Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment, characterization, and quantification of microplastics from river sediments

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sediments from 14 sites along the Kaveri River in South India, characterizing particle types, sizes, and polymer compositions to quantify the extent of microplastic pollution in this freshwater system.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing microplastic distribution within infaunal benthic communities in a coastal embayment

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in benthic infauna from 20 subtidal stations in Galway Bay, Ireland, finding an average of 0.79 particles per individual with fibers as the dominant type. Results were comparable to North Sea subtidal fauna studies, suggesting consistent microplastic uptake patterns across European coastal benthic communities.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic pollution in Torghabeh River sediments, northeast of Iran

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in sediments of the Torghabeh River in northeast Iran. The study found an average concentration of 8 particles per 100 grams of dry sediment, with polystyrene being the most abundant polymer, and areas with greater human activity showing higher levels of microplastic contamination.

2022 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, distribution and sources of microplastics in beach sediments of Miri coast, NW Borneo

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in the surface sediments of 10 European rivers, detecting particles at all sites with concentrations ranging from 14 to 895 particles per kilogram of dry sediment. Urban rivers showed the highest contamination levels.

2022 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics in the Sediments of an Irish River and Their Effects on Nematode Survival and Biodiversity

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in sediments from an Irish river and tested their effects on nematode survival and biodiversity. Using infrared spectroscopy, they characterized the types and concentrations of microplastics present, with particular concern about their ability to absorb persistent organic pollutants. The study found that microplastic exposure affected nematode populations, suggesting potential broader impacts on freshwater sediment ecosystems.

2024 Applied Biosciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the sediments of small-scale Japanese rivers: Abundance and distribution, characterization, sources-to-sink, and ecological risks

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in sediments of four small-scale Japanese rivers, finding widespread contamination and identifying polymer types and potential sources, highlighting that even small river systems serve as microplastic transport pathways.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Extent and distribution of microplastic contamination in the benthic sediment of Turag river in Bangladesh

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in benthic sediments of the Turag River in Bangladesh, finding widespread microplastic accumulation that poses threats to benthic communities and highlights a significant knowledge gap in freshwater sediment microplastic studies.

2022 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
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 Deposition and Accumulation of Microplastics in Marine Sediments and Bottom Water from the Irish Continental Shelf

This study provided the first record of microplastic contamination in sediments on the Irish continental shelf, recovering plastic particles across nearly all sampled stations. The finding confirms that even relatively remote offshore sediments accumulate microplastic pollution, likely as a final sink for particles from the water column.

2017 Scientific Reports 405 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, quantification and characterisation of microplastics in Godavari River, India

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in the Godavari River in India, finding an average of 3.9 particles per liter across six sites, with fibers making up over 80% of particles and polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymer types. Urban areas had higher concentrations, and the presence of these plastics in a major river system poses risks to agriculture and human health through contaminated water and food sources.

2023 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, potential sources, and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in the inland river basins in Northern China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in a typical urban river system in Northern China, examining both surface water and sediment samples. They found that river sediments contained dramatically more microplastics than surface water, acting as a sink for this pollution, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common types. The study suggests that small fiber and fragment-shaped particles under 0.5 mm dominate these environments, likely originating from everyday plastic products and wastewater discharge.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Source, Identification, Distribution, and Abundance of Microplastics in Rivers and Their Ecological Impacts: a Review

This review synthesizes global data on microplastic sources, identification methods, distribution in rivers, and ecological impacts, covering studies from the past two decades. It finds MPs widespread in riverine systems (up to 120 MPs/L in water, 13,607 MPs/kg in sediment), with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as dominant identification tools and PE/PP fibers and fragments as the most common polymer types.

2025 Environment & Ecosystem science
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of Microplastic Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystem: A Case Study of Thal Canal

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in a freshwater ecosystem in a case study region, measuring particle concentrations and types in water and sediment samples across multiple sites. Microplastics were detected at all sampling locations with higher concentrations near urban areas, and fibres and fragments were the dominant particle morphologies found.

2024 Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences B Life and Environmental Sciences 1 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

Characterization and enumeration of microplastic pollution in three fish species of the Upper Mississippi River

Researchers found 891 microplastic particles across 281 fish from three species in the Upper Mississippi River, with fibers being the most common type and smaller fish containing proportionally more microplastics than larger ones. This confirms microplastic ingestion is widespread in freshwater fish — not just marine species — and the presence of styrene-isoprene, polyester, and ABS polymers highlights the diverse plastic sources contaminating major river systems.

2023 Minds at UW (University of Wisconsin)
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
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic contamination in the sediments of Noyyal River- Southern India

Researchers documented microplastic contamination across 15 sites in the urban Noyyal River in southern India, finding concentrations up to 6,500 particles per cubic meter in dried sediments, with fragments and fibers in a variety of colors the most common forms.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Distribution of Microplastics in the Water and Riverbank Sediment in Malaysia – A Review

Microplastic abundance and distribution were surveyed in the water column and riverbank sediments of a Malaysian river. Results showed microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber shapes dominating in water and fragments more common in sediments, reflecting contributions from domestic wastewater and plastic litter.

2020 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 46 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
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and their abundance along rivers are determined by land uses and sediment granulometry

Researchers studied two river watersheds and found that microplastics were widespread in both water and sediment, with concentrations in water rising alongside increased urban land use. Interestingly, microplastics trapped in sediment were more influenced by the grain size of the riverbed than by human activity. The findings suggest that both human factors and natural river characteristics work together to shape where microplastics end up in freshwater systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater environment: the first evaluation in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa

Researchers conducted the first assessment of microplastic pollution in the Vaal River, South Africa, finding microplastics in 100% of sediment samples at an average of 463 particles per kilogram, with polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant polymer types.

2022 Heliyon 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in sediments from Portuguese inland waters: Physical-chemical characterisation and distribution

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in sediments from Portuguese inland freshwater systems, identifying particle shapes, sizes, and polymer types to establish baseline contamination levels and inform strategies for reducing plastic accumulation in freshwater environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Baseline Study on Microplastics in Indian Rivers under Different Anthropogenic Influences

Researchers collected microplastic samples from Indian rivers under different levels of anthropogenic influence and found MPs in all sites, with concentrations correlating with population density and industrial activity, providing one of the first systematic field datasets for major Indian river systems.

2021 Water 113 citations