Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution and river-sea transport of microplastics with tidal fluctuation in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated how tidal fluctuation affects the vertical distribution and river-sea transport of microplastics in a subtropical estuary in China, finding that tidal dynamics significantly influence microplastic size, concentration, and movement between river and marine environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of microplastic abundance under tidal fluctuation in Musi estuary, Indonesia

This first study of microplastic dynamics under tidal influence in the Musi River Estuary, Indonesia, found that particle abundance fluctuated with flood and ebb tides, with tidal forcing shaping microplastic transport across estuarine zones.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Horizontal variation of microplastics with tidal fluctuation in the Chao Phraya River Estuary, Thailand

Microplastic concentrations and composition in the Chao Phraya River Estuary in Thailand varied with tidal cycle, with flood tides increasing marine-sourced particles and ebb tides flushing river-derived fragments, showing that tidal dynamics must be accounted for in estuarine microplastic sampling designs.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 51 citations
Article Tier 2

How does the tidal cycle influence the estuarine dynamics of microplastics?

Researchers investigated how tidal cycles influence the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in an urban estuary, finding that tidal dynamics significantly affect MP transport dynamics and that estuaries serve as a major conduit for MP transfer from rivers to the ocean.

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

Fluctuations in the Microplastic Vertical Distribution Due to Tide in the Tidal Reach of the Oita River

Researchers monitored microplastic vertical distribution through a full tidal cycle in the tidal reach of the Oita River, Japan, finding that concentrations were highest in bottom layers regardless of tidal phase, with accumulation at a saltwater intrusion layer, and that rising tide conditions produced the highest vertically-averaged concentrations.

2025 Japanese Journal of JSCE
Article Tier 2

Suspended microplastics during a tidal cycle in sea-surface waters around Chao Phraya River mouth, Thailand

Researchers sampled microplastics from surface waters around the Chao Phraya River mouth in Thailand during low and high tides. Microplastic concentrations were significantly lower during spring tide than neap tide, suggesting that tidal dynamics play an important role in how plastic particles are distributed and diluted in coastal waters.

2020 ScienceAsia 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variability of microplastic transport modulated by tides: A mass-based assessment in a turbidity maximum zone

Researchers found that tidal dynamics seasonally modulate microplastic transport in an estuary's turbidity maximum zone, with summer conditions promoting bottom enrichment and seaward decreases in particle size and abundance consistent with fragmentation and differential settling processes.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

How does the tidal cycle influence the estuarine dynamics of microplastics?

Researchers tracked how tidal cycles influence the movement and distribution of microplastics within estuaries, finding that tidal dynamics play a major role in concentrating or dispersing particles across intertidal zones. The study provides a framework for understanding microplastic transport in tidal environments.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of microplastics in urban rivers under varying hydrological regimes

Monitoring of urban rivers showed that microplastic concentrations fluctuate significantly with varying hydrological conditions such as storm events and seasonal flow changes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for accurately characterizing the river microplastic load and its variability over time.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentration drive microplastic distribution in the Pearl River Estuary: Insights from remote sensing retrieval

Field measurements showed that tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentrations are key drivers of microplastic transport in coastal and estuarine waters. The results help explain why microplastic concentrations fluctuate with tidal cycles and inform models predicting where plastics accumulate in dynamic coastal zones.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic signatures of microplastic distribution across the water column of Yangtze River Estuary: Complicated implication of tidal effects

Seasonal sampling of microplastic concentrations throughout the Yangtze River Estuary water column found tidal dynamics strongly influenced distribution, with researchers developing a model estimating 2154 tons per year of microplastic flux into the East China Sea and a tide impact factor index of 38-58%.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in the Belawan Estuary, Indonesia

Researchers tracked microplastic levels across different tidal cycles and lunar phases in an Indonesian estuary, finding that concentrations peaked near the coastline during high tide and full moon periods. The study shows that tidal currents and seasonal water flow patterns strongly control where microplastics accumulate, which is important for designing cleanup strategies.

2025 The Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of tidal current on the settling and accumulation of microplastics in the Chao Phraya River estuary, Thailand

Researchers investigated the effect of tidal currents on the settling and accumulation of microplastics in the Chao Phraya River estuary during a mixed spring tidal cycle, deploying sediment traps at 3 meters depth during flood and ebb tides. The study found that tidal dynamics significantly influence where and how microplastics are deposited in estuarine sediments.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Mobilization and deposition of plastic along an estuarine bank during tidal cycles

An experimental study in a French macrotidal estuary tracked plastic debris (macro, meso, and microplastics ≥3 mm) across six tidal cycles, finding that tidal mobilization and deposition patterns on estuarine banks are highly dynamic and dependent on plastic composition, shape, and tidal stage.

2025 Heliyon 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrology Modulates the Microplastics Composition and Transport Flux Across the River–Sea Interface in Zhanjiang Bay, China

Researchers measured how tides and seasonal rainfall affect the movement of microplastics through an estuary in southern China. They found that microplastic levels rose during low tides and dropped during high tides, with an estimated 1.6 billion particles flowing from river to sea each year. The findings provide a framework for understanding how water flow patterns drive microplastic transport into coastal environments.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Do tidal fluctuations affect microplastics distribution and composition in coastal waters?

This study investigated whether tidal fluctuations affect the distribution and composition of microplastics in megatidal coastal waters. Researchers collected water samples across complete tidal cycles during spring and neap tides, providing insights into how natural hydrodynamic processes influence microplastic transport and concentration patterns.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative tidal control of spatiotemporal microplastics variability in an estuary

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in river water get trapped and concentrated near the bottom of estuaries (where rivers meet the ocean) by tides and saltwater layers. Over time, these microplastics get pushed out to sea, meaning rivers are continuously dumping plastic pollution into our oceans. This matters because microplastics can enter the food chain through seafood we eat, and understanding how they move helps us figure out where the pollution is coming from and how to reduce it.

2026
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a salt-wedge estuary: Vertical structure and tidal dynamics

Researchers conducted the first study of microplastic distribution in the vertically structured Adour Estuary in France, finding that tidal dynamics and the salt-wedge interface significantly influence microplastic abundance and vertical stratification, with distinct concentration patterns across tidal cycles.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics and ecological risk assessment during tidal changes in the Chao Phraya River estuary, Thailand

This study was the first to assess how tidal changes affect microplastic concentrations in the Chao Phraya River estuary in Thailand, finding abundances ranging from 1.37 to 4.51 pieces per liter across the tidal cycle. Fibers and fragments dominated, with ecological risk assessed as moderate.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments in Beibu Gulf, South China: Implications of tidal current velocity and tidal range

Researchers examined how tidal current velocity and tidal range influence the distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments in Beibu Gulf, South China, finding strong linear relationships between current velocity and microplastic content during both flood and ebb tides. Microplastic concentrations increased from the seaward to landward boundary, with tidal current velocity -- but not tidal range -- significantly predicting their accumulation rates.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

How flooding rivers deliver plastic to the ocean: A case study of microplastic and mesoplastic load–discharge relationships

A field study tracked how a flooding river delivered plastic debris to the ocean, mapping the rapid transport of macroplastics and microplastics during a high-flow event. The research shows that floods are major episodic drivers of plastic export from land to sea, contributing disproportionately to ocean plastic budgets.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Storm Response of Fluvial Sedimentary Microplastics

Researchers investigated how storm events affect microplastic concentrations in river sediments, finding that flood conditions remobilize stored particles and significantly increase microplastic loads in fluvial systems. The study identified key physical controls on microplastic storage and transport in river channels.

2020 Scientific Reports 129 citations
Article Tier 2

Tide-induced infiltration and resuspension of microplastics in shorelines: Insights from tidal tank experiments

Researchers investigated how tidal forces drive microplastic infiltration and resuspension in shoreline sediments using tidal tank experiments, finding that smaller, lower-density particles were more readily resuspended and that tidal cycles progressively redistributed microplastics.

2023 Water Research 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of flooding events on microplastic distribution from rivers to coastal areas: a case study from Tuticorin, Southeast India

Researchers compared microplastic abundance in river, estuarine, and coastal water and sediment before and after a 2023 flood event in Southeast India. Flood events tripled microplastic abundance in surface water (from 28 to 95 items/L) and increased sediment concentrations 1.5-fold, demonstrating that flooding is a major driver of microplastic redistribution.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations