Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Quantifying desertification in the Qinghai Lake Basin

This paper is not about microplastics. It studied desertification patterns in the Qinghai Lake Basin on the Tibetan Plateau using satellite vegetation and albedo data over 20 years. The study found that desertification has reversed in recent decades but remains concentrated along the northwestern basin boundaries. It has no connection to microplastic pollution or human health.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of plateau wetland ecological security and its influencing factors in multi-climatic zones: A case study of Yunnan Province

Not a microplastics paper — this study assesses the ecological security of plateau wetlands across Yunnan Province, China using a pressure-state-response model based on remote sensing data, identifying climate and human activity as key threats to these fragile ecosystems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil contamination and carrying capacity across the Tibetan plateau using structural equation models

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it assesses soil contamination levels and soil environmental carrying capacity across the Tibetan Plateau, focusing on heavy metals and nutrient conditions.

2023 Environmental Pollution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a Remote Lake Basin of the Tibetan Plateau: Impacts of Atmospheric Transport and Glacial Melting

Microplastics were found in a remote Tibetan Plateau lake basin and the researchers identified both long-range atmospheric transport and glacial meltwater as delivery pathways, with meltwater becoming an increasingly significant release mechanism as climate-driven glacier retreat accelerates.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterogenization of microplastic communities in lakes of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau driven by tourism and transport activities

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in lakes across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and found that tourism and transportation activities were the primary drivers of contamination differences between sites. Lakes near tourist attractions had significantly higher and more diverse microplastic communities than remote lakes. The study demonstrates that human activity is introducing heterogeneous microplastic pollution even into high-altitude plateau ecosystems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and transfer mechanisms

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding abundances ranging from 17 to 2,644 items/kg dry weight and identifying atmospheric deposition and river transport as key transfer mechanisms to these remote high-altitude lakes.

2022 China Geology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and causes

A survey of microplastic pollution across rivers and lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau found surface water concentrations averaging 856 items/m³ and sediment concentrations averaging 362 items/m², with river sediments more contaminated than lake sediments and domestic wastewater and tourism identified as primary sources.

2021 China Geology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Variations of Human Pressure on Key Biodiversity Areas in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: A Comparative Analysis

Researchers analyzed spatiotemporal changes in human pressure on key biodiversity areas across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 1990 to 2017, finding that conservation policies enacted after 2010 helped slow but not fully reverse increasing anthropogenic pressures on these ecologically sensitive zones.

2022 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in benthic sediments of Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, China

Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics in the bottom sediments of Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, sampling from shore to center. The study found microplastics throughout the lake sediments even in this remote, high-altitude location, with abundance patterns influenced by factors such as tourism activity and water currents rather than simply decreasing from shore to center.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 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

Response Time of Vegetation to Drought in Weihe River Basin, China

This is a hydrology study analyzing how vegetation in China's Weihe River Basin responds to drought using satellite vegetation indices; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023 Atmosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological Waves at Tourist Attractions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Promote Greenness of Surrounding Vegetation

Analysis of NDVI data around tourist attractions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau found that high-traffic sites generated positive "ecological wave" effects within 20 km—improving surrounding vegetation greenness—attributable to conservation infrastructure and local ecological management at protected destinations.

2025 Land 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a remote lake basin of the Tibetan Plateau: Impacts of atmospheric transport and glacial melting

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in a remote Tibetan Plateau lake basin, finding that both atmospheric transport via rainfall and glacial melting contribute microplastics to this pristine environment, with concentrations increasing in glacial meltwater areas.

2022 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential ecological risk of microplastics contamination to environment in protect area lakes

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in protected area lakes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and found that even these remote, supposedly pristine environments contain microplastics. The study compared protected lakes with those outside protected areas and found contamination levels varied by region and economic development. This shows that microplastic pollution reaches even the most isolated freshwater sources, which could affect drinking water quality for surrounding communities.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Alpine ponds as overlooked hotspots of microplastic hazards: Evidence from the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in alpine ponds on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau across zones of varying human activity, finding ubiquitous microplastic pollution (up to 594 items/L in water) that directly correlated with anthropogenic pressure, identifying high-altitude ponds as overlooked microplastic hotspots.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Microplastics intrude into the Tibetan Plateau

This conference abstract reports on microplastic contamination in glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau, showing that atmospheric deposition is carrying plastic particles to one of the world's most remote and high-altitude environments. Melting glaciers could release these stored microplastics into downstream freshwater systems.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic convergence in high-altitude lakes of the Tibetan Plateau: Mechanisms, indicators, and risk stratification

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in 14 high-altitude freshwater lakes above 4,500 meters on the Tibetan Plateau, a region far from major human activity. Microplastics were detected at every site, with PET as the dominant polymer type, suggesting long-range atmospheric transport and local textile sources. The study developed a geospatial risk model showing that precipitation, surface runoff, and proximity to roads are key factors driving microplastic accumulation even in these remote environments.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Rapid urban expansion and potential disaster risk on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the 21st century

This study mapped rapid urban expansion on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2020, finding a growth rate over 252%, much higher than national and global averages. While not directly about microplastics, rapid urbanization is a major driver of plastic pollution because it brings more packaging, construction materials, and waste to areas with limited infrastructure. The environmental fragility of this high-altitude region makes it particularly vulnerable to emerging pollutants like microplastics.

2024 Landscape Ecology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the distribution, potential source and risk of microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's most remote regions, and found contamination in water, sediment, and soil samples. Water samples had the highest concentrations, averaging over 7,000 particles per cubic meter. The presence of microplastics even in this isolated high-altitude environment shows how far plastic pollution has spread globally.

2023 Environment International 59 citations
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