Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the highly polluted Tietê River (São Paulo, Brazil): an unsustainable human-nature relationship

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the Tiete River downstream of Sao Paulo, one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. They found microplastics in both water and sediment samples across wet and dry seasons, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types. The study confirms that heavily urbanized areas are major sources of microplastic pollution that contaminates downstream river ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A megalopolis pollution effect on the zooplankton and the contamination of microplastics in the Tietê River (SP)

Researchers investigated the effects of megalopolis-scale urban pollution on zooplankton communities in the Tietê River in São Paulo, Brazil, and measured microplastic contamination levels across sampling sites. The study found that extreme urban pollution severely disrupted zooplankton populations while microplastic contamination was widespread throughout the river.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status

A broad survey of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates across multiple rivers found that microplastic accumulation was widespread regardless of local urban development levels, suggesting that factors beyond proximity to urban areas—such as river hydrology and upstream sources—drive MP exposure in freshwater invertebrates.

2025 Hydrobiologia 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of urbanization and water quality on microplastic distribution in Conceição Lagoon watershed, Brazil

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution across urbanized and non-urbanized tributaries of Conceicao Lagoon watershed in Brazil. The study found that while urbanization significantly affected water quality parameters, it did not always correspond to higher microplastic concentrations. Evidence indicates that microplastic pollution in freshwater systems is influenced by multiple factors beyond urbanization alone, complicating simple predictions about contamination patterns.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Litter in Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution and Microbial Interactions

Researchers quantified anthropogenic litter in urban rivers and streams and found that microplastics dominated by mass and particle count compared to macroplastic items. The study highlights urban freshwater systems as major conduits for plastic pollution moving toward marine environments and documents distinct microbial communities on plastic surfaces.

2014 PLoS ONE 287 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination and Ecological Status of Freshwater Ecosystems: A Case Study in Two Northern Portuguese Rivers

Microplastic contamination was assessed in sediments and Oligochaeta gut contents across two rivers with different ecological status scores, finding that urbanization rather than ecological status was the primary driver of sediment microplastic abundance. The results indicate that ecological quality indices alone are insufficient for tracking microplastic pollution in freshwater systems.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination by microplastics and sorbed organic pollutants in the surface waters of the Tietê River, São Paulo-SP, Brazil

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination and associated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) pollution in the surface waters of Brazil's Tiete River. The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 6.67 to 1,530 particles per cubic meter, predominantly polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and fibers, with higher PCB concentrations adsorbed onto smaller-sized microplastic particles.

2024 Heliyon 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro‐ and nano‐plastic loads in fish and macroinvertebrates in a tropical river

In a tropical river system undergoing rapid urbanization, 95% of fish and 44% of macroinvertebrates were found to contain microplastics, with smaller nanoscale plastics detected using a new automated method in addition to traditional visual inspection. The high contamination rates across multiple animal groups in a single river highlight how thoroughly microplastics can permeate freshwater food webs.

2024 Freshwater Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water from the confluence of tropical rivers: Overall review and a case study in Paraiba do Sul River basin

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination at river confluences in the Paraiba do Sul River basin, Brazil's most important southeastern watershed serving millions of people. They found microplastics throughout the river system, with higher concentrations near industrial and densely populated areas. Since this river basin supplies drinking water and supports agriculture for a large population, the contamination raises direct concerns about human microplastic exposure.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing microplastic dynamics: the impact of precipitation and depth in urban river ecosystems

Microplastic abundance was monitored at different depths and during different precipitation events in urban rivers in Brazil, finding that rainfall significantly increases MP concentrations and that deeper water layers can carry higher loads than surface water.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution differences in freshwater river according to stream order: Insights from spatial distribution, annual load, and ecological assessment

Researchers compared microplastic pollution levels in a freshwater river across different land-use zones, finding higher concentrations near urban and agricultural areas than in forested regions. Fiber-type microplastics were predominant across all sampling locations.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Urbanization and Seasonality on Microplastics in a Small Brazilian Inland Stream

Researchers sampled a small Brazilian inland stream upstream and downstream of an urban center during dry and rainy seasons, finding urbanization significantly increased microplastic abundance from 1.7 to 2.6 particles per liter during the dry season, while rainfall effects were less consistent.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics in Kemena River and Niah River of Sarawak, Malaysia

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in water and riverbed sediments of the Kemena and Niah Rivers in Sarawak, Malaysia, finding that urbanization along these rivers correlates with higher microplastic concentrations in freshwater environments.

2023 Tropical Environment Biology and Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River

Researchers demonstrated that microplastic surfaces in an urban river host a microbial community that is distinct from surrounding water and sediment communities, establishing microplastic as an abundant and ecologically distinct habitat for river microorganisms.

2014 Environmental Science & Technology 1428 citations
Article Tier 2

High macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake affects macroinvertebrate community structure

Researchers examined the effects of high macroplastic pollution in a subtropical urban lake on macroinvertebrate communities, finding that plastic debris significantly altered benthic assemblages and reduced biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems that have received less ecological attention than marine environments.

2025 Hydrobiologia
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream

Researchers found distinct microplastic contamination patterns between sediments and aquatic biota in an urban stream, with sediments accumulating more particles while biota showed selective uptake based on particle size and shape, highlighting the complex dynamics of microplastic distribution in urban freshwater systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in an Urbanized Estuary on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin: Analysis of Contamination in Commercially Intent Fish, Water and Sediment in the Anil River

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in fish, water, and sediment samples from the Anil River estuary on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, focusing on commercially important fish species in an urbanized estuarine environment.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics in runoff sediments and their correlation with land use and occupation in an urban area in the city of Bauru-SP

Researchers analysed the qualitative and quantitative distribution of microplastics in urban runoff sediments across different land use categories in Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil, including social housing, traditional residential, high-income residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Results indicated that microplastic abundance in transported sediments correlated with land use intensity, with more densely populated and active areas generating higher microplastic loads entering urban drainage networks.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Effect of urbanization and water quality on microplastic distribution in Conceição Lagoon watershed, Brazil

A study of a Brazilian lagoon watershed found that urbanization significantly degraded water quality but did not clearly increase microplastic concentrations in tributary streams. Microplastic levels in the lagoon itself were correlated with indicators of wastewater discharge, and wind and rainfall influenced their distribution.

2023
Article Tier 2

How natural and anthropogenic factors should drive microplastic behavior and fate: The scenario of Brazilian urban freshwater

This review examines the factors driving microplastic contamination in Brazilian freshwater systems, including the country's massive plastic production and limited recycling infrastructure. Researchers highlight that more than half of post-consumer plastic packaging in Brazil goes unmonitored, and most microplastic research has focused on marine environments while freshwater data remains scarce. The study calls for more systematic monitoring of Brazilian rivers and lakes, especially given the country's continental-scale waterways and diverse ecosystems.

2023 Chemosphere 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Zooplankton exposure to microplastic contamination in a estuarine plume-influenced region, in Northeast Brazil

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in estuarine plume waters off the coast of northeastern Brazil and its relationship with zooplankton. The study found significantly higher microplastic abundance during the high rainfall season, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types, and elevated concentrations in river plume areas compared to reef-adjacent waters, indicating land-based sources as major contributors.

2023 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Food ecology and presence of microplastic in the stomach content of neotropical fish in an urban river of the upper Paraná River Basin

Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.

2020 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics, Contamination Levels, and Ecosystem Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Water of a Highly Urbanized River from a Developing Country

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in an urban river near a megacity in a developing country, finding concentrations of 350 to 660 particles per cubic meter of water. Polyethylene and polypropylene from household and municipal waste were the most common types, and a risk assessment found concerning contamination levels at several sampling sites. The study highlights how rivers in developing nations can serve as major pathways for microplastics to reach the ocean and enter the food chain.

2024 ACS Omega 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution of water and sediment from the Guarapiranga Reservoir, Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in water and sediment from the Guarapiranga Reservoir in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region of Brazil, a major drinking water source. The study found diverse microplastic types and raises concerns about plastic pollution in urban water supply systems.

2020 UNIFESP Institutional Repository (Universidade Federal de São Paulo)