Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Seasonal disparities in vertical distributions of microplastics and driving factors in a deep reservoir

Researchers studied microplastic distribution at different depths in a deep reservoir in southwest China and found that concentrations generally increased from the water surface to the bottom. The study revealed seasonal differences in vertical transport patterns, with low-density polymers like polyethylene dominating surface waters while denser particles accumulated in deeper layers.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The Three Gorges Dam alters the spatial distribution and flux of microplastics in the Yangtze River

Researchers mapped how the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River alters the distribution and flow of microplastic pollution. They found that the reservoir acts as a significant trap for microplastics, accumulating them in sediment and the fluctuation zone along its banks, while reducing the downstream flux. The study suggests that large dams fundamentally change how microplastic pollution moves through major river systems.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The hydro-fluctuation belt of the Three Gorges Reservoir: Source or sink of microplastics in the water?

The water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China was found to be both a source and sink for microplastics depending on season, with high concentrations of plastic particles in the sediment. This large reservoir acts as an accumulation point for microplastics from upstream rivers.

2019 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Taihu Lake: Spatial distribution from the lake inlet to the lake centre and vertical stratification in the water column

Researchers mapped microplastic distribution in Taihu Lake from the inlet to the center and at different water depths. They found that concentrations were highest near the inlet and decreased toward the lake center, while vertical distribution showed accumulation patterns influenced by water movement and particle density. The study improves understanding of how microplastics move and settle within large freshwater lake systems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters and sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Researchers sampled surface waters and sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China and found microplastic contamination throughout, with concentrations influenced by water flow dynamics and proximity to human settlements.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 896 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the Yulin River, China: Role of environmental and spatial factors

Microplastic pollution in the Yulin River in China was highest in tributary bays and declined downstream, with anthropogenic activity being a strong predictor of abundance. The backwater effect of the nearby Three Gorges Reservoir increased microplastic concentrations at the river's estuary, showing how reservoir management shapes plastic distribution.

2020 Environmental Pollution 140 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

From water to sediment: A meta-analysis of microplastic distribution and the impact of dams in reservoir ecosystems

This meta-analysis of 36 reservoirs worldwide found that microplastics tend to accumulate near dams due to a trapping effect, with concentrations declining upstream. Vertical stratification patterns and significant impacts on benthic organism growth and reproduction were observed, highlighting reservoirs as underrecognized microplastic accumulation hotspots in freshwater systems.

2025 Eco-Environment & Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal and vertical distribution characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics in typical shallow lakes in northern China

Researchers studied how microplastics are distributed across water, the viscous sublayer, and sediment layers in Baiyangdian, a shallow lake in northern China, during both wet and dry seasons. They found that microplastic abundance was highest in residential areas and that the vertical distribution pattern reversed between seasons. The study highlights that seasonal water level changes significantly affect where microplastics accumulate in shallow lake ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of cascade dams on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface sediments of Wujiang river basin, Southwestern China

Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution in sediments of the Wujiang River basin in southwest China, finding that cascade dams trap and accumulate microplastics in reservoir sediments, with dam density and upstream land use significantly influencing local microplastic abundance and composition.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of catastrophic flood on microplastics organization in surface water of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Microplastic distribution in the Three Gorges Reservoir was analyzed before and after a catastrophic 2020 flood, finding that the flood altered microplastic organization, stability, and polymer composition throughout the reservoir, with implications for microplastic transport to the global ocean.

2021 Water Research 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the horizontal and vertical profiles of microplastics in a river emptying into the sea affected by intensive anthropogenic activities in Northern China

This first vertical profile study of microplastics in a river in northern China found significant differences in microplastic concentration between surface, intermediate, and bottom waters, with higher abundances near the riverbed, suggesting that surface-only sampling underestimates total microplastic loads.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of water conservancy project on microplastics distribution in river ecosystem: A case study of Lhasa River Basin in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Microplastic concentrations in the Lhasa River Basin decreased from upstream to downstream as reservoirs acted as sinks, with the barrier effect of dams increasing MP deposition in sediments and reducing surface water concentrations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence Patterns and Pollution Risk of Microplastics in Surface Sediments and Sediment Cores of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Researchers examined the occurrence, distribution, and pollution risk of microplastics in surface sediments and sediment cores of China's Three Gorges Reservoir across different water seasons. The study found distinct seasonal patterns in microplastic abundance and composition in both surface sediments and vertical core profiles, confirming the reservoir acts as a significant sink for microplastic contamination.

2025 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Horizontal and vertical distribution of microplastics in the Wuliangsuhai Lake sediment, northern China

Horizontal and vertical distribution of microplastics in sediments of Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, China was investigated to understand accumulation patterns in a shallow lake ecosystem. Microplastics were found throughout the lake sediments with depth-dependent vertical profiles, revealing the lake as a substantial reservoir for plastic particle accumulation.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Preferential deposition of buoyant small microplastics in surface sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China: Insights from biomineralization

This study examined the distribution of buoyant small microplastics in surface sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, finding preferential deposition patterns at the sediment-water interface. The research revealed that reservoir hydrodynamics and sediment characteristics drive accumulation of buoyant microplastics in specific zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Substantial burial of terrestrial microplastics in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Researchers found substantial burial of terrestrial microplastics in Three Gorges Reservoir sediments, suggesting that large hydropower dams act as significant traps that intercept microplastic transport from rivers to the ocean, with implications for the Yangtze River's plastic output.

2023 Communications Earth & Environment 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Coupled effects of urbanization level and dam on microplastics in surface waters in a coastal watershed of Southeast China

Researchers analyzed the distribution of microplastics across 17 sampling sites in the Minjiang River Watershed in southeast China, finding that microplastic concentrations were positively correlated with urbanization indicators and that dams influenced spatial distribution patterns.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic trapping in dam reservoirs driven by complex hydrosedimentary processes (Villerest Reservoir, Loire River, France)

This study investigated microplastic trapping in the Villerest reservoir on the Loire River in France using geomorphological and sedimentological analysis combined with microFTIR imaging. The reservoir concentrated microplastics in sediment at concentrations on the order of 10 items per kilogram dry weight, with spatial distribution driven by complex hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes.

2022 Water Research 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Damming has changed the migration process of microplastics and increased the pollution risk in the reservoirs in the Shaying River Basin

Researchers investigated how dam construction in the Shaying River Basin affects microplastic pollution in water, sediment, and biological tissues near ten dams. The study found that dams alter the transport and deposition of microplastics, intercepting large amounts in reservoirs and changing how microplastics accumulate in freshwater organisms through shifts in food web structure.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical microplastic distribution in sediments of Fuhe River estuary to Baiyangdian Wetland in Northern China

Researchers studied how microplastics are distributed at different depths in river sediments near a major wetland in northern China, where treated wastewater is a primary water source. They found that microplastic concentrations were highest in the top layer of sediment and decreased with depth, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. The spatial distribution was closely linked to nearby human activities, with more contaminated areas found near population centers.

2021 Chemosphere 129 citations