Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Integration of microplastics and heavy metals in the potential ecological risk index: Spatial pollution assessment of sediments in the inner Gulf of Thailand

Researchers assessed the spatial distribution of microplastics and heavy metals in surface sediments of the inner Gulf of Thailand, finding an average of nearly 1,400 microplastic pieces per kilogram with the highest concentrations near river mouths. They developed an integrated ecological risk index combining microplastic and heavy metal contamination, revealing that areas near river estuaries face moderate to considerable combined pollution risk. The study demonstrates the importance of evaluating microplastics alongside other contaminants for comprehensive environmental risk assessment.

2025 Chemosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study of the Toxic Effects of Microplastic Pollution on Aquatic Organisms and a Methodology for Dynamic Assessment

Researchers used stereomicroscopy and FTIR to characterize microplastics in aquatic samples and proposed a dynamic assessment methodology combining pollution risk index, pollution load index, and ecological risk index. The combined approach provided a more nuanced evaluation of microplastic contamination levels and associated ecological risks than single-index methods.

2025 Frontiers in artificial intelligence and applications
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Heavy Metals, Microplastics Abundance, Pollution Level, and Contamination Risk in the Ganges Downstream

Heavy metals and microplastics were co-assessed in a marine environment, with pollution indices developed to characterize combined contamination levels. The integrated assessment approach helps regulators understand the combined chemical burden faced by marine organisms in polluted coastal areas.

2025 Sustainable Environmental Insight 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification Sources and High-Risk Areas of Sediment Heavy Metals in the Yellow River by Geographical Detector Method

Scientists measured heavy metal contamination in river sediments of the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia, identifying industrial emissions and agricultural activities as the main sources. While focused on heavy metals, the research is relevant because microplastics frequently co-occur with and transport heavy metal pollutants in river systems.

2021 Water 18 citations
Article Tier 2

An Assessment of the Accretion Rate of Pollutants, Chemical Risk and Pollution Load Index on Microplastics in the Coastal Waters of Limbe-Idenau, Cameroon: Using Gravimetric Analysis

Researchers assessed the accretion rate of pollutants, chemical risk, and pollution load index on microplastics collected from the coastal waters of Limbe-Idenau, Cameroon, using gravimetric analysis on seawater samples. The study established gravimetric analysis as a complementary technique for quantifying pollutant accumulation on floating microplastics in transboundary coastal environments.

2025 Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection
Article Tier 2

Trends and Patterns of Sediment Contamination in Indonesia (1999-2024): A Scientometric Analysis

Researchers conducted a scientometric analysis of sediment contamination studies in Indonesia from 1999 to 2024, examining trends and patterns of heavy metal and microplastic pollution resulting from increased industrial discharges and domestic waste entering aquatic environments.

2025 Jurnal Presipitasi Media Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Teknik Lingkungan
Article Tier 2

[Distribution, Risk, and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Surface Water of Huangshui River Basin].

Researchers collected 63 surface water samples across the Huangshui River Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the wet season, using metallographic microscopy and Fourier infrared spectroscopy to characterize microplastic distribution, and applied risk index and pollution load index models to evaluate ecological risks.

2022 PubMed 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution and Geostatistical Prediction of Microplastic Abundance in a Micro-Watershed with Tropical Soils in Southeastern Brazil

Researchers used geostatistical methods to predict and spatially map microplastic abundance in agricultural soil across a micro-watershed with tropical soils in southeastern Brazil. The study found heterogeneous spatial distribution patterns influenced by land use and topography, demonstrating that kriging-based interpolation can produce reliable continuous maps for environmental risk assessment.

2025 Agronomy
Article Tier 2

The pollution of microplastics in sediments: The ecological risk assessment and pollution source analysis

Researchers reviewed a decade of studies on microplastic pollution in marine and freshwater sediments, focusing on ecological risk assessment methods and pollution source analysis. They found that pollution load index, polymer risk index, and potential ecological risk index are the most commonly used assessment tools. The study emphasizes that improving microplastic detection technologies and linking contamination to specific land-use types could strengthen pollution source identification and control measures.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Relative contributions of different local sources to riverborne microplastic in a mixed landuse area within a tropical catchment

Researchers quantified the relative contributions of different land-use sources to riverborne microplastics in a tropical catchment, providing data to help prioritize pollution reduction measures for protecting human and ecological health.

2022 Environmental Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution and Ecological Risk of Microplastic Contamination in River Water Near a Landfill Leachate Disposal Area: A Case Study of Supit Urang Landfill, Malang City, Indonesia

Researchers mapped the spatial distribution and ecological risk of microplastic contamination across river sediments in a Chinese river system, finding risk levels varied with proximity to urban centers and industrial zones, and that certain polymer types posed elevated ecological hazard.

2025 Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management)
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Open MIND 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics and integrated ecological risks evaluation modelling of microplastics and heavy metals in geological high background soil

Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in high geological background soil in Qianxi, China, and developed a new model for evaluating their combined ecological risk. They found elevated cadmium levels alongside significant microplastic contamination, with different crop rotation patterns influencing pollution distribution. The study proposes a two-dimensional index for assessing the joint environmental risks of microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Multidimensional characterization of microplastic pollution in subtropical urban soils: Combining geospatial analysis and polymer risk indexing

Researchers characterised microplastics in urban soils across Macao using stereomicroscopy and micro-FTIR, finding significant accumulation (average ~11,000 items/kg) dominated by PET fibers and transparent fragments. Ecological risk indexing identified PET and polypropylene as the highest-risk polymers given their abundance and chemical toxicity.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer‑specific hazard profiling and risk indexing of microplastics in coastal sediments of St. Martin’s Island: A multivariate and machine learning approach

This study provided the first polymer-resolved evaluation of microplastic contamination in coastal sediments from a small island in the Bay of Bengal, finding polyethylene and polypropylene fibres and fragments most abundant. A novel Microplastic Pollution Risk Index (MPRI) was proposed to support standardized risk communication for island ecosystems.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Water and Sediments along Ibi Troughs North-East Nigeria

Researchers conducted an environmental risk assessment of microplastics in water and sediments along the Ibi River in northeast Nigeria, using FTIR to identify polymer types and assessing ecological risk scores across five sampling sites.

2024 African Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastic pollution in rivers globally: Driving factors of distribution and ecological risk assessment

Researchers constructed a global dataset of microplastic pollution across 862 river water and 445 sediment samples, identifying population density, GDP, and plastic waste generation as key driving factors of riverine microplastic distribution and ecological risk.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of stream quality and health risks in Indonesian river systems: A social analysis and water quality index approach

Researchers assessed water quality in three Indonesian rivers used by local communities, finding microplastics — primarily polyethylene and polypropylene — alongside elevated levels of iron, lead, and manganese, with residents reporting rising rates of skin disease and diarrhea linked to polluted water use.

2025 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments of the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River: Distribution characterizations and comprehensive ecological risk assessment

Researchers assessed the co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments from the Yellow River's Lanzhou section, finding microplastic abundance ranging from 243 to 4,289 items per kilogram, predominantly small fragments under 100 micrometers. The study developed an optimized two-dimensional index for evaluating combined pollutant risks and found severe composite pollution, with copper and cadmium showing the highest contamination levels. The findings highlight the need for integrated risk assessment frameworks in urban river systems.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

A new holistic perspective to assess the ecological risk of microplastics: A case study in Baiyangdian Basin, China

Researchers developed a more comprehensive method for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution by considering not just concentration but also the physical and chemical properties of the particles. Applied to a Chinese wetland basin, the approach revealed that traditional methods significantly underestimate the true ecological risk, with human activity and poor water flow contributing to the highest danger zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations