Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on microbial community structure and wheatgrass traits in Pb-contaminated riparian sediments under flood-drainage-planting conditions

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics interact with lead contamination in river sediments under simulated flood-drainage-planting conditions. Both types of microplastics altered the microbial communities in the sediment and affected how much lead was available to plants, with higher concentrations of microplastics generally increasing lead uptake by wheatgrass. This shows how microplastics in contaminated waterways can amplify the movement of heavy metals into plants and potentially into the food chain.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Lead levels and abundance of microplastics in surface water and sediment along a rural–urban river gradient

Researchers sampled water and sediment along a rural-to-urban river and found microplastics at every location, with concentrations decreasing downstream in surface water but not following a clear pattern in sediment. They also found that higher microplastic levels in sediment were linked to higher lead concentrations, suggesting the two pollutants tend to accumulate together.

2024 Discover Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption behavior of Pb(II) onto polyvinyl chloride microplastics affects the formation and ecological functions of microbial biofilms

Researchers found that lead sorption onto PVC microplastics significantly affected microbial biofilm formation and ecological functions, with lead-enriched microplastics altering biofilm community structure and metabolic activities in aquatic systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics addition on sediment environmental properties, enzymatic activities and bacterial diversity

Researchers conducted a 60-day experiment to assess how adding different types of microplastics to river sediment affects its chemical properties, enzyme activity, and bacterial communities. They found that microplastics altered nutrient cycling, changed enzyme activity levels, and shifted the composition of sediment microbial communities. The study demonstrates that microplastic accumulation in sediments can disrupt the biological processes that maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Chemosphere 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction of Pb(II) with microplastic-sediment complexes: Critical effect of surfactant

Researchers investigated how surfactants affect the ability of microplastic-sediment complexes to adsorb lead (Pb) in river environments. The study found that surfactants significantly altered adsorption behavior, with anionic surfactants increasing lead uptake while nonionic surfactants decreased it, suggesting that surfactant presence in polluted waters can change how heavy metals interact with microplastics in sediments.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of polyethylene microplastics and lead (Pb) on the biomass, activity, and community diversity of soil microbes

A soil experiment found that polyethylene microplastics made lead (a toxic heavy metal) more available in soil and worsened its harmful effects on soil microorganisms. The combination reduced beneficial enzyme activity, lowered microbial efficiency, and shifted the soil microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution in contaminated soils could amplify heavy metal toxicity in ways that ultimately affect food crops and human health.

2024 Environmental Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit lead binding to sediment components: Influence of surface functional groups and charge environment

Researchers systematically investigated interactions among lead, polystyrene microplastics, and sediment components to understand how microplastics affect heavy metal behavior in aquatic environments. The study found that polystyrene significantly inhibited lead adsorption to sediment by competing for binding sites, reducing lead uptake by up to 28%, which suggests that microplastics could increase the mobility of toxic metals in contaminated waterways.

2025 Water Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on microbial community dynamics in sediments from the Volturno River ecosystem, Italy

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in the Volturno River in southern Italy, examining how microplastics affect microbial communities in river sediments. The study found that microplastic presence altered microbial community composition and diversity, suggesting that plastic pollution may disrupt important ecological processes in freshwater sediment environments.

2023 Chemosphere 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastics on Microbial Succession at Impaired and Unimpaired Sites in a Riverine System

Researchers compared microbial biofilm diversity on microplastic polymers and natural substrates at impaired and unimpaired riverine sites, examining how environmental nutrient loads, seasonality, and geography influence microbiome succession on plastic surfaces in freshwater ecosystems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics on organic micropollutants biodegradation in river bank sediments

Researchers designed a batch study to examine how polyethylene, polystyrene, and biodegradable polylactide microplastics affect the biodegradation of ten organic micropollutants in river bank filtration sediments, investigating whether microplastics alter microbial community function and pollutant removal efficiency through adsorption, carbon release, and community disruption.

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

Effects of biodegradable microplastics on organic micropollutants biodegradation in river bank sediments

Researchers designed a batch study to examine how polyethylene, polystyrene, and biodegradable polylactide microplastics affect the biodegradation of ten organic micropollutants in river bank filtration sediments, investigating whether microplastics alter microbial community function and pollutant removal efficiency through adsorption, carbon release, and community disruption.

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

Effects of microplastics on sedimentary geochemical properties and microbial ecosystems combined with hydraulic disturbance

Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with river sediments under flowing water conditions versus still water. They found that water movement significantly amplified the effects of microplastics on sediment structure, organic matter, and enzyme activity compared to static conditions. The study reveals that the environmental impact of microplastics in rivers is more complex and potentially greater than laboratory experiments under calm conditions would suggest.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River

Researchers demonstrated that microplastic surfaces in an urban river host a microbial community that is distinct from surrounding water and sediment communities, establishing microplastic as an abundant and ecologically distinct habitat for river microorganisms.

2014 Environmental Science & Technology 1428 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and variation of metals in urban river sediments in response to microplastics presence, catchment characteristics and sediment properties

Researchers found that microplastic presence, alongside catchment urbanization and traffic activity, is associated with elevated heavy metal concentrations — particularly lead — in Brisbane River sediments, suggesting microplastics act as co-contaminants and vectors for metal pollution in urban waterways.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the distribution and interaction mechanism of microplastics with humic acid in river sediments

Researchers found that microplastics and humic acids interact significantly in river sediments, with humic acid coating altering microplastic surface properties and affecting their distribution at different sediment depths, influencing the environmental fate and pollutant-carrying capacity of microplastics.

2022 Chemosphere 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biofilm colonization on Pb(II) adsorption onto poly(butylene succinate) microplastic during its biodegradation

Researchers found that biofilm colonization on biodegradable PBS microplastics during degradation increased lead adsorption roughly tenfold compared to virgin plastic, suggesting that degrading biodegradable plastics may concentrate heavy metals more effectively in aquatic environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation potential of microplastics in urban river sediments: Assessing and predicting the enrichment of PE/PP-degrading bacteria using SourceTracker and machine learning

Researchers analyzed sediment samples from urban rivers to assess the microplastic degradation potential of resident microbial communities, finding that enrichment sources and local environmental conditions determine the abundance of plastic-degrading microbes and their capacity to break down different polymer types.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the vertical distribution and microbial degradation of microplastics in urban river sediments

Vertical distribution and microbial degradation of microplastics in sediment cores were investigated, finding that microplastics were present throughout the vertical profile and that indigenous microbial communities were actively interacting with plastic particles. The study provided new insights into how sediment depth, redox conditions, and microbial activity shape microplastic fate in sediment repositories.

2020 Water Research 284 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environment before and after the Aging of Typical Microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of heavy metals by typical microplastics before and after environmental aging, finding that aging significantly alters microplastics' surface properties and capacity to bind metals such as cadmium and lead in aquatic systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Interaction and bacterial effects of microplastics pollution on heavy metals in hyporheic sediments of different land-use types in the Beiluo River Basin

Researchers studied how microplastics and heavy metals interact in river sediments across different land-use types in a Chinese river basin. They found that microplastics concentrated more heavily in shallow sediments and that the metals detected on microplastic surfaces were present at much higher levels than in surrounding sediment. The study suggests that microplastics may serve as concentrators and carriers of heavy metal contamination, potentially amplifying pollution risks.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastics in altering arsenic fractionation and microbial community structures in arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments

The addition of microplastics to arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments altered arsenic fractionation and shifted microbial community structures, with biodegradable plastics producing different effects compared to conventional polymers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the environmental behavior of co-existing toxic metals in sediment ecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments of a freshwater lake

Researchers examined how microplastics alter the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments, finding that plastic exposure shifted community composition and reduced overall diversity compared to plastic-free controls. Functional analysis showed impaired denitrification and organic matter decomposition in microplastic-contaminated sediments, indicating ecosystem-level consequences for nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Mud and organic content are strongly correlated with microplastic contamination in a meandering riverbed

Researchers found that microplastic concentration in river sediments is strongly correlated with mud and organic content, with riverbank areas showing concentrations about ten times higher than the main channel. The study suggests that sediment composition and river flow dynamics play a key role in where microplastics accumulate within riverbeds.

2024 Communications Earth & Environment 13 citations