Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Study on the Migration and Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics in the Pearl River Estuary under Changing Environmental Conditions

Researchers investigated the migration and spatial distribution of microplastics in the Pearl River Estuary under changing environmental conditions, modeling the dynamic transport of the estimated 66 tons of microplastics discharged annually from this estuary into the South China Sea.

2025 Journal of Environmental Informatics
Article Tier 2

Distribution, sedimentary record, and persistence of microplastics in the Pearl River catchment, China

Researchers traced the sources, distribution, and persistence of microplastics throughout the Pearl River catchment in China, from the main river and its tributaries to the estuary. They found microplastics in all water and sediment samples, with polyethylene and polypropylene fragments dominating, and identified municipal wastewater as a major source. The study also examined sediment cores showing that microplastic deposition has increased over recent decades, reflecting the growth of plastic production and consumption.

2019 Environmental Pollution 278 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative Contributions of Climate and Human Activities to Streamflow and Sediment Load in the Xiliugou Basin of China

Researchers analyzed 30 years of data from the Xiliugou Basin in China to quantify how climate change and human activities have affected streamflow and sediment transport. The study found that human activities, particularly land-use changes, were the dominant factor driving decreases in both streamflow and sediment load, with an abrupt shift occurring around 1997.

2024 Sustainability 3 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

Spatio-temporal comparison of neustonic microplastic density in Hong Kong waters under the influence of the Pearl River Estuary

Spatial and temporal surveys of microplastic density in Hong Kong surface waters found elevated concentrations near the Pearl River Estuary and seasonal variation linked to river discharge. The study provides empirical evidence that river outflow from China's Pearl River is a significant driver of coastal microplastic distribution in Hong Kong waters.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydro-sedimentary conditions shape the microplastic occurrence in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (China)

A field study of the Pearl River Estuary in southern China found microplastic concentrations in sediments ranging from 4 to 220 particles/kg, with higher abundance in nearshore zones, and identified hydrodynamic conditions and proximity to urban areas as the main drivers of spatial variation.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution, morphology, and risk assessment of microplastics in sediment from the Pearl River Estuary, China

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sediment from the Pearl River Estuary in China, one of the world's most densely populated coastal regions. They found microplastics widely distributed across the estuary, with varying shapes and polymer types linked to both urban and industrial sources. The study provides a risk assessment suggesting that sediment microplastic pollution in this ecosystem warrants ongoing monitoring and management.

2024 Emerging contaminants 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in a Coastal Region of the Pearl River Estuary, China

Researchers found that microplastic abundance in the Pearl River Estuary coastal region was 1.85-fold higher during the rainy season than the dry season, with concentrations decreasing from river to estuary to open sea. Fibers and fragments dominated, with gray, white, and green particles most common across sampling sites.

2021 Water 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the impacts of meteorological and anthropogenic changes on sediment fluxes along an estuary-sea continuum

Researchers ran a 22-year computer simulation of France's Seine Estuary to separate the effects of weather patterns from human engineering changes — like dredging and narrowing the channel — on how sediment flows between the estuary and the sea. They found that human modifications have fundamentally shifted the estuary from a sediment-exporting to a sediment-trapping system, with important implications for how pollutants like microplastics accumulate in estuarine environments.

2021 Scientific Reports 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Riverine Microplastic Pollution in the Pearl River Delta, China: Are Modeled Estimates Accurate?

Researchers compared field measurements of microplastic loads in Pearl River Delta tributaries with model-based estimates, finding significant discrepancies that suggest current models either underestimate or overestimate emissions depending on assumptions used. Improving model accuracy requires better local emission data and validation against diverse river systems.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 230 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution at Different Sediment Depths in an Urban Estuary

Researchers sampled sediment cores from an urban estuary to map how microplastic particles are distributed at different depths over time. The study found that microplastic density varied with sediment depth, reflecting historical changes in plastic pollution and urban runoff.

2017 Frontiers in Marine Science 271 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of persistent rain on microplastics distribution and plastisphere community: A field study in the Pearl River, China

Researchers studied the Pearl River in China and found that persistent rain increased the amount and variety of microplastics in surface water while decreasing them in sediments. The heavy rainfall stirred up settled particles, temporarily turning river sediments from microplastic sinks into sources. The study highlights how weather events can redistribute microplastic pollution and alter the microbial communities that grow on plastic surfaces.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence and ecological risk assessment in the eight outlets of the Pearl River Estuary, a new insight into the riverine microplastic input to the northern South China Sea

Researchers estimated that the Pearl River Estuary delivers approximately 304 trillion microplastic particles (1,102 tons) annually into the northern South China Sea, finding that tidal effects significantly influence microplastic abundance and that rural areas on the western side pose underestimated environmental threats.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Pearl River networks: Characteristic, potential sources, and migration pathways

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across the Pearl River Basin in China, one of the country's largest river systems, and found microplastics in every water sample at an average of about 1,093 particles per liter. Population density and rainwater runoff were the main factors driving contamination levels, with rainfall washing plastics from land into the river. Since the Pearl River supplies water for millions of people, these findings raise concerns about microplastic exposure through drinking water sources.

2025 Water Research 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Hong Kong's marine waters: Impact of rainfall and Pearl River discharge

Researchers systematically tracked microplastic levels in Hong Kong's coastal waters from 2019 to 2021 and found that seasonal rainfall was a much bigger driver of contamination than pandemic-related factors like mask use. Microplastic abundance was significantly higher during the wet season, with surface runoff from rain carrying land-based pollution into the ocean. Sites closer to the Pearl River Delta had the highest levels, indicating that river discharge is a major source of marine microplastic contamination in the region.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution, Key Influencing Factors, and Ecological Risk of Microplastics in Pearl River Estuary Water and Sediments

Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics in the water and sediments of the Pearl River Estuary in China and identified the key factors driving contamination levels. Fibers were the most common microplastic type found, and human activity along the coast strongly influenced pollution patterns. The study also assessed ecological risks and provides a framework for understanding how microplastics accumulate in heavily populated estuarine environments.

2025 Water 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in the Pearl River along Guangzhou city and Pearl River estuary, China

Microplastic abundance and distribution were surveyed in the Pearl River urban section through Guangzhou and the Pearl River estuary, finding average concentrations of 19,860 items/m³ in the urban section and 8,902 items/m³ in the estuary, with over 80% of particles smaller than 0.5 mm. The study documents exceptionally high microplastic concentrations in an urban Chinese river and identifies wastewater effluent and urban tributaries as major sources.

2018 Chemosphere 525 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil erosion and sediment dynamics in the Anthropocene: a review of human impacts during a period of rapid global environmental change

This review examines how human activities have altered soil erosion and sediment transport patterns, particularly since the mid-twentieth century. Researchers found that land use changes, deforestation, and agriculture have dramatically increased erosion rates, while dams and reservoirs have disrupted natural sediment flow to oceans. The study highlights how these changes affect global climate, water security, and the transport of pollutants including microplastics through river systems.

2020 Journal of Soils and Sediments 183 citations
Article Tier 2

Prediction of Microplastic Emissions in River Basins Based on Mathematical Models

Researchers developed a mathematical model integrating multivariate linear regression and stepwise regression to predict microplastic emissions in the Guangzhou section of the Pearl River Basin, using historical abundance data to forecast 2025 annual average concentrations in this urban river system.

2025 Applied and Computational Engineering
Article Tier 2

Using lake sediments to assess the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activity in tropical river deltas

This is not a microplastics study; it reviews how palaeolimnology — analysing historical deposits in lakes and wetlands — can help managers understand long-term human impacts on tropical river delta systems, covering changes in hydrology, salinity, and nutrient pollution.

2023 The Anthropocene Review 10 citations