Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Danube River and Its Main Tributaries—Ingestion by Freshwater Macroinvertebrates

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in the Danube River and its major tributaries and analyzed ingestion by freshwater fish species collected from multiple sites. Microplastics were detected in a significant proportion of fish, with ingestion rates correlating with local plastic contamination levels, documenting widespread plastic exposure across the Danube watershed's fish communities.

2024 Water 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplasic measurements at the Danube river using a multi-level approach

Researchers measured microplastics in the Danube River using multiple sampling approaches at different scales, confirming that microplastics are present throughout the water column. Finer-scale analysis consistently revealed more particles than coarser methods. The findings support the use of multi-level sampling strategies to accurately assess microplastic contamination in major river systems.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of microplastic pollution in a large European river

Researchers sampled the Budapest reach of the Danube River at multiple water column depths using a Multilevel Manta net, finding an average microplastic concentration of 0.311 mg/m³ (142 particles/m³) dominated by polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene fragments, and estimating substantial microplastic mass flux that underscores the Danube's role as a major transport pathway for plastic pollution.

2026 Frontiers in Water
Article Tier 2

Comparison of microplastic intake in two fish species from different functional feeding groups in Europe's second-largest river

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in two fish species — bleak and round goby — along a 1,716 km transect of the Danube River using standardized sampling protocols. MPs were detected in both species across the entire river length, with contamination levels varying by species and location.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Austrian rivers

This German-language review summarizes published research on microplastic contamination in Austrian rivers, with a focus on the Danube. The paper compares findings across studies, identifies methodological inconsistencies, and recommends improvements to sampling and identification approaches for future river microplastic monitoring.

2020 FH JOANNEUM ePUB
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water, sediments and macroinvertebrates in a small river of NW Spain

Researchers found microplastics in water, sediment, and aquatic invertebrate species throughout a small urban river in northwest Spain, including inside the body cases of caddisfly larvae. The study confirms that microplastic contamination reaches even the headwaters of urban rivers and enters freshwater invertebrates, with potential to move up the food chain.

2023 Limnetica 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Sedimentary microplastic concentrations from the Romanian Danube River to the Black Sea

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in sediments along the Danube River through the Danube Delta and into the Black Sea, finding that some isolated areas of the Delta still had relatively few plastic particles. The study helps clarify how microplastics move from major rivers into the ocean, an important step for estimating global ocean plastic loads.

2021 Scientific Reports 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakes and rivers: an issue of emerging significance to limnology

Researchers found that microplastic concentrations in freshwater lakes and rivers can exceed those of living organisms like zooplankton, with sediment levels matching the most contaminated marine sites, establishing microplastics as a significant issue for limnology.

2021 Environmental Reviews 141 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Different Sampling, Sample Preparation and Analysis Methods Addressing Microplastic Concentration and Transport in Medium and Large Rivers Based on Research in the Danube River Basin

Monitoring microplastics in rivers is hampered by the lack of standardized methods, making it difficult to compare results across studies. This research tested three common sampling approaches on the Danube River and its tributaries, finding that each method produced meaningfully different estimates of microplastic concentrations and transport. The results underscore the urgent need for agreed-upon protocols so that data from different countries and research groups can be reliably combined to track river-to-ocean plastic pollution.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review

Researchers systematically reviewed the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and streams — documenting their sources, how they move through water, the damage they cause to aquatic organisms, and the methods used to detect them. Their review serves as a baseline reference for future research and calls for improved waste management to protect freshwater environments from ongoing microplastic contamination.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 98 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastics in a freshwater river and their relationship to water quality

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in a freshwater river used for recreational purposes and found a significant relationship between microplastic abundance and water physicochemical quality parameters, along with the presence of three organic compounds, providing evidence that microplastic pollution and water quality are closely linked.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic faunas of the Western Black Sea

Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence in coastal waters and aquatic fauna of the Western Black Sea region receiving Danube River inputs, characterizing MP distributions in a coastal ecosystem under pressure from tourism, fishing, regional conflicts, and inadequate waste disposal across the Danube basin.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in benthic macroinvertebrates is widespread, regardless of the river ecological status

A broad survey of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates across multiple rivers found that microplastic accumulation was widespread regardless of local urban development levels, suggesting that factors beyond proximity to urban areas—such as river hydrology and upstream sources—drive MP exposure in freshwater invertebrates.

2025 Hydrobiologia 3 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Surface Water, Sediments, and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Huangbai River].

This Chinese study examined microplastic contamination across water, sediment, and bottom-dwelling invertebrates in the Huangbai River, finding widespread pollution at all levels. On average, each invertebrate contained roughly 2 microplastic particles, mostly fiber-shaped and under 500 micrometers. The feeding behavior of different invertebrate groups — whether they filter water, shred debris, or scrape surfaces — influenced how many microplastics they accumulated, showing that diet and ecology shape exposure. The findings demonstrate that microplastics are moving through freshwater food webs, not just sitting in the water or sediment.

2025 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Knowledge of Methods for Assessing Surface Water Pollution with Microplastics and their Impact on Aquatic Species

This Romanian study reviewed methods for measuring microplastic contamination in surface water, particularly in deltaic ecosystems monitored for water quality. It proposes microplastics as a new indicator for ecological status assessments in river delta environments.

2019 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
Article Tier 2

Following the fate of microplastic in four abiotic and biotic matrices along the Ticino River (North Italy)

Microplastics were tracked across water, sediment, invertebrates, and fish along the length of the Ticino River in northern Italy, providing the first multi-matrix assessment of plastic contamination along this river. The study found increasing concentrations downstream and showed that all sampled biological matrices contained microplastics, confirming systemic contamination throughout the river ecosystem.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 48 citations
Article Tier 2

The Invisible Threat: A Review of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems, Including Their Presence in Water, Sediment, and Aquatic Insects

This review examines the sources, spatial distributions, and ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater systems — including water, sediments, and aquatic insects — synthesizing evidence on their pervasive contamination and biological impacts across freshwater environments globally.

2025 Annals of Environmental Science and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems : effects and drivers

This thesis assessed how microplastic exposure affects freshwater microorganisms, macroinvertebrates, and other organisms in freshwater ecosystems, finding that microplastics are a pervasive contaminant of freshwater environments with unclear but potentially significant ecological impacts.

2024 Acta universitatis agriculturae Sueciae
Article Tier 2

Hydrodynamic Observations on Microplastic Abundances and Morphologies in the Danube Delta, Romania

This study measured microplastic abundance and morphology in fluvial and lake environments of the Danube Delta in Romania, finding microplastics distributed throughout the system. The findings show that the Danube Delta — an important biodiversity hotspot — receives significant microplastic inputs from the river.

2021 AgroLife Scientific Journal 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracing the invisible microplastics in river water and fish organs and its implication of riverine ecosystem integrity

Researchers analyzed microplastics in river water and fish organ tissues from a river in South Asia, finding contamination throughout the aquatic food web. The study used the plastisphere framework to discuss how microbial communities colonizing microplastics may influence particle fate and biological effects.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Tracing the invisible microplastics in river water and fish organs and its implication of riverine ecosystem integrity

Researchers traced microplastics in river water and fish organs from a South Asian river system, finding widespread contamination across multiple tissue types. The study identified the plastisphere concept as a useful framework for understanding how plastic-associated microbial communities accompany microplastics through aquatic food webs.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River

Researchers demonstrated that microplastic surfaces in an urban river host a microbial community that is distinct from surrounding water and sediment communities, establishing microplastic as an abundant and ecologically distinct habitat for river microorganisms.

2014 Environmental Science & Technology 1428 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in riverine ecosystems: threats posed on macroinvertebrates

This review examined microplastic abundance, distribution, and impacts on macroinvertebrates across riverine ecosystems globally, finding that ingestion of microplastics can physically harm and inhibit growth, reproduction, and feeding in riverine invertebrates, with fibres and fragments being the most common forms.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastic in Egypt Wastewater Using Aquatic Insects as Bioindicators

Researchers used aquatic insect larvae as bioindicators to assess microplastic distribution in Egyptian wastewater systems influenced by industrial and human activity. Insects from high-pollution sites accumulated significantly more microplastics, confirming their utility as cost-effective biological indicators for tracking microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.

2024