Papers

61,005 results
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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

Plastic abundance and seasonal variation on the shorelines of three volcanic lakes in Central Italy: can amphipods help detect contamination?

Plastic particles of 1–50 mm were found on the shores of three volcanic lakes in central Italy, with accumulation varying by season and lake. The study calls for standardized monitoring methods for lakeshores, as inland water bodies are important sinks and sources of plastic pollution flowing toward the ocean.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakes: Distribution patterns and influencing factors

This review analyzed 84 studies across 64 lakes worldwide to understand where microplastics tend to concentrate in freshwater systems. Microplastic levels were highest near areas of heavy human activity and water inflows, and concentrations in lake sediments have been increasing over time, which matters because lakes are important sources of drinking water.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric Deposition Of Microplastics Recorded In Icelandic Lake Sediments: Estimating Microplastic Fluxes Using Short Sediment Cores

Researchers sampled sediment cores from six remote Icelandic crater lakes to estimate atmospheric microplastic deposition flux rates, finding that Iceland's position within major oceanic currents and weather patterns makes it a sentinel site for studying long-range Arctic-bound microplastic transport.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Water and Sediment at Maninjau Lake, Indonesia

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment across 10 locations in Maninjau Lake, Indonesia, finding abundances ranging from 65.63 to 195.31 particles/m3 in water and 199.52 to 7,000 particles/kg dry weight in sediment. Fiber, film, fragment, and granule shapes were identified, highlighting contamination risks to a lake critical for water supply, hydroelectric energy, and aquaculture.

2025 ASM Science Journal
Article Tier 2

Altitudinal variation of microplastic abundance in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes

Microplastic abundance was measured in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes across an altitudinal gradient, finding that elevation influenced contamination levels and that even high-altitude lakes in remote areas contained plastic particles.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution in large shallow lake sediments: Variations with offshore distance and implications for microbial communities

Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution in sediments of Taihu Lake at varying distances from shore and examined the effects on microbial communities. They found that microplastic abundance decreased with increasing distance from the shoreline, ranging from 240 to 1,120 items per kilogram. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in lake sediments can significantly alter the composition and diversity of local microbial communities.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Low level of microplastics in marine sediment from a shallow-water mud volcano (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea)

Researchers investigated microplastic presence in marine sediments around a shallow-water mud volcano in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, a geologically active area with low anthropogenic pressure, finding low microplastic levels and assessing relationships between sediment grain size and particle accumulation.

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

Distribution of microplastics in benthic sediments of Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, China

Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics in the bottom sediments of Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, sampling from shore to center. The study found microplastics throughout the lake sediments even in this remote, high-altitude location, with abundance patterns influenced by factors such as tourism activity and water currents rather than simply decreasing from shore to center.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake

Researchers surveyed macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a South American floodplain lake and found an average of 704 microplastic particles per square meter in sediments, with plastic contamination comparable to marine beaches — demonstrating that freshwater lakes can be major plastic pollution reservoirs.

2017 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 308 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution of microplastics in the sediment profiles of the Lake Taihu, eastern China

Researchers analyzed vertical microplastic distribution in sediment cores from Lake Taihu, China, finding microplastics at all depths down to 50 cm with total abundances of up to 8,100 particles/kg dry weight, suggesting that surface sediment sampling significantly underestimates total microplastic storage.

2022 Sustainable Environment Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the water column and sediment in an inland sea affected by intensive anthropogenic activities

The first survey of microplastics in the water column and sediments of an inland sea affected by heavy anthropogenic activity found microplastics at all depths and in all sediment layers, with higher concentrations at the bottom. The results demonstrate that microplastic contamination in heavily used water bodies extends through the entire water column rather than being confined to the surface.

2018 Environmental Pollution 359 citations
Article Tier 2

Lake sediments act as a sink of microplastics in the High-Altitude Himalayan Dal Lake, India

Researchers quantified microplastic concentrations in surface water and sediments of Dal Lake, a high-altitude Himalayan urban lake in India at 1,583 meters elevation, finding sediment concentrations up to nearly 13,000 particles per kilogram dry weight and concluding that lake sediments act as a long-term sink for microplastic accumulation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sediments of tropical shallow lakes

Researchers found microplastics in all sediment samples from 48 tropical shallow lakes across a climatic gradient, with fibres dominating over fragments and polyester being the most common polymer, indicating widespread plastic contamination even in inland freshwater ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of microplastics in lakes: sources, distribution characteristics, and environmental effects

This review analyzes microplastic pollution in lakes worldwide and finds that contamination levels are higher in shallower lakes near populated areas with more human activity. Microplastics accumulate heavily in lake sediments and can also be trapped in seasonal ice, only to be released during warming periods. Since many communities rely on lakes for drinking water and fishing, understanding how microplastics concentrate in these freshwater systems is critical for protecting public health.

2023 Carbon Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakeshore and lakebed sediments – External influences and temporal and spatial variabilities of concentrations

This study examined spatial and temporal variation in microplastic concentrations in lakeshore and lakebed sediments, finding that external inputs, lake hydrodynamics, and seasonal factors all contributed to heterogeneous distribution patterns.

2021 Environmental Research 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in Lake Van aquate ecosystems

This Turkish study detected microplastics in sediment samples from Lake Van in eastern Turkey, confirming plastic contamination has reached this large and remote inland lake ecosystem.

2023 DSpace@MŞU
Article Tier 2

Low level of microplastics in marine sediment from a shallow-water mud volcano (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in marine sediments surrounding a shallow-water mud volcano in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, a geologically active, low-anthropogenic-pressure site far from terrestrial plastic sources. They found an average of 33.7 items/kg dry sediment with fibers as the dominant shape, and observed a positive trend between particle abundance and sampling depth, highlighting the pervasiveness of plastic pollution even in remote geological settings.

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

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean

Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Waters and Sediments of Urban Lake

This book chapter reviews microplastic pollution in urban lake surface waters and sediments, describing sources, distribution patterns, and the ecological consequences of MP accumulation in these widely used but understudied freshwater habitats.

2025
Article Tier 2

Spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics and their ecological risk in an Indian freshwater lake ecosystem

Researchers mapped the spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics in Kodaikanal Lake, a popular tourist destination in India that also serves as a water source for downstream communities. They found microplastics in surface water, surface sediment, and deeper sediment cores, with the highest concentrations near areas of heavy tourist activity. The study highlights how human activities directly influence microplastic contamination patterns in freshwater ecosystems used for drinking water.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics from Nepal’s Second Largest Lake

Researchers conducted the first microplastic survey of Phewa Lake in Nepal, finding an average of 55–122.5 microplastic items per kilogram of sediment, with fiber shapes and polypropylene polymers dominating, and highest concentrations near densely populated shorelines.

2022 Water Air & Soil Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic concentrations, size distribution, and polymer types in the surface waters of a northern European lake

Microplastics were detected in surface waters of a northern European lake, with concentrations, size distributions, and polymer types characterized across multiple sampling sites and seasons. The study adds to growing evidence that even relatively pristine boreal lakes are contaminated with microplastics, likely from atmospheric deposition and tributary inflow.

2019 Water Environment Research 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Lake sediments as microplastic sink: The case of three lakes from Northern and Central Poland

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in bottom sediments from three lakes in northern and central Poland with low surrounding human activity, finding between 4 and 21 microplastic particles per kilogram of wet sediment. These values were low compared to lakes in urbanized areas, suggesting anthropogenic pressure significantly drives sediment microplastic accumulation.

2024 Quaestiones Geographicae 4 citations