Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in groundwater of two rural communities in Mexico

Researchers detected microplastics in drinking water from ten rural wells in two Mexican communities, finding diverse polymer types and morphologies at concentrations that suggest widespread groundwater MP contamination even in areas distant from major urban pollution sources.

2025 Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants II

Researchers examined 100 fecal samples from goats in Manabí Province, Ecuador, finding microplastic contamination in all samples and identifying the specific plastic types using two laboratory processing methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Small Ruminants I

A study in Guayas Province, Ecuador, found microplastics in every sample collected from 200 sheep feces, water, and feed samples, with water origin and feed category as the primary sources of microplastic contamination in small ruminant farming.

2025
Article Tier 2

Contamination, morphological and chemical characterization, and hazard risk analyses of microplastics in drinking water sourced from groundwater in a developing nation

Researchers analyzed groundwater from six coastal districts in a developing nation and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. Since groundwater is the primary drinking water source in many developing countries, this contamination represents a direct pathway for microplastic ingestion by millions of people.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern, including microplastics, in urban and agricultural watersheds in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Researchers measured contamination from microplastics and other emerging pollutants in both urban and agricultural watersheds in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. They found microplastics in all sampled locations, along with pesticides, caffeine, and other chemicals, with pollution patterns differing between urban and farming areas. The study shows that microplastic contamination is widespread in Brazilian water systems used for drinking and irrigation, contributing to human exposure through multiple pathways.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Susceptibility of a peri-urban water supply and sanitation system to selected emerging micropollutants

Researchers tested seven peri-urban water quality monitoring sites for emerging micropollutants including microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, finding that while microplastics were absent from raw and treated tap water, they were present in raw sewage, raising environmental concerns about wastewater system discharges.

2025 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Drinking plastic: a study of microplastic concentrations in drinking water from rural and urban sources in Mali, Africa

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in drinking water from rural and urban sources in Mali, Africa, finding microplastics in all samples and identifying higher concentrations in urban supplies, with implications for human health in a region with limited water treatment infrastructure.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the drinking water of the Riobamba city, Ecuador

Researchers analyzed 62 drinking water samples from the Riobamba city distribution system in Ecuador, sourced from glacial meltwater wells, and found microplastic presence in 19% of samples using cellulose filtration and Nile red staining.

2019 Scientific Review Engineering and Environmental Sciences (SREES) 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in rivers and coastal waters of the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Researchers found microplastic contamination throughout rivers and coastal waters of Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, with coastal waters showing significantly higher concentrations than rivers and transparent fibres and brown fragments being the most abundant types.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Pig Production

Researchers analyzed 200 samples—feces, water, and feed—from pig farming operations in Manta, Ecuador, finding microplastics in 100% of samples, with water source and feed category identified as key contamination sources.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in tropical Andean rivers: A perspective from a highly populated Ecuadorian basin without wastewater treatment

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in a highly populated Ecuadorian river basin that lacks wastewater treatment, finding contamination throughout the system and demonstrating that rivers in low-income tropical countries with poor infrastructure are major conduits for microplastics.

2020 Heliyon 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Ecuador: A review of environmental and health-risk assessment challenges

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in Ecuador, covering contamination in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments as well as potential health effects. Researchers found that while evidence of microplastic pollution across Ecuador is growing, significant gaps remain in monitoring coverage and risk assessment methods. The study calls for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to better understand the scope of microplastic contamination in the country.

2023 Heliyon 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and POP contamination in rural waste-dumping sites, India

Researchers collected soil and water samples from unregulated waste-dumping sites in rural Tamil Nadu, India, finding microplastics in all samples, with polypropylene and polyethylene as the dominant polymers, raising concerns about contamination of drinking water and agricultural land.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Transport, Behavior, and Human Exposure of Microplastics in Rural Drinking Water Supply Chains

Researchers tracked microplastic distribution, transport, and human exposure risk through rural drinking water supply chains in China, finding MPs present throughout the system from source water to tap, with concentration changes at each treatment and distribution stage.

2025 Environment & Health
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in urban water systems, Tehran Metropolitan, Iran

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across Tehran's urban water systems, including runoff, drinking water, groundwater, rivers, and wastewater effluent. They found microplastics present in all parts of the system, with residential and commercial runoff showing the highest concentrations. The study revealed that different land use types influenced the amount and characteristics of microplastic pollution, suggesting that urbanization patterns play a significant role in water contamination.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplásticos en el agua potable de la ciudad de Riobamba

This study detected microplastics in drinking water samples from Riobamba, Ecuador, finding that over 80 percent of analyzed samples contained plastic particles. The research adds to growing global evidence that microplastic contamination of drinking water is widespread, raising public health concerns.

2018
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in groundwater: Case study - Slovenia

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Slovenian groundwater, which supplies drinking water to 98% of the population, characterizing MP occurrence, transport, and risk across multiple aquifer systems affected by urban, industrial, and agricultural activities.

2024
Article Tier 2

Geographical heterogeneity and dominant polymer types in microplastic contamination of lentic ecosystems: implications for methodological standardization and future research

Researchers found significant geographical heterogeneity in the types of microplastics contaminating lentic ecosystems worldwide, with polyethylene dominating overall, followed by polypropylene and polystyrene, highlighting regional differences in plastic sources and environmental persistence.

2023 RSC Advances 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm-associated microplastic contamination in rural soil and water: emerging hazards to ecosystems

Researchers found significant microplastic contamination in soil and water near rural dumpsites in areas with poor waste management, with polystyrene and PET being the most common plastic types. The microplastic surfaces were colonized by bacteria that showed resistance to the antibiotic streptomycin, highlighting a dual threat of chemical pollution and drug resistance. These findings show that unregulated rural waste disposal creates hotspots where microplastics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria can enter local water supplies.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Cuantificación de la presencia de microplásticos en la cuenca alta del río Guayllabamba

This study quantified microplastics in the upper basin of the Guayllabamba River in Ecuador, finding contamination at multiple sites. The results add to evidence that South American rivers far from major industrial centers are already contaminated with microplastics, which eventually flow toward coastal and marine environments.

2018
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake

Researchers surveyed macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a South American floodplain lake and found an average of 704 microplastic particles per square meter in sediments, with plastic contamination comparable to marine beaches — demonstrating that freshwater lakes can be major plastic pollution reservoirs.

2017 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 308 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence and Quantification of Microplastic in Urban Tap Water: A Pre-Screening in Brasilia, Brazil

Researchers sampled tap water from Brasilia, Brazil and detected microplastics in all samples, with fibers as the dominant type and concentrations higher than many previous studies from other cities, highlighting the need for treatment infrastructure improvements and standardized monitoring.

2021 Sustainability 47 citations
Article Tier 2

First insight into microplastic groundwater pollution in Latin America: the case of a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico

Researchers conducted the first investigation of microplastic pollution in groundwater in Latin America, analyzing six capped boreholes in a coastal aquifer in northwest Mexico for microplastic abundance, concentration, and characteristics. The study detected microplastics in groundwater samples, establishing baseline contamination data for this understudied environmental compartment and raising concerns about drinking water quality in the region.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Detection and Analysis of Microplastics in a Typical Mountainous Drinking Water System in China

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in a mountainous drinking water system in rural China and found that microplastic concentrations increased along the pipeline length, with simple filtration facilities failing to effectively remove most particles. Polyethylene, polyurethane, and PET were the dominant polymers, with most particles smaller than 100 micrometers. The estimated daily intake was highest for infants, highlighting the particular vulnerability of young children in remote communities with limited water treatment infrastructure.

2024 Toxics 2 citations