Papers

20 results
|
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

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

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Water of Urban Lakes in Changsha, China

Microplastic concentrations were measured in eight urban lakes in Changsha, China, with researchers finding widespread contamination and identifying local land use and hydrological connectivity as key factors influencing microplastic abundance.

2019 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 156 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and fish from a large recreational lake

Researchers surveyed microplastics in water, sediment, and fish from a large recreational lake in China, finding MPs across all sampled compartments with higher concentrations near tourist facilities and boat launch areas, raising concerns about human exposure through lake recreation and consumption of contaminated fish.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Microplastics in Urban Freshwater Lakes: A Case Study in Songshan Lake of Dongguan, China

Researchers found microplastics in both surface water and sediments of Songshan Lake, an urban freshwater lake in China, identifying fiber shapes as dominant and using principal component analysis to trace sources including atmospheric deposition, runoff, and recreational activities.

2022 Water 30 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative review of microplastics in lake systems from different countries and regions

Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination data from lake systems across multiple countries, finding that abundance, size, and polymer type varied widely by region and identifying land use, population density, and hydrological connectivity as key drivers of lake microplastic levels.

2021 Chemosphere 206 citations
Article Tier 2

Global microplastic contamination in freshwater lakes: Spatial patterns, environmental drivers, and methodological challenges

This review systematically analyzed 84 studies covering more than 300 lakes worldwide to assess global microplastic contamination in freshwater lake systems. Surface water MP concentrations ranged from below 0.001 to over 200 MP/L, with fibers and fragments dominating, polyethylene and polypropylene most common, and highest levels found in shallow, lowland, and eutrophic systems near urbanized shorelines.

2025 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Research status and prospects of microplastic pollution in lakes

This review systematically covers microplastic pollution research in lakes, including sampling and identification methods, distribution patterns, ecological effects, and knowledge gaps, identifying lakes as important but understudied sinks for microplastic contamination.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

[Characterization of Microplastic Pollution of Sediments from Urban Lakes].

Sediments from urban lakes in Maanshan City, China contained microplastics in both spring and summer, with fragments and fibers as the most common types. Local industrial and domestic activities were identified as the likely sources, adding to evidence of widespread microplastic contamination in freshwater sediments.

2020 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters of Dongting Lake and Hong Lake, China

Researchers sampled surface waters of Dongting Lake and Hong Lake in China and found microplastic contamination at both sites, with fibers as the dominant type and concentrations reflecting nearby human population density and land use.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 517 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

Microplastics in Sediment and Surface Water of West Dongting Lake and South Dongting Lake: Abundance, Source and Composition

Microplastics were found in both surface water and sediments of West Dongting Lake and South Dongting Lake in China, with fibers and fragments as the dominant types and concentrations influenced by proximity to urban and agricultural land use. The study provides the first data on microplastic contamination in China's second-largest freshwater lake system.

2018 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 204 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of lakeshore landcover types and environmental factors on microplastic distribution in lakes on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

This study measured microplastic contamination in lakes across the Inner Mongolia Plateau and found levels ranging from 0.5 to 12.6 particles per liter in water, with polypropylene being the most common type. Lakes near farmland and human activity had the highest contamination, showing that agriculture and tourism are major sources of microplastic pollution. The findings are relevant because these lakes serve as water sources for surrounding communities.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and sedimentation of microplastics in Taihu Lake

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance in water, sediment, and inflowing rivers of Taihu Lake, China's third-largest freshwater lake, finding widespread contamination with fibers as the dominant type and higher concentrations near urban and agricultural shorelines.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracing Footprint and Risk of Microplastics and Microfibers in the Lakes across China

Researchers surveyed microplastic and microfiber contamination in the sediments of 102 lakes across China, identifying pollution sources and developing a new risk assessment index. They found contamination levels ranging widely and were able to separate microfiber pollution from microplastic pollution to better trace their origins. The study provides a large-scale snapshot of lake contamination and introduces a tool for evaluating ecological risk from these particles.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Unmasking Microplastic Pollution: A Study on the Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in Yuehai Lake, China

This study surveyed microplastic characteristics and distribution across water samples from Yuehai Lake in China, finding widespread contamination with fragments and fibers, and identifying local anthropogenic activities and atmospheric deposition as primary sources.

2025 Science Letters
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Taihu Lake, China

Researchers surveyed Taihu Lake in China — one of the largest freshwater lakes in the country — and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer composition reflecting surrounding urban and industrial inputs.

2016 Environmental Pollution 1165 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

Microplastic pollution research methodologies, abundance, characteristics and risk assessments for aquatic biota in China

Researchers reviewed the current state of microplastic pollution research in China's aquatic environments, covering detection methods, abundance data, characteristics, and risk assessments for aquatic organisms. The review highlights that China's marine and freshwater environments are seriously polluted by microplastics, with ingestion by aquatic organisms posing potential ecological harm.

2020 Environmental Pollution 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of microplastics in surface water of typical shallow lake in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River: A case study of Lake Baoan, Hubei Province

A seasonal sampling campaign at Lake Baoan, a shallow Yangtze River basin lake in China, found an average microplastic abundance of about 16 particles per litre in surface water, with fibers making up 40% of particles and polyethylene the dominant polymer. Microplastic concentrations peaked in winter and were lowest in summer, but showed no significant correlation with conventional water-quality indicators — suggesting that standard water-quality monitoring will miss microplastic contamination.

2024 Journal of Lake Sciences 2 citations