Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Investigations on the co-occurrence of microplastics and other pollutants in the River Yamuna, Delhi

Researchers found increasing microplastic concentrations along the Yamuna River in Delhi, with levels rising from 500 MP/m3 upstream to 3,900 MP/m3 downstream near major drain outfalls, alongside elevated heavy metal and fecal coliform contamination.

2022 Water Science & Technology Water Supply 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban drainage channels as a pathway for microplastics in riverine systems: A case study of Delhi, India

Researchers measured microplastics in Delhi's Najafgarh drain, secondary drains, and the Yamuna River, finding concentrations of 100-6,700 particles per cubic meter in secondary drains with clear seasonal variation. Urban drainage channels were identified as a major pathway for microplastics from terrestrial sources into the Yamuna River system.

2024 Water Science & Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Assessment of Water Quality in the Yamuna River (Delhi-NCR Stretch) Using Water Quality Index and Multivariate Statistical Analysis: A Seasonal Perspective

Researchers conducted a seasonal water quality assessment of the Yamuna River's most polluted stretch in Delhi, finding critically degraded conditions at all eight monitoring stations year-round, with peak pollution during pre-monsoon season marked by very high BOD, COD, and near-zero dissolved oxygen levels.

2026
Article Tier 2

Correlation appraisal of antibiotic resistance with fecal, metal and microplastic contamination in a tropical Indian river, lakes and sewage

Researchers sampled water from Indian urban rivers, lakes, and sewage plants and found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria correlated with fecal contamination and microplastic presence, especially for certain antibiotics, while fluoroquinolone resistance appeared more linked to seasonal temperature. The study suggests microplastics may help spread antibiotic resistance in urban waterways, adding a new dimension to concerns about plastic pollution.

2020 npj Clean Water 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, fate, and risk assessment of antibiotics in typical pharmaceutical manufactories and receiving water bodies from different regions

Researchers surveyed four pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in China and found thirteen different antibiotics in their wastewater and nearby receiving water bodies at concentrations up to 727 nanograms per liter. Fluoroquinolones and macrolides were the most prevalent classes, and while wastewater treatment removed some antibiotics, significant residues persisted in the environment. The study highlights pharmaceutical manufacturing as an important source of antibiotic pollution in waterways.

2023 PLoS ONE 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Multifaceted analysis of microplastic pollution dynamics in the Yamuna river: Assessing anthropogenic impacts and ecological consequences

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across 29 locations along the Yamuna River in India, spanning urban, rural, and industrial zones. They found an average of nearly 15,000 microplastic particles per liter, with hazardous polymers like PET and nylon being most common and concentrations highest near urban and industrial areas. The study highlights that the Yamuna is heavily contaminated with microplastics and that population density and industrial activity are major drivers of this pollution.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and factors influencing microplastic concentration during monsoon season in the Ganga River, Bihar, India

Researchers investigated sources and factors influencing microplastic concentrations in the Ganga River during monsoon season, finding that untreated residential and industrial waste from major Indian cities contributes significantly to contamination of one of the world's most biodiverse rivers.

2025 Discover Environment
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and ecological risks of pharmaceuticals in a Mediterranean river in Eastern Spain

Researchers monitored a Spanish Mediterranean river and detected up to 69 pharmaceutical compounds in the water, with painkillers and antibiotics posing the highest ecological risk — affecting an estimated 65–82% of aquatic species in areas near wastewater treatment plant outflows. Five antibiotics exceeded thresholds linked to antibiotic resistance, raising concerns that standard wastewater treatment is insufficient to protect river ecosystems.

2020 Environment International 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, fate, and risk assessment of antibiotics in typical pharmaceutical manufactories and receiving surface waters from different regions

Researchers assessed the occurrence, fate, and environmental risk of antibiotics in wastewater from four pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in China and their receiving surface waters, detecting 13 antibiotics at concentrations of 57-727 ng/L with fluoroquinolones and macrolides as the dominant classes and identifying residual risks after wastewater treatment discharge.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of sulfamethoxazole on a riverine microbiome

Scientists studied how the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole affects the microbial community in a river, finding that even low concentrations shifted the balance of bacteria and promoted antibiotic resistance genes. This is relevant to the microplastic field because both antibiotics and microplastics promote antibiotic resistance when they co-occur in aquatic environments.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Urbanization on Antibiotic Resistome in Different Microplastics: Evidence from a Large-Scale Whole River Analysis

Researchers conducted a large-scale river survey across urbanization gradients and characterized antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics from each zone, finding that urbanization level strongly predicted the diversity and abundance of resistance genes on plastic surfaces.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Emerging Contaminants Using Low-Cost and Advanced Treatment Technologies: Evidence from Six Indian Cities

Researchers monitored pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and microplastics across six major Indian urban-river systems and assessed seasonal dynamics and treatment efficiency at wastewater plants, finding that conventional treatment largely fails to remove these emerging contaminants.

2025 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Article Tier 2

Seasonality impels the antibiotic resistance in Kelani River of the emerging economy of Sri Lanka

A study of the Kelani River in Sri Lanka found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria were more prevalent during dry seasons, when lower water flow concentrates pollutants. Microplastics in rivers can carry antibiotic resistance genes and resistant bacteria, worsening the public health threat from contaminated water.

2020 npj Clean Water 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Seine River Basin: Overview of Recent Research

Researchers summarized over 30 years of pollution monitoring in the Seine River basin, finding widespread contamination from microplastics, industrial fluorinated chemicals (PFAS), disease-causing microbes, antibiotics, and antibiotic-resistant genes. Urban rivers were identified as hotspots where resistance traits concentrate in bacterial communities, posing risks to both ecosystems and public health.

2020 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Rivers under stress: a comprehensive review on pollutant sources, human and ecological impacts, analytical, statistical, and geospatial methods and restoration strategies, for evaluating river water quality in India

This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence from 145 publications on river pollution across India, covering contamination sources, health impacts, and monitoring methods. Researchers found that untreated sewage is the largest contributor to river degradation, while emerging contaminants including microplastics contribute to bioaccumulation, antibiotic resistance, and health issues in communities living near affected waterways.

2026 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria contamination in a river of central Italy

Researchers sampled a river in central Italy for both microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, finding polyethylene as the dominant polymer at over 60 percent of detected plastic debris. The study found a high rate of multidrug resistance among isolated bacteria, suggesting that the co-occurrence of microplastics and resistant bacteria in river water may amplify the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.

2026 Frontiers in Freshwater Science
Review Tier 2

Proclivities for prevalence and treatment of antibiotics in the ambient water: a review

This review critically examines the prevalence of antibiotics in ambient water systems and the challenges of treating antibiotic-contaminated water. Researchers found that antibiotic resistance in water environments has emerged as a major public health concern, driven by pharmaceutical runoff and inadequate wastewater treatment. The study evaluates various treatment technologies and emphasizes the need for better monitoring and removal strategies to address this growing threat to water quality.

2020 npj Clean Water 161 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of the Distribution of Antibiotics in Water in Different Regions of China and Current Antibiotic Degradation Pathways

This review summarized the spatial and temporal distribution of antibiotic contamination across major Chinese water bodies, identifying livestock farming, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and aquaculture as primary sources and reviewing current biological and physicochemical degradation pathways.

2021 Frontiers in Environmental Science 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance in Lotic Ecosystems

This review examines the occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in lotic (flowing water) ecosystems, analyzing how rivers and streams serve as reservoirs and conduits for the environmental dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Researchers synthesized evidence showing that agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and hospital effluents are major contributors to resistance gene loads in freshwater systems.

2022 THE SCIENTIFIC TEMPER 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of the Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli Populations from Water and Biofilm in River Environments

Researchers compared antibiotic resistance in E. coli populations from river water versus sediment and biofilm samples at locations upstream and downstream of urban areas in Austria. They found that biofilm and sediment environments harbored bacteria with higher rates of antibiotic resistance compared to the water column. The study suggests that river biofilms may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with implications for how pollutants including microplastics interact with microbial communities.

2024 Pathogens 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Holistic assessment of chemical and biological pollutants in a Mediterranean wastewater effluent-dominated stream: Interactions and ecological impacts

Researchers conducted a comprehensive assessment of pollution downstream from a wastewater treatment plant discharge into a Mediterranean river in Spain. They found elevated levels of pharmaceuticals, metals, microplastics, PFAS chemicals, and antibiotic resistance genes below the discharge point, though some recovery occurred within about 500 meters downstream. The study demonstrates that even treated wastewater significantly alters river water quality and microbial communities, highlighting the need for improved treatment technologies.

2025 Environmental Pollution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of antibiotics in the environment: Have appropriate measures been taken to protect Canadian human and ecological health?

This review examines how antibiotics and other contaminants of emerging concern, including microplastics, are legally discharged into Canadian freshwater from treatment plants and accumulate in the environment. The buildup of these substances raises concerns about antibiotic resistance and ecosystem disruption, with potential downstream effects on human health through contaminated drinking water and food sources.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic analysis in the sediments of river Ganga and their relationship with ARGs.

Researchers sampled sediments from three sites on the banks of the river Ganga and one site on the upper Ganga canal monthly from January to March 2024, analyzing microplastics by binocular microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy and quantifying four antibiotic resistance genes (sul1, tetA, qnrS, acrA) alongside the 16S rRNA bacterial marker by qPCR. They found microplastics — predominantly polyethylene and PVC fibers — in all samples and assessed their relationship to antibiotic resistance gene abundance in river sediments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in upper Himalayan Ganga river: Occurrence, seasonal dynamics and ecological risk

Researchers quantified microplastics at 19 sites across the upper Himalayan Ganga River over six months, finding concentrations of 100–1,550 particles per liter in water and rising contamination levels downstream toward densely populated cities, with fibers, polyethylene, and post-monsoon conditions dominating the pollution profile.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations