Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Future microplastics in the Black Sea: River exports and reduction options for zero pollution

Using river input modeling, researchers projected future microplastic loads entering the Black Sea from rivers and modeled five pollution-reduction scenarios including improved wastewater treatment and reduced plastic use. The analysis identified combined reduction strategies as necessary to meaningfully cut microplastic delivery to the sea.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling future coastal water pollution: impacts of point sources, socio-economic developments & multiple pollutants

Researchers modeled how urbanization and wastewater discharge will affect coastal water pollution by 2100, looking at nitrogen, phosphorus, microplastics, and triclosan. They found that river exports of all four pollutants from point sources are projected to more than double globally, with Africa and Asia seeing the sharpest increases. The study suggests that wastewater treatment improvements could reduce multi-pollutant issues by 30-38%, but economic growth and city expansion may offset those gains.

2024 Environmental Research Letters 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The future of Chinese rivers: Increasing plastics, nutrients and Cryptosporidium pollution in half of the basins

Researchers modeled the future trajectory of multiple pollutants including microplastics in 395 Chinese river basins from 2010 to 2050. The study projects that nutrient, plastic, and pathogen pollution could increase by 41 to 88 percent, with central, eastern, and southern sub-basins facing the greatest contamination risks.

2024 Resources Conservation and Recycling 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century

Researchers modeled the combined impact of urbanization on river pollution from nutrients, microplastics, triclosan, and pathogens across over 10,000 rivers globally. They project that by the end of the century, around 80% of the world's population could live near rivers with multi-pollutant problems under high urbanization scenarios. The study suggests that advanced wastewater treatment could technically prevent future pollution in many regions, though Africa faces particularly severe challenges.

2021 npj Urban Sustainability 301 citations
Article Tier 2

Scenarios for future microplastic pollution reduction: an integrated modeling approach for over 10,000 rivers

Researchers used the MARINA-Plastics model to simulate microplastic inputs from sewage and open defecation into over 10,000 rivers globally from 2010 to 2100 under multiple SDG-aligned scenarios, finding that combined improvements in sewage treatment and reduced per capita plastic consumption could substantially reduce river pollution, while Africa's contribution is projected to surpass Europe's in the future.

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

Future Scenarios for River Exports of Multiple Pollutants by Sources and Sub‐Basins Worldwide: Rising Pollution for the Indian Ocean

Global modeling projected that under an economy-driven scenario, river exports of nutrients and microplastics would double by 2100, with the Indian Ocean facing the largest increases, while a sustainability-driven scenario could achieve up to 83% reductions.

2024 Earth s Future 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Leaving a plastic legacy: current and future scenarios for mismanaged plastic waste in rivers

Researchers estimated that 0.8 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste enters rivers annually, affecting 84% of global rivers by surface area, and project a nearly three-fold increase by 2060 — though improved waste governance could reduce this pollution by up to 72%.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in stream sediments discharging from Türkiye's eastern Black sea basin

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in stream sediments from rivers discharging into the southeastern Black Sea from Turkey. The study found microplastics across 59 sampling sites, with varying composition and abundance, confirming that rivers serve as a principal transport route for terrestrial microplastics into this semi-enclosed sea.

2024 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Riverine microplastic discharge along the southern Black Sea coast of Türkiye

Researchers sampled 29 rivers flowing into the southern Black Sea coast of Turkey and found microplastics present in all of them, with an average concentration of about 9.6 particles per cubic meter. Polypropylene and polyethylene were the most common types, and fibers were the dominant shape, likely originating from textile and domestic wastewater. The study highlights that rivers are a significant pathway for microplastic pollution entering the Black Sea.

2025 Environmental Research Letters 19 citations
Review Tier 2

Comprehensive Review regarding the Profile of the Microplastic Pollution in the Coastal Area of the Black Sea

This literature review profiled microplastic pollution across the Black Sea, summarizing contamination levels in water, sediment, and seafood consumed by coastal populations. The Black Sea's unique hydrodynamics and heavy riverine inputs create hotspots for microplastic accumulation, with seafood contamination posing direct human exposure concerns.

2022 Sustainability 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic faunas of the Western Black Sea

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic fauna of the Western Black Sea region receiving Danube River inputs, characterizing MP distributions in a coastal ecosystem under pressure from tourism, fishing, regional conflicts, and inadequate waste disposal across the Danube basin.

2024
Article Tier 2

An analysis of the current and forecasted ecological risk related to the presence of microplastics on the Romanian Black Sea coast

Researchers analyzed microplastics along 82 km of Romania's Black Sea coastline, finding densities between 122 and 536 particles per kilogram of sediment, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer. Forecasting models predict a sharp rise in ecological risk if plastic waste reduction and management practices are not urgently improved.

2025 Heliyon 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Dropping the microbead: Source and sink related microplastic distribution in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution in sediments of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins, finding that proximity to rivers and shorelines was a stronger predictor of microplastic concentration than water depth or sediment grain size.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Scenarios for future microplastic pollution reduction: an integrated modeling approach for over 10,000 rivers

Researchers developed scenarios incorporating UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 12 to model the effects of improved sanitation and reduced plastic consumption on microplastic pollution in over 10,000 rivers from 2010 to 2100 using the MARINA-Plastics model. They found that Europe and Asia were the two largest current contributors to global river microplastic pollution, that Africa's contribution is projected to exceed Europe's in the future, and that combining improved sewage treatment with reduced per capita plastic use produced the greatest pollution reductions.

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

Assessing microplastic pollution in a river basin: A multidisciplinary study on circularity, sustainability, and socio-economic impacts

This multidisciplinary study assessed microplastic pollution in a river basin along Turkey's Black Sea coast, linking contamination levels to local economic activities and seasonal rainfall patterns. The research found concerning pollution levels and connected them to insufficient waste management practices in the region. The study highlights how socioeconomic factors drive microplastic contamination in freshwater that communities depend on for drinking water and food.

2024 Environmental Research 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Research and Analysis of Pollution Indicators in Marine and Coastal Ecosystems along the Southern Black Sea Coast

Researchers conducted monthly in situ measurements and laboratory analyses at nine sites across Burgas Lake, the Karaagach River mouth, and Burgas Bay along the Southern Black Sea coast during 2022-2023, performing the first quantitative microplastic analysis in the region alongside toxic metal measurements to assess ecosystem pollution status.

2025 Bulgarian Portal for Open Science
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of plastic particles in surface waters of the Western Black Sea

Researchers collected surface water samples from the Western Black Sea near the Danube Delta and Romanian shore, finding micro-, meso-, and macroplastic particles that may contribute significantly to Mediterranean marine pollution via the connecting waterway. Organic matter was digested and plastic particles were isolated and characterised to quantify and identify the polymer types present.

2020 Environmental Pollution 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and accumulation of floating marine litter in the Black Sea: insights from numerical modeling

Researchers used numerical modeling to simulate how floating marine litter disperses and accumulates in the Black Sea, a semi-enclosed basin with slow water turnover. They found that major European rivers are significant sources of litter input, and that wind-driven wave action plays an important role in where debris concentrates. The study provides insights into predicting marine litter accumulation patterns that could help target cleanup and prevention efforts.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Transportation of microplastic during high-flow and low-flow seasons in southeastern Black Sea: A modelling approach

Researchers modeled the transportation and accumulation of floating microplastic particles released from the Degirmendere River into the southeastern Black Sea using the ECOMSED Lagrangian model, finding concentrations of 168-1412 particles/m3 during high-flow and 0-843 particles/m3 during low-flow seasons with particles consistently accumulating along coastal waters.

2022 Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution Profile in the Black Sea Region

Researchers reviewed 100 peer-reviewed articles to create a comprehensive pollution profile of microplastics in the Black Sea region. They found that microplastics have been documented across multiple environmental compartments in the region, with plastic products from various industrial sectors contributing to contamination. The review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on microplastic distribution and sources specific to this ecologically important semi-enclosed sea.

2024 3 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

Microplastics in global rivers: Sustainable practices

Global modeling of microplastics in rivers from 2010–2100 projects nearly a tripling of concentrations by 2100 under baseline scenarios, with African rivers joining Europe and Asia as major pollution hotspots, while improved sanitation could substantially reduce these inputs.

2024 Sustainable Development 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Current status and comparative risk assessment of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment from the Black Sea coastline using geospatial analysis

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive microplastic survey of Turkey's Black Sea coast, documenting a roughly 78% annual increase in surface water particle concentrations and a threefold rise at some sediment stations, with fibers and high-risk polymers like PET and PVC dominating both matrices and most sites rated high ecological risk.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Global multi-pollutant modelling of water quality: scientific challenges and future directions

Researchers argue that tackling global water pollution requires modeling multiple contaminants — microplastics, nutrients, chemicals, and pathogens — simultaneously rather than studying each in isolation. They identify pollution hotspots across Europe, North America, and South Asia where rivers carry dangerous combinations of these pollutants, and call for models that can directly inform policy decisions.

2018 Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 140 citations