Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Stormwater runoff microplastics: Polymer types, particle size, and factors controlling loading rates

Researchers characterized microplastics in stormwater runoff samples collected at urban outfall locations. The study identified 17 different polymer types across various storm events, with concentrations around 0.99 particles per liter for the 500-1000 micrometer size range, and found that rainfall intensity and land use were key factors controlling microplastic loading rates.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Estimated discharge of microplastics via urban stormwater during individual rain events

Researchers collected stormwater samples from 15 locations during rain events to assess microplastic discharge through urban runoff. The study found highly variable microplastic concentrations influenced by catchment characteristics, and provided estimates of the quantity of microplastics released to receiving waters during rain events, highlighting urban stormwater as an important pathway for microplastic pollution.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic emission characteristics of stormwater runoff in an urban area: Intra-event variability and influencing factors

Researchers found that stormwater runoff from both industrial and residential urban catchments contained substantial microplastics (54–639 particles per liter), with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating, and that microplastic concentrations peaked early in rain events following longer dry periods.

2023 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics accumulated in sediments of stormwater detention basins, in relation to the land use patterns in the contributing catchment.

Microplastics in stormwater detention basin sediments were characterized and linked to surrounding land use, with roads and residential areas contributing the highest concentrations and most diverse plastic types.

2023
Article Tier 2

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics in runoff sediments and their correlation with land use and occupation in an urban area in the city of Bauru-SP

Researchers analysed the qualitative and quantitative distribution of microplastics in urban runoff sediments across different land use categories in Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil, including social housing, traditional residential, high-income residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Results indicated that microplastic abundance in transported sediments correlated with land use intensity, with more densely populated and active areas generating higher microplastic loads entering urban drainage networks.

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

Microplastic pollution in urban stormwater inlet sediments influenced by land use type of runoff drainage area

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in urban stormwater inlet sediments across different land use types in Ma'anshan City, China. They found microplastics present in all locations, with sediments near main roads showing the highest contamination at over 1,100 items per kilogram, roughly double that of other land use types. The study reveals that polypropylene was the dominant polymer across all areas, and that the characteristics of microplastic pollution vary systematically with surrounding land use patterns.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, Distribution and Drivers of Microplastic Contaminant in Urban River Environments

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in urban river environments and identified key drivers of accumulation hotspots, finding that land use, hydrology, and infrastructure factors concentrated microplastics at predictable locations that could inform targeted management interventions.

2018 Preprints.org 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing microplastics in urban runoff: A multi-land use assessment with a focus on 1–125 μm size particles

Researchers collected stormwater runoff from three different urban land use types and found microplastics present across all sites, with significant variation in polymer types depending on the area. By using multiple detection techniques, they were able to identify particles as small as 1 micrometer, revealing that the smallest size fractions dominated the total count. The study emphasizes that urban runoff is a major pathway for microplastic pollution reaching waterways.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance and characteristics in sewers and correlated wastewater treatment plants: A population density-based approach to microplastics mapping

Researchers quantified microplastics in wastewater from campus sewers and a university treatment plant, using student population fluctuations to identify key pollution sources. Significant amounts of microplastics were found in both influent and effluent, with per-capita contributions varying by building type and activity.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban stormwater sediments and runoff: An essential component in the microplastic cycle

This review systematically analyzed microplastic contamination in urban stormwater runoff and sediments, finding concentrations that varied enormously across global studies. Researchers found that stormwater is a major but underappreciated pathway for delivering microplastics to rivers, lakes, and oceans. The study highlights that better stormwater management practices are needed to reduce this significant source of aquatic microplastic pollution.

2024 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Stormwater: Preliminary Findings from the Oregon Coast

Researchers collected stormwater samples and analyzed them for microplastic content, providing preliminary findings on particle abundance, types, and size distributions in urban stormwater runoff. The results confirm stormwater as a significant pathway for microplastics from land surfaces into receiving water bodies.

2024
Article Tier 2

The abundance and characteristics of microplastics in rainwater pipelines in Wuhan, China

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were analyzed in rainwater pipelines draining different land-use areas in Hongshan District, Wuhan, China. The study found microplastics throughout the rainwater drainage network, identifying urban stormwater runoff as a significant pathway for transporting microplastics from land to freshwater bodies.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 169 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban Stormwater Runoff: A Major Pathway for Anthropogenic Particles, Black Rubbery Fragments, and Other Types of Microplastics to Urban Receiving Waters

Researchers quantified microplastics in urban stormwater runoff from 12 watersheds surrounding San Francisco Bay and found concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 24.6 particles per liter, much higher than typical wastewater treatment plant effluent. The study suggests that stormwater runoff is a major and underappreciated pathway for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles to enter urban waterways.

2021 ACS ES&T Water 312 citations
Article Tier 2

The urban microplastic footprint: investigating the distribution and transport

Researchers investigated the distribution and transport of microplastics within an urban environment, mapping the 'urban microplastic footprint' to understand how city infrastructure and land use patterns drive the spatial distribution and downstream export of plastic particles to receiving water bodies.

2025
Article Tier 2

Land Use Pattern Affects Microplastic Concentrations in Stormwater Drains in Urban Catchments in Perth, Western Australia

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in stormwater drains across six Perth and Peel catchments with contrasting land uses, finding mean concentrations of 14.2 microplastics per liter with fibrous forms dominant, and demonstrating that catchment land use pattern significantly influences microplastic loading to stormwater systems that transport particles from terrestrial to coastal environments.

2022 Land 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic emission characteristics of stormwater runoff in an urban area: Intra-event variability and influencing factors

Researchers investigated microplastic emission characteristics in urban stormwater runoff from industrial and residential catchments. Microplastics were detected in concentrations of 54 to 639 particles per liter, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the dominant polymers and fragments the most common shape, and concentrations were higher after longer dry periods.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of drainage infrastructure and land use on microplastic contamination in urban watersheds

This field study compared how different types of urban stormwater infrastructure — surface drains versus piped outfalls — contribute to microplastic contamination in streams across two watersheds with contrasting land uses (agricultural/forested versus residential/commercial). Microplastic concentrations and types differed between drainage types and land uses, with developed areas contributing more plastic particles overall. The findings point to stormwater infrastructure design as a lever for reducing the flow of microplastics from cities into freshwater ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and microorganisms in sediments from stormwater drain system

Researchers measured microplastics in stormwater drain sediments across seasons and found that abundance peaked in winter (when rainfall is infrequent) and dropped in summer when runoff flushing was strongest, with polyethylene terephthalate being the dominant polymer type. The study also documented how microplastics influence the microbial communities in drain sediments, suggesting that stormwater infrastructure acts as both a sink and seasonal conduit for microplastic transport to larger water bodies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Associations between microplastic pollution and land use in urban wetland sediments

This study examined microplastic pollution in urban wetlands and found that land use patterns -- particularly the proportion of impervious surfaces and proximity to urban infrastructure -- strongly predicted microplastic concentrations in wetland sediments.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek

Researchers examined how microplastic concentrations in urban waterways changed during rain events, snowmelt, and combined sewage overflow episodes, finding that stormwater runoff and sewer overflows substantially increase microplastic loads, with event type and intensity influencing concentration patterns.

2022 Frontiers in Water 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in urban freshwater sediments: A descriptive assessment of land-use categories

A study of stormwater retention ponds across different urban land uses in an unspecified city found that microplastic concentrations in pond sediments varied by land type, with levels linked to the surrounding activities such as residential, educational, and mixed-use development. Using Nile red fluorescence staining for identification, the research maps how urban stormwater systems accumulate microplastics and highlights these ponds as overlooked pollution hotspots. Understanding which land uses drive the most contamination can help target urban plastic management interventions.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Land use-based characterization and source apportionment of microplastics in urban storm runoffs in a tropical region

Urban stormwater runoff in a tropical monsoon region contained 4.7 particles/L and 3.8 mg/L microplastics on average, with concentrations following land use order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential, and approximately 85% of sources identifiable by morphology and polymer type.

2023 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics discharged from urban drainage system: Prominent contribution of sewer overflow pollution

Researchers evaluated the abundance and distribution of microplastics in urban drainage systems in coastal Chinese cities, with a focus on sewer overflow events during storms. The study found that overflow pollution during wet weather is a prominent contributor to microplastic discharge into urban water bodies, with meteorological conditions and land use patterns significantly influencing microplastic transport and release.

2023 Water Research 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic sampling strategies in urban drainage systems for quantification of urban emissions based on transport pathways

Researchers developed and applied microplastic sampling strategies across an entire urban municipal catchment under both dry and wet weather conditions, finding that wastewater treatment plants remove over 96% of microplastics but still emit 189 kg per year, while wet-weather emissions from high-traffic subcatchments reached 1,952 grams per population equivalent per year, far exceeding dry-weather levels.

2023 Applied Research 4 citations