Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Benthic macroinvertebrates and microplastic contamination in contrasting water quality environments of the Middle Tietê River basin (São Paulo, Brazil)

Researchers compared microplastic contamination in benthic invertebrates and sediments between a heavily polluted urban river and a cleaner tributary in São Paulo, Brazil. Higher microplastic concentrations were found near urban areas, confirming that human activity drives plastic accumulation in freshwater ecosystems.

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

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

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)
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

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

Macroplastic and microplastic contamination assessment of a tropical river (Saigon River, Vietnam) transversed by a developing megacity

Researchers assessed macroplastic and microplastic contamination in a tropical river in Vietnam, finding elevated pollution levels linked to urban and agricultural land use along the waterway.

2018 Environmental Pollution 517 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

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

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

Assessing Microplastic Contamination in Zooplanktonic Organisms from Two River Estuaries

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in zooplankton sampled from two river estuaries, finding microplastics in a significant proportion of individual organisms from both sites. Fibre shapes dominated ingested plastics, and contamination levels were higher in the more urbanized estuary, indicating that land-based pollution inputs drive microplastic exposure in estuarine zooplankton.

2024 Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the sediments of a highly eutrophic tropical estuary

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in sublittoral sediments of Guanabara Bay, a highly eutrophic tropical estuary in Brazil, finding widespread contamination with fibers and fragments at concentrations reflecting the bay's heavy urbanization and poor waste management.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Suspended microplastics in a highly polluted bay: Abundance, size, and availability for mesozooplankton

Researchers quantified suspended microplastics in Guanabara Bay, Brazil using different mesh size nets, finding high microplastic abundance and characterizing size distributions to assess the availability of plastic particles for ingestion by mesozooplankton as an entry point into the food web.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Freshwater River in Rio de Janeiro and Its Role as a Source of Microplastic Pollution in Guanabara Bay, SE Brazil

Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination in three rivers flowing into Guanabara Bay, Brazil, with an average of 3,651 particles per cubic meter dominated by fibers, identifying these freshwater systems as major sources of coastal microplastic pollution.

2023 Micro 40 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

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

Large-scale monitoring and risk assessment of microplastics in the Amazon River

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic monitoring study in the Amazon River, sampling 40 sites across 1,500 kilometers. Microplastics were found everywhere, with urban streams near cities showing concentrations up to 1,000 times higher than the main river. This study confirms that even remote freshwater ecosystems like the Amazon are contaminated with microplastics, which could affect the fish and water that local communities depend on.

2023 Water Research 112 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

A Review of Microplastics Pollution in the River Basin of Vietnam in Comparison with the World Context

This review examines microplastic pollution across Vietnam's river basins in the context of global patterns, finding significant contamination in surface water, sediments, aquatic organisms, and mangrove ecosystems — particularly in coastal urban areas — with concentrations in some urban rivers reaching 519,000 pieces/m³.

2025 Earth Environmental Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Presence and Quantification of Microplastic in Urban Tap Water: A Pre-Screening in Brasilia, Brazil

Researchers sampled tap water from Brasilia, Brazil and detected microplastics in all samples, with fibers as the dominant type and concentrations higher than many previous studies from other cities, highlighting the need for treatment infrastructure improvements and standardized monitoring.

2021 Sustainability 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and Quantification of Microplastic in Urban Tap-Water

Tap water samples from Brasília, Brazil were found to contain microplastic contamination, with fibers being the most common type detected across both residential zones tested. The study adds to growing evidence that people may be regularly ingesting microplastics through municipal drinking water.

2020 Harvard Dataverse
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum in Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil

Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination in the Amazon freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum, detecting 2,597 particles across 600 specimens with significantly higher contamination at urban sampling sites compared to rural areas in Itacoatiara, Brazil.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern, including microplastics, in urban and agricultural watersheds in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Researchers measured contamination from microplastics and other emerging pollutants in both urban and agricultural watersheds in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. They found microplastics in all sampled locations, along with pesticides, caffeine, and other chemicals, with pollution patterns differing between urban and farming areas. The study shows that microplastic contamination is widespread in Brazilian water systems used for drinking and irrigation, contributing to human exposure through multiple pathways.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 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