Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Spatiо-Temporal Study of the Ecological State of Water Bodies Located within the Detached Objects of the Urbanized Territory of Ukraine

This paper examines how urbanization affects the ecological health of water bodies over time, finding that various types of human activity degrade water quality. Urban runoff is a major pathway by which microplastics and other pollutants enter aquatic ecosystems.

2021 Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Urban Discharge Fraction and Eutrophication in Large European River Networks

Researchers assessed how climate change could worsen water quality in European rivers by increasing nutrient pollution from urban areas. While not focused on microplastics, this study highlights the broader environmental pressures on freshwater systems that also carry microplastic contamination.

2021
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Influence of Anthropogenic Factors of the Urbanized Territory of Poltava Region (Ukraine) on the State of River Water

This study analyzed anthropogenic factors affecting river water quality in the Poltava region of Ukraine, examining how urban areas influence mineralization and other water parameters. The research provides insight into how human settlement patterns degrade freshwater quality in this region.

2022 Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology 4 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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Assessment of Micro-Plastic Contamination in Urban River Systems: A Case Study Using UK Catchment Data

This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in urban rivers across the UK, finding that wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, and industrial discharge are the main sources. The research matters for human health because urban rivers supply drinking water and recreational areas, and microplastic pollution in these waterways increases the risk of human exposure.

2026 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution differences in freshwater river according to stream order: Insights from spatial distribution, annual load, and ecological assessment

Researchers compared microplastic pollution levels in a freshwater river across different land-use zones, finding higher concentrations near urban and agricultural areas than in forested regions. Fiber-type microplastics were predominant across all sampling locations.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental and Spatial Aspects of Pollution of the Territory of Ternopil Region with Microplastic Masses

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution across the Ternopil region of Ukraine, finding that environmental degradation of discarded plastic waste produces widespread invisible microparticle contamination with adverse implications for ecosystem and human health.

2023 Regional’ni aspekti rozvitku produktivnih sil Ukraїni 1 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastics in a freshwater river and their relationship to water quality

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in a freshwater river used for recreational purposes and found a significant relationship between microplastic abundance and water physicochemical quality parameters, along with the presence of three organic compounds, providing evidence that microplastic pollution and water quality are closely linked.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

The contamination of inland waters by microplastic fibres under different anthropogenic pressure: Preliminary study in Central Europe (Poland)

This Polish study measured microfiber contamination in a river and three lakes across central and northeastern Poland, finding significantly higher fiber counts in the river flowing through large cities than in lakes within a protected landscape park. Urban rivers carry substantially higher microplastic fiber loads than relatively undisturbed freshwater bodies, confirming that human activity drives contamination levels.

2020 Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic analysis in urban areas and their impact on quality of life

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in urban water environments and evaluated its impact on community quality of life, arguing that a critical gap in standardized analytical methods is limiting progress in both research and environmental management of microplastic pollution.

2025 MATEC Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic contamination in the Loire River (France) throughout analysis of different biotic and abiotic freshwater matrices

This study assessed microplastic contamination in the Loire River, France, across multiple environmental compartments, investigating how anthropogenic activities in a medium-sized city affect microplastic levels and transport in a major European freshwater system.

2023 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic analysis in urban areas and their impact on quality of life

Researchers reviewed the growing threat of microplastic pollution to biodiversity and human health, focusing on freshwater systems as a key exposure pathway. The study emphasizes the need for standardized identification methods for microplastics in freshwater environments.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Anthropogenic Litter in Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution and Microbial Interactions

Researchers quantified anthropogenic litter in urban rivers and streams and found that microplastics dominated by mass and particle count compared to macroplastic items. The study highlights urban freshwater systems as major conduits for plastic pollution moving toward marine environments and documents distinct microbial communities on plastic surfaces.

2014 PLoS ONE 287 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics, Contamination Levels, and Ecosystem Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Water of a Highly Urbanized River from a Developing Country

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in an urban river near a megacity in a developing country, finding concentrations of 350 to 660 particles per cubic meter of water. Polyethylene and polypropylene from household and municipal waste were the most common types, and a risk assessment found concerning contamination levels at several sampling sites. The study highlights how rivers in developing nations can serve as major pathways for microplastics to reach the ocean and enter the food chain.

2024 ACS Omega 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sophisticated urban river systems: Combined influence of land-use types and physicochemical characteristics

This study assessed microplastic pollution across an urban river network in China, finding that land-use type and water physicochemical properties jointly influence microplastic distribution, with industrial and residential areas contributing highest loads.

2021 Environmental Pollution 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Status of Surface Waters in the Sącz Agglomeration Based on Physicochemical Parameter Studies

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reports physicochemical water quality measurements (heavy metals, suspended solids, pesticides) in rivers near the Sącz agglomeration in Poland, with no focus on plastic pollution.

2026 Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Occurrence in Two Mountainous Rivers in the Lowland Area—A Case Study of the Central Pomeranian Region, Poland

Researchers conducted the first microplastic survey of two mountainous rivers flowing through landscape parks and urbanized zones in northern Poland, analyzing morphological types, sizes, and seasonal variation in microplastic occurrence. The study characterized microplastic contamination in rivers that serve as habitat for sea trout and salmon, connecting urban pollution to protected aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Microplastics 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of riverside cities on microplastics in river water: A case study on the Southern Jiangsu Canal, China

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in the Southern Jiangsu Canal in China and found that riverside cities significantly increase microplastic levels in river water, with abundance rising by 26% to 211% after flowing through urban areas. The study found that microplastic concentrations correlated with regional GDP and population density, with PET, polycarbonate, and polyethylene being the most common polymer types detected.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution and Ecological Risk of Microplastic Contamination in River Water Near a Landfill Leachate Disposal Area: A Case Study of Supit Urang Landfill, Malang City, Indonesia

Researchers mapped the spatial distribution and ecological risk of microplastic contamination across river sediments in a Chinese river system, finding risk levels varied with proximity to urban centers and industrial zones, and that certain polymer types posed elevated ecological hazard.

2025 Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management)
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Contamination, an Emerging Threat to the Freshwater Environment and Human Health: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in freshwater environments and its implications for human health. The evidence shows that microplastics are widespread in rivers, lakes, and drinking water sources, and they can absorb toxic chemicals, making freshwater plastic pollution a direct concern for the safety of our water supply.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments in the urban section of the Vistula River (Poland)

Microplastic abundance and distribution were examined across an urban section of the Vistula River in Poland, testing the hypothesis that concentrations would be highest in the city center. The study found that microplastic loads were elevated in more urbanized river reaches, with the city center showing higher contamination consistent with urban runoff and wastewater contributions.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 141 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, Sources, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in the Lower Minjiang River

Researchers characterized microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer composition in surface water and sediments from the lower Minjiang River in China, then used pollution load indices and ecological risk assessments alongside socioeconomic data to identify likely pollution sources and ecological impacts.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban freshwater : a case study in the city of Amsterdam

This study measured microplastic concentrations in urban freshwater in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, finding widespread contamination across the city's canal network. Urban waterways receive microplastics from multiple sources including stormwater runoff, wastewater overflows, and direct littering.

2023 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination of Fine-Grained Sediments and Its Environmental Driving Factors along a Lowland River: Three-Year Monitoring of the Tisza River and Central Europe

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in fine-grained river sediments over three years (2020-2022) along a large river system, examining environmental driving factors including hydrology, land use, and sediment transport dynamics. The study found that hydrological and geomorphological processes are key determinants of where microplastics accumulate and are remobilized.

2024 Hydrology 8 citations