodological review addresses the lack of standardization in how scientists sample, process, and report microplastic contamination in natural waters, which makes it nearly impossible to compare results across studies. It details quality assurance and quality control steps — especially important given how easily tiny plastic particles contaminate samples from the lab environment itself — and provides concrete recommendations for sampling protocols and data reporting. Harmonizing these methods is a critical step toward building a reliable global database of microplastic pollution.
A Methodology for Measuring Microplastic Transport in Large or Medium Rivers
Researchers developed a net-based multi-depth sampling methodology for measuring microplastic transport across the full vertical profile of medium and large rivers, testing it in the Austrian Danube and revealing high heterogeneity in plastic concentrations within a single cross-section. The study demonstrates that surface-only measurements substantially underestimate total plastic transport in rivers due to turbulent mixing, density variation, and biofilm-driven settling.
Vertical distribution of microplastics in a river water column using an innovative sampling method
An innovative sampling method was used to assess microplastic contamination in both surface and subsurface river water, finding higher MP concentrations near the riverbed than at the surface, highlighting that surface-only sampling underestimates total MP contamination in rivers.
Plastic debris exposure and effects in rivers: Boundaries for efficient ecological risk assessment
This discussion paper identifies critical gaps in freshwater plastic ecological risk assessment, arguing that boundaries around exposure metrics, ecological endpoints, and field relevance remain poorly defined. The authors propose a framework for more reliable risk assessment in riverine systems, where plastic pollution research lags behind marine studies.
Hydro-geomorphic perspectives on microplastic distribution in freshwater river systems: A critical review
This critical review examined 92 case studies on microplastic distribution in freshwater river systems and highlighted major gaps in how researchers quantify and compare pollution levels. The study found that spatiotemporal aspects and transport mechanisms linking microplastic sources and sinks are insufficiently understood. Researchers developed a new procedure for comparing microplastic measurements across water and sediment samples, offering a path toward more standardized pollution assessment.