Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The revelry of plastic! Quali-quantitative variation of microplastics in freshwater before and after Carnival in south-eastern Brazil

Researchers conducted a quali-quantitative survey of microplastics in freshwater habitats, characterizing variation in abundance, polymer type, and morphology across multiple sites and linking pollution levels to upstream land use and human activity.

2024 Marine and Freshwater Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Freshwater River in Rio de Janeiro and Its Role as a Source of Microplastic Pollution in Guanabara Bay, SE Brazil

Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination in three rivers flowing into Guanabara Bay, Brazil, with an average of 3,651 particles per cubic meter dominated by fibers, identifying these freshwater systems as major sources of coastal microplastic pollution.

2023 Micro 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water from the confluence of tropical rivers: Overall review and a case study in Paraiba do Sul River basin

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination at river confluences in the Paraiba do Sul River basin, Brazil's most important southeastern watershed serving millions of people. They found microplastics throughout the river system, with higher concentrations near industrial and densely populated areas. Since this river basin supplies drinking water and supports agriculture for a large population, the contamination raises direct concerns about human microplastic exposure.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal Abundance and Distribution Patterns of Microplastics in the Lis River, Portugal

Researchers investigated seasonal microplastic abundance and distribution in Portugal's Lis River Basin across nine sites, finding fibres and fragments dominated in both water and sediment, with polyethylene the most common polymer in water. Population density, plastic processing companies, and meteorological factors were all associated with seasonal variation in microplastic patterns.

2022 Sustainability 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil

Microplastics were found at all sampling sites in the Atibaia River basin in southeastern Brazil across wet and dry seasons between 2019–2020, with fibers predominating and concentrations varying by proximity to a sewage treatment plant discharge.

2024 Heliyon 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-seasonal microplastics distribution along a shallow coastal lagoon ecocline within a marine conservation unit

Researchers conducted monthly sampling along a shallow coastal lagoon ecocline in a Brazilian marine conservation unit and found seasonal variation in microplastic abundance driven by rainfall and river inputs, with polyethylene and polypropylene fibers and fragments dominating the samples.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Characterization of Microplastics and Their Relationship With Water Quality in the Cabaça Stream, Campo Grande-MS

Researchers investigated the presence, abundance, and morphological characteristics of microplastics in the Cabaça Stream in Campo Grande, Brazil, and examined their relationship with water quality indicators. The study found microplastics throughout the stream system, identifying a correlation between microplastic concentrations and degraded water quality parameters, highlighting risks to freshwater aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Influence of Urbanization and Seasonality on Microplastics in a Small Brazilian Inland Stream

Researchers sampled a small Brazilian inland stream upstream and downstream of an urban center during dry and rainy seasons, finding urbanization significantly increased microplastic abundance from 1.7 to 2.6 particles per liter during the dry season, while rainfall effects were less consistent.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance, distribution, and diversity in water and sediments along a subtropical river system

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance in water and sediments along a subtropical river system in South Africa, finding widespread contamination with fibers as the dominant shape and polyethylene as the most common polymer type.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Microplastic Presence in Freshwater and Sediment of Rejoso River, Indonesia

Researchers investigated microplastic presence in water and sediment of the Rejoso River in Indonesia across 12 sampling sites, characterizing the types, abundances, and distribution patterns of microplastic particles in this tropical freshwater system.

2025 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Review: Microplastic contamination in the Guandu River basin: The water supply reservoir of Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region (Southeastern Brazil) — R1/PR8

Researchers found microplastic contamination throughout the Guandu River basin in Brazil, which supplies water to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region, with abundance averaging 6.1 particles/m3 in the cold-dry season and 2.3 particles/m3 in the warm-rainy season, dominated by fragments and fibers across 11 identified polymer types.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic concentration, distribution and dynamics along one of the largest Mediterranean-climate rivers: A whole watershed approach.

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution across the entire Biobio river watershed in Chile, one of the largest rivers in South America. They found microplastics at all 18 sampling sites, with concentrations linked to urbanization, wastewater discharge, and agricultural activities. The study reveals that both environmental and human factors drive microplastic distribution patterns throughout large river systems.

2022 Environmental Research 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and composition analysis of plastic pollution in riverine beaches of the lower Paraná River, Argentina

Researchers found macro-, meso-, and microplastics along riverbanks near Rosario city on the lower Paraná River in Argentina, with single-use items being dominant. The study highlights that South American freshwater rivers are important conduits for plastic pollution entering the ocean.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Zooplankton exposure to microplastic contamination in a estuarine plume-influenced region, in Northeast Brazil

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in estuarine plume waters off the coast of northeastern Brazil and its relationship with zooplankton. The study found significantly higher microplastic abundance during the high rainfall season, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types, and elevated concentrations in river plume areas compared to reef-adjacent waters, indicating land-based sources as major contributors.

2023 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Review: Microplastic contamination in the Guandu River basin: The water supply reservoir of Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region (Southeastern Brazil) — R1/PR7

Researchers found microplastic concentrations of 6.1 ± 4.9 particles/m³ in the cold-dry season and 2.3 ± 1.1 particles/m³ in the warm-rainy season in the Guandu River basin of Rio de Janeiro, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating and higher abundance linked to greater urban land use.

2025
Article Tier 2

Review: Microplastic contamination in the Guandu River basin: The water supply reservoir of Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region (Southeastern Brazil) — R0/PR2

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the Guandu River basin — the primary water supply for the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region — collecting surface water samples at 11 sites using Manta trawl nets in two seasonal periods. They found MP abundances of 6.1 particles/m3 in the cold-dry season and 2.3 particles/m3 in the warm-rainy season, with fragments and fibres dominant, polyethylene and polypropylene the most common polymers, and no significant seasonal differences in overall abundance.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the highly polluted Tietê River (São Paulo, Brazil): an unsustainable human-nature relationship

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the Tiete River downstream of Sao Paulo, one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. They found microplastics in both water and sediment samples across wet and dry seasons, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types. The study confirms that heavily urbanized areas are major sources of microplastic pollution that contaminates downstream river ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Profiling microplastics in a forgotten river system in Southern Africa

Researchers profiled microplastic distribution across the Nyl, Mogalakwena, and Limpopo Rivers in South Africa over multiple seasons. They found that seasons with reduced water flow had significantly higher microplastic concentrations in both water and sediment, while high-flow seasons produced a more evenly distributed but lower overall abundance. The study also detected microplastics in benthic macroinvertebrates throughout the river system, indicating the particles have become bioavailable in the food web.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of microplastics in urban rivers under varying hydrological regimes

Monitoring of urban rivers showed that microplastic concentrations fluctuate significantly with varying hydrological conditions such as storm events and seasonal flow changes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for accurately characterizing the river microplastic load and its variability over time.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of a freshwater system (Antuã River, Portugal)

This study tracked the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of a freshwater lake, finding seasonal variation in microplastic concentrations and identifying local land use and runoff as key drivers of contamination patterns.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 800 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling microplastic pollution patterns in sediments of a river system: The combined impacts of seasonal changes and waterway differences

Microplastic concentrations in Saigon River and tributary sediments ranged from 140 to 1,200 items/kg, with fiber particles dominant; rainy season flows from tributaries elevated microplastic levels, while the main river showed more dilution effects.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Brazil's coastal marine surface waters: The first macroregional baseline from the global south

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic survey in the Global South, sampling 4,134 surface water sites across 7,500 km of Brazilian coastline, finding the highest concentrations in the Eastern Coastline (16.87 MPs/L) and lowest in the Amazonian Equatorial region (1.29 MPs/L), with spatial patterns driven by hydrodynamic conditions, salinity, proximity to sewage, and anthropogenic inputs.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
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

Seasonal variations of microplastics in surface water and sediment in an inland river drinking water source in southern China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment of a southern China river used as a drinking water source during both flooding and dry seasons. They found microplastic abundances were generally higher during the dry period, with fibers being the dominant type and polyethylene the most common polymer. The study suggests that seasonal hydrological changes significantly affect microplastic distribution in inland drinking water sources.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 54 citations