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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Risk assessment of microplastics in freshwater sediments guided by strict quality criteria and data alignment methods
ClearRisk assessment of microplastics in freshwater sediments guided by strict quality criteria and data alignment methods
Researchers developed a quality-screened risk assessment framework for microplastics in freshwater sediments worldwide, rescaling published exposure data to a standard 1-5000 µm size range and aligning ecotoxicity thresholds to account for polydispersity and bioaccessible fractions. Using species sensitivity distributions, they calculated hazardous concentrations for 5% of species at approximately 4.9 x 10^9 particles/kg dry weight, finding that current environmental concentrations approach but generally fall within the margin of uncertainty of this threshold.
Toward an ecotoxicological risk assessment of microplastics: Comparison of available hazard and exposure data in freshwaters
Researchers compiled available exposure and toxicity data to perform the first probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics specifically in freshwater environments. The study found that while current concentrations in most freshwaters may not yet pose widespread ecological risk, localized hotspots could exceed harmful thresholds, highlighting the need for more standardized freshwater monitoring.
Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastic particles
Researchers developed a framework for assessing the ecological risk of microplastic particles, incorporating particle characteristics, environmental concentrations, and species sensitivity data. The assessment identified conditions under which current environmental microplastic levels pose significant risk to aquatic organisms.
Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastics in freshwater ecosystems
Researchers assessed the ecological risk of microplastics across freshwater ecosystems worldwide, including rivers and lakes in China, Vietnam, Europe, and South America. While one risk method showed negligible danger, more comprehensive assessment approaches revealed extreme ecological threats at every location studied, suggesting that microplastic pollution in freshwater may be more serious than previously thought.
Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: Critical review and assessment of data quality
Researchers critically reviewed fifty studies on microplastics in freshwater and drinking water and found significant quality issues, including inconsistent sampling methods and inadequate contamination controls. Many studies lacked proper quality assurance, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about actual contamination levels. The study emphasizes that standardized methods are urgently needed before the true extent of microplastic contamination in drinking water can be assessed.
Study on water quality criteria and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in China’s surface waters
Researchers derived water quality criteria for microplastics in Chinese surface waters using species sensitivity distribution analysis across aquatic toxicity data. The resulting criteria values provide regulatory benchmarks for protecting aquatic organisms from microplastic contamination in freshwater and marine environments.
Understanding hazardous concentrations of microplastics in fresh water using non-traditional toxicity data
Researchers developed hazard concentration thresholds for microplastics in freshwater using non-traditional toxicity data, accounting for environmentally relevant sizes, shapes, and polymer types to provide more realistic governance standards.
Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: probabilistic environmental risk assessment and current knowledge in occurrence and ecotoxicological studies
Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of microplastic occurrence in freshwater ecosystems and performed the first probabilistic environmental risk assessment for specific polymer types. They established predicted no-effect concentration values for polystyrene and polyethylene and calculated risk quotients suggesting that current microplastic levels in most freshwater environments pose a low ecological risk.
Quality Criteria for the Analysis of Microplastic in Biota Samples: A Critical Review
Ten quality criteria were applied to review recent microplastic ingestion studies in aquatic biota, finding wide variation in methodological rigor including inadequate sample sizes, poor contamination controls, and inconsistent polymer identification methods. The authors propose a standardized quality assessment framework to improve comparability of microplastic ingestion data across studies.
Application of Index Models for Assessing Freshwater Microplastics Pollution
Researchers applied pollution and health risk index models to microplastic data from freshwater environments, demonstrating that standardized indices can help compare contamination levels across studies with different units and methodologies.
Microplastic biomonitoring studies in aquatic species: A review & quality assessment framework
This systematic review evaluates the quality of studies that monitor microplastic contamination in marine organisms like fish and shellfish. The researchers found that only 8% of studies met rigorous quality standards, highlighting the need for better research methods so we can accurately understand how much microplastic exposure comes from eating seafood.
Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastic particles
Researchers applied an ecological risk assessment framework to evaluate the hazard posed by microplastic particles across multiple environmental compartments, using species sensitivity distributions and environmental concentration data. The assessment highlighted specific particle types and size ranges that present the greatest ecological risk.
Microplastics in aquatic systems: A review of occurrence, monitoring and potential environmental risks
Researchers review the presence of microplastics — tiny plastic fragments less than 5 mm — across freshwater and marine environments worldwide, finding that polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene are the most commonly detected types. Exposure disrupts feeding, movement, and reproduction in aquatic wildlife, and the authors call for standardized measurement methods and legal limits to protect ecosystems.
[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments and Their Environmental Ecological Risk Assessment].
This meta-analysis pools data from studies worldwide to map where microplastics are found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and assesses their ecological risks. Understanding how widespread microplastics are in water sources matters because contaminated water is one of the main ways people are exposed to these particles.
Current and potential risks of microplastics in global surface waters
Researchers assessed the current and projected risk of floating microplastics in marine and freshwater ecosystems globally by comparing field occurrence concentrations to ecotoxicity thresholds using probability distributions that account for size mismatches between sampling and toxicity studies. Results estimated that 37% of marine environments already exceed conservative risk thresholds protective of 95% of species, with this fraction projected to rise to 47.4% by 2040 under a business-as-usual scenario.
A critical view on microplastic quantification in aquatic organisms
Researchers critically reviewed the methods used to quantify microplastics in aquatic organisms including zooplankton, bivalves, and fish. The study highlights that no standardized methodology exists for measuring microplastic contamination in biota, which makes comparing results across studies difficult and underscores the need for consistent analytical protocols.
Quality Criteria for Microplastic Effect Studies in the Context of Risk Assessment: A Critical Review
Researchers developed 20 quality criteria to evaluate 105 published studies on the biological effects of microplastics and found that, on average, studies met less than half the quality benchmarks. No single study scored positively on all criteria, confirming an urgent need for better experimental standards in the field. The review highlights that the most critical improvements needed involve verifying background contamination and using environmentally realistic exposure conditions.
Microplastics pollution in freshwater sediments: The pollution status assessment and sustainable management measures
This study assessed microplastic pollution levels in freshwater sediments across 84 study areas worldwide. Researchers found widespread contamination with significant variation in microplastic types, concentrations, and sources depending on the region and local land use. The review proposes sustainable management measures to address this growing threat to freshwater ecosystems and drinking water supplies.
Microplastics in freshwater sediment: A review on methods, occurrence, and sources
This review synthesizes methods, occurrence data, and sources of microplastics in freshwater sediments, comparing approaches and providing recommendations for standardized sampling and analysis to fill knowledge gaps relative to marine research.
Risk-based management framework for microplastics in aquatic ecosystems
This meta-analysis pooled data from 21 toxicity studies to create a risk management framework for microplastics in water. The researchers identified specific concentration thresholds where microplastics begin to harm aquatic life — either by diluting their food supply or by particles entering their tissues. This framework could help regulators set pollution limits to protect ecosystems and, ultimately, human food sources.
Probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics on aquatic biota in coastal sediments
Researchers developed a new method to assess the ecological risk of microplastics in coastal sediments and applied it to Zhelin Bay in China, where they found an average of over 2,000 microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment. The assessment found a low probability (3.4%) of toxic effects on marine life at current levels, though 46 different types of microplastics were identified. This kind of risk framework helps scientists determine at what point microplastic contamination becomes dangerous for ecosystems and the food chains that connect to human diets.
Global distribution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in aquatic organisms based on meta-analysis
This meta-analysis assessed the global distribution of microplastics in aquatic organisms across multiple trophic levels, finding that biological characteristics like body size and feeding strategy significantly influence microplastic ingestion rates. The study provides a framework for ecological risk assessment and proposes strategies to reduce microplastic input into water bodies.
Meta-analysis of the hazards of microplastics in freshwaters using species sensitivity distributions
This meta-analysis built species sensitivity distributions for microplastics in freshwater and found that predicted no-effect concentrations for pristine microplastics were lower than for weathered ones, suggesting lab studies with new plastics may overestimate real-world hazards. The research highlights that most ecotoxicological studies use pristine microplastics at concentrations far exceeding environmental levels, complicating ecological risk assessment.
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.