Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in the Yellow River Basin].

Researchers examined the spatial distribution, composition characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastic pollution across the Yellow River Basin in China, assessing contamination levels in the nation's historically significant waterway system.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Yellow River Delta wetland: Occurrence, characteristics, human influences, and marker

Microplastics were surveyed across different zones of the Yellow River Delta wetland with varying levels of human activity, finding widespread contamination even in protected areas with minimal human presence, with MP abundances ranging from 136 to 2060 items/kg. The study identifies direct human activities as a stronger driver of wetland microplastic contamination than tourism.

2019 Environmental Pollution 86 citations
Article Tier 2

[Distribution, Sources, and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Sediments of Yellow River Delta Wetland].

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in surface sediments of the Yellow River Delta wetland and found concentrations ranging from 20 to 520 particles per kilogram, primarily consisting of fibers. The dominant polymer types included rayon, polyethylene, polyester, and PET, with most particles larger than 1 mm. Pollution index assessments indicated the wetland was at a slightly polluted level with relatively low ecological risk overall.

2023 PubMed 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Yellow River: Current status and research progress of biotoxicological effects

A comprehensive assessment of microplastic pollution in China's Yellow River found average abundances of 5,358–654,000 items/m³ in water and 43.57–615 items/kg in sediment, with fibers dominant in water samples, and reviewed evidence of biotoxicity in fish, invertebrates, and microorganisms.

2021 China Geology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the adjacent environment of Yellow River Delta, China

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution across water, sediment, and soil samples in the Yellow River Delta of China. The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 0.5 to nearly 8 particles per liter in water and up to 4,200 particles per kilogram in sediments, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common polymer types, indicating widespread plastic contamination in this coastal environment.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distributions of macronutrients, heavy metals and microplastics in surface sediments of the mainstem and lakes in the middle part of the Yellow River Basin

Researchers mapped the distribution of macronutrients, heavy metals, and microplastics in sediments along the middle section of the Yellow River and adjacent lakes in China. They found that microplastic concentrations ranged from 233 to 3,333 items per kilogram in river sediments, with nylon as the dominant polymer type. Contamination levels increased significantly after the river flowed through intensive agricultural areas, with urban lakes showing the highest heavy metal concentrations.

2025 Geoscience Frontiers 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying the characteristics of and factors driving spatiotemporal water quality variations in the Yellow River Basin, China, from 2008 to 2020

This study analyzed water quality data from the Yellow River Basin in China from 2008 to 2020, identifying pollution sources and spatial trends across the watershed. While focused on general water quality rather than microplastics specifically, such assessments provide important context for understanding pollution dynamics in large river systems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in North Yellow Sea, China: Observations on occurrence, distribution and identification

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across the North Yellow Sea, documenting their occurrence, distribution, and characteristics, and finding widespread contamination with higher concentrations in coastal areas and near river inputs.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 412 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution characteristics and prospective risk of microplastics in the Zhengzhou section of Yellow River, China

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution across fourteen sampling sites in the Zhengzhou section of the Yellow River in China. The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 2.33 to 15.50 particles per liter, higher than other inland Chinese rivers, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types and polyethylene the most common polymer.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

[Microplastic Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Environmental Risk Assessment in Water and Sediments of the Yiluo River Basin].

Microplastic pollution characteristics and associated ecological environmental risks were assessed in a specific aquatic or sediment environment, providing concentration data and risk indices. The study establishes a contamination baseline and identifies priority pollutant risks for the area studied.

2025 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution characteristics and ecological risk assessment in the Wuding River Basin, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in the Wuding River, a tributary of China's Yellow River, collecting samples from 19 sites across water and sediment. They found that microplastic abundance varied significantly across locations, with fibers being the dominant shape, and identified population density and land use as key factors influencing contamination levels. The ecological risk assessment indicated that certain areas of the basin face moderate to high risk from microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics from South Yellow Sea Mudflat

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in the mudflats of the South Yellow Sea and found plastic particles in both the water and sediment at all sampling locations. Areas near estuaries and ports had higher levels of microplastics in the water, while purely coastal mudflats accumulated more in their sediments. Although overall pollution levels were rated as low, the types of plastic polymers present indicated the potential for significant ecological risk.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in shoreline sediments of the Yellow River Delta

Microplastics were characterized in shoreline sediments from the Yellow River Delta in northern China, with polyethylene and polypropylene fibres and fragments predominating. Source analysis linked MPs to agricultural activities, riverine transport, and fishing, while ecological risk assessment indicated moderate-to-high risk for the delta ecosystem.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristic and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Sishui River (Xingyang Section)].

Researchers characterized microplastics in water samples from sewage outlet sites along the Sishui River (Xingyang section), a Yellow River tributary, finding predominantly transparent fibers and fragments under 500 micrometers composed mainly of PET and PE polymers and conducting ecological risk assessment.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastic contamination in the major tributaries of the Yellow River on the Loess Plateau

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution across 96 sampling sites in three major tributaries of the Yellow River on the Loess Plateau, finding that microplastic abundance and characteristics differed among tributaries based on land use and human activity. The study identified environmental factors driving microplastic contamination patterns in these river systems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in surface water of the lower Yellow River near estuary

Researchers characterized microplastics in surface water of the lower Yellow River near its estuary, finding that 93.12% were fibers, 87.94% were under 200 μm, and the main polymers were polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The study provides baseline data on the types and distribution of microplastics entering the Bohai Sea from one of China's major rivers.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 468 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in Lanzhou section of the Yellow River: Characteristics, ecological risk assessment, and factors analysis

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediments along the Lanzhou section of China's Yellow River. They found that most particles were small fibrous fragments of PET and polypropylene, with higher abundances during the dry season, and that human activity and weather patterns influenced microplastic distribution. Ecological risk assessments indicated the overall pollution level in this stretch of the river was relatively low.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced ecological risk of microplastic ingestion by fish due to fragmentation and deposition in heavily sediment-laden river

A large-scale survey of the Yellow River found microplastics in 100% of water, sediment, and fish gut samples, with concentrations two to three times higher downstream. The heavy sediment load in the river accelerates the breakup of plastics into smaller, more dangerous fragments that are more easily consumed by fish. Since fish from sediment-heavy rivers may contain more microplastics, this has implications for the safety of freshwater fish as human food.

2025 Water Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, sources and multi-dimensional environmental risk assessment of microplastics in soils and groundwater along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow river

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in both soil and groundwater along the middle and lower reaches of China's Yellow River. They found soil concentrations ranging from 426 to over 3,000 particles per kilogram, with fibers being the dominant shape in both soil and groundwater. A novel risk assessment approach revealed that while soil contamination was mostly moderate, nearly a quarter of groundwater samples reached high-risk levels.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sediments from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, China

Researchers sampled sediments from the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms, and higher concentrations near river mouths and urban coastlines.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 531 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in water and sediment in the Henan section of the Yellow River based on the MultiMP comprehensive evaluation method

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in the Henan section of the Yellow River, analyzing both surface water and sediment samples using the MultiMP risk assessment method. The study found microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber-shaped particles in the 25-150 micrometer range being most common, and the findings suggest moderate ecological risk that warrants continued monitoring.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface sediments of a typical river with a highly eroded catchment, a case of the Yan River, a tributary of the Yellow River

Microplastic contamination was characterized in riverbed sediments of rivers on the Loess Plateau in northwest China, an area subject to heavy erosion, finding widespread contamination dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene fragments. The study fills a gap in knowledge on microplastic pollution in inland arid and semi-arid river systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River Basin: Heterogeneity of abundances and characteristics in different environments

Researchers compiled microplastic data from 624 sampling sites across the Yangtze River Basin covering water, sediment, soil, and biota, revealing heterogeneous contamination patterns driven by local land use, population density, and wastewater infrastructure.

2021 Environmental Pollution 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal and spatial variation, and land-use influences on riverine microplastics and their ecological risks in the Yanshui River Basin

Researchers conducted year-round, basin-wide monitoring of microplastics in the Yanshui River Basin across 14 sites spanning agricultural, industrial, and urban land uses, finding average concentrations of 235.1 items/L in surface water and 20,370 items/kg in sediment. Microplastic abundance peaked at upstream agricultural and downstream drainage sites, with sediment functioning as a major accumulation sink.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering