Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Global multi-pollutant modelling of water quality: scientific challenges and future directions

Researchers argue that tackling global water pollution requires modeling multiple contaminants — microplastics, nutrients, chemicals, and pathogens — simultaneously rather than studying each in isolation. They identify pollution hotspots across Europe, North America, and South Asia where rivers carry dangerous combinations of these pollutants, and call for models that can directly inform policy decisions.

2018 Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 140 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of the current status of the water quality in the Nile water basin

This review summarizes water quality data from the Nile River basin across 11 African countries, documenting contamination from heavy metals, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants including microplastics. Rapid population growth, industrialization, and poor waste management are driving pollution levels up, threatening the water supply for hundreds of millions of people. The findings underscore the need for better monitoring and coordinated policies to protect this critical water resource.

2024 Bulletin of the National Research Centre/Bulletin of the National Research Center 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Addressing water resource management challenges in the context of climate change and human influence

This study identifies and documents the key challenges facing water resource management due to the combined pressures of climate change and human activity. Researchers found that droughts, floods, sea-level rise, and pollution are threatening both water quality and public health on a global scale. The study emphasizes that more sustainable approaches to water governance and infrastructure are urgently needed to address the growing gap between water supply and demand.

2023 European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Yellow River Basin Management under Pressure: Present State, Restoration and Protection II: Lessons from a Special Issue

This review assessed the current state of the Yellow River Basin's water environment, covering sediment dynamics, pollution loads, and restoration challenges, along with management interventions aimed at improving ecological conditions. The authors document improvements from recent restoration policies but identify persistent pressures from agriculture, industry, and climate change threatening the basin's long-term water security.

2024 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Multiple Pollutants from Crop and Livestock Production in the Yangtze River: Status and Challenges

Researchers examined multiple agricultural pollutants -- including chemical fertilizers, organophosphorus pesticides, and plastic waste -- in the Yangtze River Basin, finding that intensified cash crop and livestock production is driving water quality degradation and threatening Agriculture Green Development goals.

2023 Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Transforming Pollution into Purity: Ensuring Water Quality for Human Health and Environmental Sustainability

This review examines global threats to water quality from contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals, and their consequences for human health and ecosystems. The authors advocate for a comprehensive strategy combining source protection, advanced treatment technologies like constructed wetlands and advanced oxidation, and robust governance to ensure safe water access.

2026
Article Tier 2

The Health of the Water Planet: Challenges and Opportunities in the Mediterranean Area. An Overview

This overview of water challenges in the Mediterranean area examines threats to water security including pollution, climate change, and overextraction, connecting water quality to the UN Sustainable Development Goals on clean water, aquatic life, and terrestrial ecosystems.

2021 Earth 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying the characteristics of and factors driving spatiotemporal water quality variations in the Yellow River Basin, China, from 2008 to 2020

This study analyzed water quality data from the Yellow River Basin in China from 2008 to 2020, identifying pollution sources and spatial trends across the watershed. While focused on general water quality rather than microplastics specifically, such assessments provide important context for understanding pollution dynamics in large river systems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

A Snapshot on Urban River Water Characterization and Advances in Remediation Strategies for its Restoration: A Global Perspective

This review examines the state of water quality in urban rivers globally, focusing on developing countries where rapid growth is outpacing water management infrastructure. It reviews how industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollutants — including plastics — are degrading urban waterways.

2019 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimal Allocation of Water Resources Considering Virtual Water Trade: A Case Study of the Yellow River

This study optimizes water resource allocation across the Yellow River basin in China by integrating both physical and virtual water flows. The study is focused on water resource management and is not directly related to microplastic research.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Health, Safety and Environmental Implications for Water Quality Management in the Global South: A Case Study of Lagos, Federal Republic of Nigeria

This paper assessed health, safety, and environmental implications of water quality management in Lagos, Nigeria as a case study for the Global South, identifying critical challenges in water security and pollution control relevant to developing urban water systems.

2023 International Journal of e-Healthcare Information Systems 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A triple increase in global river basins with water scarcity due to future pollution

Researchers modeled global water availability through 2050 and found that nitrogen pollution from agriculture and cities could triple the number of river basins facing water scarcity, potentially affecting 3 billion more people beyond those already impacted by simple water shortages. The findings underscore that clean water policy must address pollution, not just supply.

2024 Nature Communications 380 citations
Article Tier 2

A global hydrology research agenda fit for the 2030s

A group of global hydrology researchers outlines priority research questions for freshwater science through 2030, identifying key knowledge gaps around water quality, ecosystem health, and emerging contaminants including microplastics. The agenda calls for more integrated monitoring and modeling to address growing pressures on freshwater resources worldwide.

2019 Hydrology research 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Overcoming the Challenges of Water, Waste and Climate Change in Asian Cities

Researchers assessed urban water management capacity across 11 Asian cities, finding that solid waste treatment, drinking water access, and flood governance are top priorities, with high variation between cities suggesting strong potential for city-to-city learning and cross-sector collaboration.

2019 Environmental Management 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas: inovações e avanços em pesquisa - Volume 2

This volume compiles research advances in water science and technology, addressing topics ranging from water resource conservation and sustainable management to innovative treatment approaches, framed within the context of global water scarcity and growing demand.

2023 Editora Científica Digital eBooks
Article Tier 2

The challenges of water, waste and climate change in cities

Researchers assessed water, waste, and climate challenges across 45 cities and categorized them into five sustainability tiers, finding that inadequate infrastructure, poor waste management, and climate change together strain urban resilience worldwide. The study calls for long-term urban water strategies and city-to-city learning networks to accelerate the transition to sustainable water management.

2016 Environment Development and Sustainability 443 citations
Article Tier 2

Monitoring, Modeling and Management of Water Quality

This special issue introduction summarizes a collection of research papers covering water quality monitoring, computer modeling of water systems, and management strategies. The articles address topics ranging from cyanobacteria detection to large-scale water quality management.

2021 Water 12 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive analysis of evolution and underlying connections of water research themes in the 21st century

Researchers conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of articles published in Water Research over the first 21.5 years of the 21st century to map evolving water research themes and their interconnections. The analysis identified stable core topics such as wastewater treatment and adsorption alongside emerging trends, providing a systematic overview of advances in water science and policy.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Pollutants in Wastewater: A Challenge for Water Reuse

This review examines emerging pollutants in wastewater as a central challenge for water reuse strategies, covering contaminants present at both domestic and industrial scales. It evaluates the sustainability benefits and treatment hurdles associated with recycling wastewater to address global water scarcity.

2025 Advances in water security
Article Tier 2

Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century

Researchers modeled the combined impact of urbanization on river pollution from nutrients, microplastics, triclosan, and pathogens across over 10,000 rivers globally. They project that by the end of the century, around 80% of the world's population could live near rivers with multi-pollutant problems under high urbanization scenarios. The study suggests that advanced wastewater treatment could technically prevent future pollution in many regions, though Africa faces particularly severe challenges.

2021 npj Urban Sustainability 301 citations
Article Tier 2

The Urban River Syndrome: Achieving Sustainability Against a Backdrop of Accelerating Change

This review examines the Urban River Syndrome -- the cumulative degradation of rivers from millennia of human activity -- and explores frameworks for achieving sustainability in urban river management against a backdrop of accelerating environmental change.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the Human–Water Relationship over the Past Two Decades Using the SMI-P Method across Nine Provinces along the Yellow River, China

This study evaluated the human-water relationship across nine provinces along China's Yellow River over two decades. Researchers found that harmony between human systems and water systems has consistently improved since 2002, though downstream provinces have progressed faster than upstream ones, and no province has yet reached a high level of balance.

2024 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Water Quality Challenges and Technological Innovations for Sustainable Management

This review examines technological innovations for sustainable water quality management in the context of increasing contamination from chemical pollutants, pathogens, and emerging contaminants including microplastics. Researchers summarized advances in water quality assessment methods and treatment technologies that address these modern challenges. The study highlights how rapid urbanization and climate change are intensifying the need for more sophisticated water management approaches.

2026 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)
Article Tier 2

Managing Urban Water Bodies for Sustainable Development in Rapidly Urbanizing West African Cities: Insights from Burkina Faso

This review examines challenges and strategies for managing urban water bodies in rapidly growing West African cities, with focus on Burkina Faso. The authors identify inadequate governance frameworks, climate variability, and uncontrolled urbanization as key threats to water body sustainability, and call for integrated urban water management that incorporates emerging contaminant threats including microplastics.

2025 Water Conservation and Management