Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A multidimensional approach for microplastics monitoring in two major tropical river basins, Malaysia

Researchers conducted a multidimensional assessment of microplastic distribution in surface waters of two major Malaysian river basins, providing much-needed field data on microplastic emissions from Asian rivers known to be major contributors to ocean pollution.

2023 Environmental Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Point-source microplastic input to the river and coastal zone via wastewater treatment facilities: a case study from a tropical mega-city

Point-source inputs of microplastics from a specific industrial or municipal source were quantified in both a river and the adjacent coastal zone. The study links land-based pollution sources to downstream and coastal microplastic concentrations, supporting targeted source-control interventions.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying microplastic fluvial flux from a coastal watershed—A microplastic rating curve approach

Researchers quantified the flux of microplastics transported by rivers to the coast from a single watershed, providing a mass balance for how much plastic a defined catchment exports. Such flux estimates are essential building blocks for calculating global land-to-ocean plastic budgets.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, Distribution and Drivers of Microplastic Contaminant in Urban River Environments

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in urban river environments and identified key drivers of accumulation hotspots, finding that land use, hydrology, and infrastructure factors concentrated microplastics at predictable locations that could inform targeted management interventions.

2018 Preprints.org 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Land use-based characterization and source apportionment of microplastics in urban storm runoffs in a tropical region

Urban stormwater runoff in a tropical monsoon region contained 4.7 particles/L and 3.8 mg/L microplastics on average, with concentrations following land use order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential, and approximately 85% of sources identifiable by morphology and polymer type.

2023 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastic contaminated with heavy metals in a tropical river: Effect of land use and population density

Researchers studied microplastic pollution in Thailand's Chao Phraya River and found that population density and land use strongly influence contamination levels. Urban areas had the highest microplastic concentrations, and many particles were contaminated with heavy metals. The findings suggest that microplastics in rivers can serve as carriers of toxic metals, compounding the pollution risk for downstream communities.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing land-use impacts on a 5th-order tropical river using multiple environmental indicators

Researchers combined multiple environmental indicators to assess the health of a tropical river system in Brazil affected by land-use change from agriculture and urbanization. Rivers in degraded landscapes also carry higher microplastic loads, and multi-indicator approaches provide a more complete picture of ecosystem health.

2021 Caderno de Geografia 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in tropical Andean rivers: A perspective from a highly populated Ecuadorian basin without wastewater treatment

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in a highly populated Ecuadorian river basin that lacks wastewater treatment, finding contamination throughout the system and demonstrating that rivers in low-income tropical countries with poor infrastructure are major conduits for microplastics.

2020 Heliyon 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in selected rivers from Southeast Asia

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in rivers across Southeast Asia, a region with high plastic waste discharge but limited monitoring data, documenting the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in these understudied waterways.

2022 APN Science Bulletin 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Abundance and Characteristics in the Bango River, Malang, Indonesia, Based on Land Use Patterns

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance and characterized particle types in the Bango River in Malang, Indonesia, finding significant contamination dominated by fragments and fibers linked to urban and agricultural sources.

2024 Environmental Engineering Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution differences in freshwater river according to stream order: Insights from spatial distribution, annual load, and ecological assessment

Researchers compared microplastic pollution levels in a freshwater river across different land-use zones, finding higher concentrations near urban and agricultural areas than in forested regions. Fiber-type microplastics were predominant across all sampling locations.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 5 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

A baseline study of macro, meso and micro litter in the Belize River basin, from catchment to coast

Researchers conducted a baseline survey of macro, meso, and micro litter throughout the Belize River basin from inland catchments to the coast, documenting plastic as the dominant litter type and identifying rivers as key conduits transporting terrestrial plastic waste to coastal waters.

2022 ICES Journal of Marine Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Small-Scale Microplastics Abundance and Characterization in Urban River: A Case Study in Metro River, Indonesia

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in the Metro River in Indonesia, finding that abundance and characteristics varied by land use type, with urban areas showing higher concentrations of fragments and fibers in this rapidly developing region.

2023 Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The first report on the source-to-sink characterization of microplastic pollution from a riverine environment in tropical India

This first source-to-sink study of microplastic pollution in a tropical Indian river system tracked microplastics from urban sources through the river to estuarine and coastal deposition zones, characterizing polymer types and morphologies at each stage.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 334 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and factors influencing microplastic concentration during monsoon season in the Ganga River, Bihar, India

Researchers investigated sources and factors influencing microplastic concentrations in the Ganga River during monsoon season, finding that untreated residential and industrial waste from major Indian cities contributes significantly to contamination of one of the world's most biodiverse rivers.

2025 Discover Environment