Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Contamination, Toxicity and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments of Coastal Areas of Bushehr Province: A Systematic Review Study

This systematic review of studies from 2012-2020 found that coastal surface sediments in Bushehr Province, Iran, contain heavy metals at levels posing moderate to high ecological risk, with nickel, chromium, and cadmium identified as the primary contaminants from petrochemical and industrial sources. The pollution levels exceeded safe thresholds in several coastal areas. Coastal sediment contamination with heavy metals often co-occurs with microplastic pollution, and microplastics can adsorb and concentrate these toxic metals, potentially increasing their bioavailability to marine organisms.

2021 Journal of Environmental Health Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distributions and Intrinsic Influence Analysis of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in Sediments from the Wuliangsuhai Wetland, China

Researchers mapped heavy metal concentrations in sediments of the Wuliangsuhai wetland in China, finding arsenic and cadmium levels six- and seven-fold above background values respectively, largely from irrigation water inputs. High bioavailable fractions of cadmium, lead, and zinc raised concerns about ecological and human health risks in this agriculturally managed wetland.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Non–Negligible Ecological Risks of Urban Wetlands Caused by Cd and Hg on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Researchers assessed heavy metal contamination in the Huangshui National Wetland Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding that cadmium and mercury pose non-negligible ecological risks across the urban wetland's three zones.

2023 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact Imposed by Urbanization on Soil Heavy Metal Content of Lake Wetland and Evaluation of Ecological Risks in East Dongting Lake in China

This Chinese study measured heavy metal contamination in wetland soils of East Dongting Lake, finding elevated concentrations of several metals linked to nearby industrial and agricultural activities. Wetland contamination with heavy metals often co-occurs with microplastic pollution, and these combined stressors can have synergistic harmful effects on wetland ecosystems.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and potentially toxic elements in coastal sediments of Iran's main oil terminal (Khark Island)

Researchers investigated microplastic and potentially toxic element contamination in coastal sediments at Khark Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, finding 59 to 217 microplastic items per 200 g dry sediment and a significant positive correlation between microplastic quantities and heavy metal concentrations, with microplastics acting as vectors for co-pollutants.

2016 Environmental Pollution 166 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological health risk assessment of microplastics and heavy metals in sediments, water, hydrophytes (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Typha latifolia, and Ipomoea carnea), and fish (Labeo rohita) in Marala wetlands in Sialkot, Pakistan

Researchers assessed heavy metal and microplastic contamination in the Marala wetlands in Pakistan, sampling water, sediment, aquatic plants, and fish across five locations. They found lead, cadmium, and chromium levels exceeding WHO permissible limits at most sites, along with high microplastic abundance in sediments. While plants accumulated significant amounts of heavy metals, the estimated dietary intake for humans consuming fish from the wetland remained below safety thresholds.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Persistent organic pollutants profile of sediments from marine protected areas: the Northern Persian Gulf

Researchers measured persistent organic pollutants including PAHs, PCBs, and heavy metals in sediments from marine protected areas in the northern Persian Gulf. Despite their protected status, these areas showed contamination from nearby petroleum and industrial activities, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current marine protections.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Micro-essential and toxic heavy metals in surface water of Harike wetland - India

Researchers measured concentrations of both bio-essential (chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc) and non-essential (arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead) heavy metals in surface water of Harike wetland, the largest Ramsar-designated wetland in northern India, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. They found alarming concentrations of iron (437.98 ug/L), mercury (4.01 ug/L), and lead (156.72 ug/L), attributing contamination to industrial, domestic, and agricultural inputs from the Sutlej River.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water of Harike Wetland, India: Source and Health Risk Assessment

Researchers measured levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc in the surface water of Harike Wetland in India across different seasons. They found that cadmium and lead exceeded safe drinking water standards, particularly during winter months, with industrial discharge and agricultural runoff identified as primary sources. The health risk assessment indicated that these contaminated waters pose potential non-cancer health risks, especially for children.

2023 Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Henan section of the Yellow River

Researchers assessed heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Henan section of the Yellow River, finding elevated concentrations of several metals including cadmium and lead, with ecological risk assessments indicating moderate to high risk in certain areas driven by both natural and anthropogenic inputs.

2022 Water Science & Technology Water Supply 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface sediments of a highly urbanized wetland

Researchers found microplastic contamination throughout the sediments of Anzali Wetland in Iran, with levels highest near a heavily urbanized river outlet and areas of intense tourism and fishing, and fibers comprising 80% of all detected particles.

2022 Environmental Pollution 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Heavy metal pollution and ecological risk under different land use types: based on the similarity of pollution sources and comparing the results of three evaluation models

Researchers analyzed heavy metal contamination across five land use types on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding that industrial activities like metallurgy and mining were the primary sources of cadmium, copper, and lead pollution, with the highest risk levels in watered and urban lands rather than grasslands.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sedimentary microplastic accumulation in choghakhor international wetland: a modeling approach to local-scale determinants

Researchers quantified microplastic accumulation in sediments of Choghakhor International Wetland in Iran, finding an average of 87.5 pieces per kilogram of sediment. The study modeled spatial distribution patterns using environmental variables and identified MP hotspots linked to tourism and agricultural activity around the wetland.

2025 Environmental Health Engineering and Management
Article Tier 2

Microplastics (MPs) distribution in Surface Sediments of the Freidounkenar Paddy Wetland

Researchers documented microplastic contamination for the first time in the sediments of Freidounkenar International Wetland in northern Iran, finding 1,368 MP/kg with fibers and fragments dominating, posing a risk to migratory bird habitat.

2022 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of plastic debris and association of metals with microplastics in coastline sediment along the Persian Gulf

Microplastics and sediment samples from Persian Gulf coastlines were found to contain elevated concentrations of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and mercury, with metals associated with both the plastic surfaces and the surrounding sediment. The study demonstrates that microplastics in this industrialized coastal region accumulate hazardous metals that can be transferred to marine organisms.

2018 Waste Management 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics and Heavy Metals in Aquatic and Agroecosystem: A Case Study

Researchers investigated microplastic and heavy metal co-contamination in Pakistani farmland, collecting wastewater, soil, and vegetable samples from four sites in Faisalabad irrigated with raw effluents. They found average soil microplastic abundance of 2790.75 items/kg and identified chromium as the dominant metal with the highest transfer factor, establishing baseline contamination benchmarks for this agroecosystem.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and determination of microplastics and associated PAHs in seawater and beach sediments from the northwestern part of the Caspian Sea

Researchers collected microplastics and beach sediments from the northwestern Caspian Sea and used GC-MS to characterize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on the MPs, finding PAH profiles consistent with petroleum combustion sources and documenting MP-PAH co-contamination in this landlocked sea.

2025 Analytical Methods in Environmental Chemistry Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Dataset of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products occurrence in wetlands of Saudi Arabia

Researchers compiled a dataset on the occurrence of 59 currently used pesticides and 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wetlands of Saudi Arabia impacted by wastewater discharge. The dataset provides baseline contamination data for these fragile ecosystems and supports understanding of organic contaminant transport and fate in arid-region wetlands.

2020 Data in Brief 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological and health risk assessment of potential toxic elements in surface sediments: Gediz River, Türkiye

Researchers assessed potential toxic element concentrations in surface sediments of the Gediz River in Turkey, calculating ecological and human health risk indices and identifying industrial and agricultural inputs as major sources of heavy metal contamination.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals from Wuliangsuhai Lake, Yellow River Basin, China

Researchers investigated heavy metal contamination in Wuliangsuhai Lake sediments in China's Yellow River Basin, finding that mercury and cadmium are the main pollutants, with cadmium showing the highest bioavailability due to its exchangeable fraction, and exogenous pollution concentrated in the top 20 cm of sediment cores.

2022 Water 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution characteristics, ecological risk assessment, and source analysis of heavy metal(loid)s in surface sediments of the nearshore area of Qionghai

Analysis of 93 surface sediment samples from the nearshore area of Qionghai found heavy metal contamination from natural weathering, agricultural, and industrial sources, with geo-accumulation indices and ecological risk assessments identifying priority elements of concern.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen and metal pollution in the southern Caspian Sea: a multiple approach to bioassessment

A study of the southern Caspian Sea used stable isotope analysis and metal measurements in macroalgae and sediments to identify sources of nitrogen and metal pollution from industrial and agricultural activities. It is an environmental chemistry study with limited direct relevance to microplastics.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Soil Pollution Levels in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq Using Contamination Index and GIS

Researchers used geo-accumulation index analysis and GIS mapping to evaluate heavy metal contamination from cadmium, nickel, lead, and zinc in 28 soil profiles collected from Al-Shamiyah city in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq. They found that cadmium showed the highest contamination levels, ranging from non-polluted to significantly heavily polluted, with nickel concentrations elevated near major drainage infrastructure.

2022 Journal of Ecological Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, flux, and risk assessment of microplastics at the Anzali Wetland, Iran, and its tributaries

This study mapped microplastic pollution in Anzali Wetland in Iran and its nine tributary rivers, finding contamination throughout the freshwater ecosystem. Microplastic levels were linked to water turbidity and clay content in sediments, with rivers carrying higher concentrations than the wetland itself. Since this internationally protected wetland supports local fisheries and water supplies, the contamination poses potential risks to human health.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 12 citations