Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in China’s Aquatic Systems: Spatial Distribution, Transport Pathways, and Controlling Strategies

This review synthesizes recent findings on microplastic pollution across China's rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters. Researchers found that contamination levels vary dramatically by location, with urban waterways showing the highest concentrations and polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymer types. The study identifies rivers as major transport pathways carrying microplastics from inland areas to the sea and evaluates strategies for reducing this pollution.

2025 Microplastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems: A review of findings, methods, characteristics, effects, and management

This review synthesized findings on microplastic pollution across China's inland water systems — rivers, lakes, and reservoirs — documenting widespread contamination and identifying gaps in monitoring methods and research coverage.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 511 citations
Article Tier 2

Current practices and future perspectives of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems in China

This review summarizes current knowledge and future research priorities for microplastic pollution in China's freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands, identifying both urban and agricultural sources as major contributors. The authors call for nationally coordinated monitoring, standardized methods, and stronger regulatory frameworks to address the growing microplastic burden in Chinese freshwater systems.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 251 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of dominant plastic microfibre prevalence and pollution control feasibility in Chinese freshwater environments

This review of microplastic pollution in Chinese freshwater environments found that microfibres dominate plastic morphologies in over 65% of samples from surface water, sediments, and wastewater effluents, and identifies fishing gear, textiles, and urban runoff as key microfibre sources requiring targeted pollution control.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution status of microplastics in the freshwater environment of China: a mini review

This review assessed microplastic pollution in China's freshwater environments including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, finding widespread contamination in surface waters, sediments, and biota with variations linked to population density and industrial activity.

2022 33 citations
Article Tier 2

The contamination of microplastics in China's aquatic environment: Occurrence, detection and implications for ecological risk

This review summarized microplastic contamination across marine environments, freshwater systems, and wastewater treatment plants in China, one of the world's top plastic-producing countries. The study highlights that research on how microplastics transfer between connected water environments remains lacking, and the microscale toxicity of microplastics is still poorly understood.

2021 Environmental Pollution 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Current research and perspective of microplastics (MPs) in soils (dusts), rivers (lakes), and marine environments in China

This review synthesized a decade of Chinese research on microplastic concentrations in soils, rivers, lakes, and marine environments, finding that coastal and urban areas are most contaminated and that freshwater environments are understudied compared to marine ones. China, as the world's largest plastic producer, faces significant microplastic pollution challenges requiring systematic monitoring across all environmental compartments.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Research Progress of Microplastic Pollution Status and Risk Assessment of Typical Rivers in China

Rivers across China carry substantial microplastic loads, and this review finds that abundance is closely tied to population density, with urban rivers showing higher concentrations than rural ones. More than 60% of microplastics detected in most rivers were smaller than 1 mm — the size range most readily ingested by aquatic organisms and most difficult to remove by conventional treatment. The authors identify sewage plants, surface runoff, and atmospheric deposition as the main sources, and flag gaps in current risk assessment frameworks for river microplastics.

2024 Journal of Physics Conference Series 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sophisticated urban river systems: Combined influence of land-use types and physicochemical characteristics

This study assessed microplastic pollution across an urban river network in China, finding that land-use type and water physicochemical properties jointly influence microplastic distribution, with industrial and residential areas contributing highest loads.

2021 Environmental Pollution 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Status and characteristics of microplastic pollution in Chinese freshwater environment

This review summarizes research on microplastic distribution, toxic effects on organisms, and interactions with other pollutants in Chinese freshwater environments. The paper calls for strengthened regulation and monitoring of microplastics in China's lakes, rivers, and water supplies.

2023 Applied and Computational Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrences and distribution of microplastic pollution and the control measures in China

This review summarizes reported microplastic contamination levels in China's marine, freshwater, and atmospheric environments, finding that concentrations are highest in urbanized freshwater systems and identifying human population density and agricultural plastic use as key drivers.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 71 citations
Review Tier 2

Distribution, characteristics, and research status of microplastics in the trunk stream and main lakes of the Yangtze River: A review

This review synthesizes research on microplastic distribution, characteristics, and sources in the Yangtze River trunk stream and its major lakes, identifying industrial discharges, urban runoff, and agricultural films as dominant pollution sources affecting one of the world's most populated river basins.

2022 China Geology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Source identification of microplastics in highly urbanized river environments and its implications for watershed management

Researchers identified the sources and pathways of microplastics entering highly urbanized rivers in the Shenzhen Bay watershed. The study found that 61.6% of annual microplastic loads came from point sources, with textile washing fibers accounting for over 92% of those, while nonpoint source contributions dominated during periods of heavy rainfall.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in urban rivers in Chengdu city: The influence of land-use type and population and related suggestions

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in urban rivers of Chengdu, China, finding MP abundances of 20-763 items per liter in water and linking higher concentrations to dense residential areas and industrial land use. Polyethylene and polypropylene fibers dominated the MP assemblage, consistent with textile laundering and household waste as primary sources.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Research Progress of Microplastics in Freshwater Sediments in China

This review synthesizes Chinese research on microplastic pollution in freshwater sediments, covering detection methods, contamination levels across river systems, sources, and the potential ecological and human health implications.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics and Potential Sources of Microplastic Pollution in China’s Freshwater Environments

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across freshwater environments in 21 major Chinese cities and found an average concentration of about 3,500 particles per cubic meter. The most common types were fibers, and concentrations generally increased from western to eastern China, closely tracking levels of human activity. The study found that microplastic abundance peaked in summer, likely driven by increased rainfall washing particles into waterways.

2024 Water 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Coastal bays serve as reservoirs for microplastics from East China: insights from a mass budget model based on sedimentary findings

Researchers investigated sedimentary microplastics in three representative coastal bays of the Zhejiang Great Bay Area, China, and used a mass budget model to quantify sources and fluxes within each bay system. Riverine discharge accounted for 41.5%-96.7% of total microplastic input, with textile and fishing sources dominant in Hangzhou Bay, mariculture and tourism driving levels in Sanmen Bay, and packaging and agricultural sources prominent in Wenzhou Bay.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastic pollution in urban freshwater environments and legislative progress in China: Recommendations and insights

This critical review examines microplastic pollution across urban freshwater environments in China, synthesizing findings on contamination levels, sources, and ecological effects in a context of rapid urbanization affecting over 800 million urban residents. The authors review legislative progress and provide recommendations for improving monitoring standards, reducing plastic inputs, and aligning Chinese policy with international frameworks.

2020 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastics in an urban river network area

Researchers investigated microplastic dynamics in an urban river network in eastern China, finding abundances of 2.3 to 104.6 particles per liter that were significantly higher during wet seasons and concentrated near commercial, industrial, and wastewater discharge areas.

2022 Water Research 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in China’s surface water systems: Distribution, driving forces and ecological risk

Researchers compiled over 14,000 samples from across China to map microplastic pollution in surface water systems using machine learning models. They found that microplastic abundance varied enormously across regions, driven by a complex mix of human activities and natural conditions. The ecological risk assessment revealed that watersheds in nearly all Chinese provinces face high to extremely high contamination levels, underscoring the urgency of nationwide management efforts.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Water Systems: Characteristics and Control Methods

This review summarizes research on microplastic pollution in water systems, covering where microplastics come from, how they spread, and their effects on aquatic life and potentially human health. Freshwater in China was found to have higher microplastic levels than other regions, though marine contamination was moderate. The authors suggest that controlling water flow and switching to degradable plastics could significantly reduce microplastic pollution in water.

2024 Diversity 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in inland freshwaters of China: A case study in urban surface waters of Wuhan, China

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in inland freshwaters across urban suburban areas of China, finding contamination that reflected land use intensity and population density in the surrounding catchments.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 1061 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Inland Waters Focusing on Asia

This review synthesized research on microplastic pollution in inland waters across Asia, documenting that rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are heavily contaminated and identifying key knowledge gaps in monitoring and ecological impact assessment.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 132 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