Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Digital Image Analysis and Multivariate Data Analysis as Tools for the Identification of Microplastics in Surface Waters: The Case of the Vistula River (Central Europe)

Researchers demonstrated digital image analysis combined with microscopy as a tool for identifying and characterizing microplastic particles from Vistula River surface water samples, performing exhaustive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of 2D and 3D morphology to characterize MP abundance and composition.

2024 Preprints.org
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

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
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

Isolation of Microplastics from Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in the Danube River

Researchers isolated microplastics from three freshwater species — mollusks, worms, and midge larvae — collected from the Danube River during a major scientific survey. Using different organism types as biological monitors showed that microplastic contamination is widespread in the river's aquatic ecosystem.

2022 Facta Universitatis Series Medicine and Biology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The power of a multi-technique approach for the reliable quantification of microplastics in water

Researchers applied multiple analytical techniques in combination to improve the accuracy and reliability of microplastic quantification in environmental samples. The multi-technique approach outperformed any single method, demonstrating its value for generating robust data from complex matrices.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

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 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

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of plastic particles in surface waters of the Western Black Sea

Researchers collected surface water samples from the Western Black Sea near the Danube Delta and Romanian shore, finding micro-, meso-, and macroplastic particles that may contribute significantly to Mediterranean marine pollution via the connecting waterway. Organic matter was digested and plastic particles were isolated and characterised to quantify and identify the polymer types present.

2020 Environmental Pollution 67 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

The first spatio-temporal study of the microplastics and meso–macroplastics transport in the Romanian Danube

This study measured microplastic transport in the Romanian section of the Danube River over multiple seasons, estimating up to 51 tonnes of microplastics flow through per year. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common types, and concentrations varied with seasonal water flow. Since the Danube supplies drinking water and supports fisheries for millions of people, this contamination level raises concerns about human exposure.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification Tools of Microplastics from Surface Water Integrating Digital Image Processing and Statistical Techniques

This study demonstrated that digital image analysis can automate and improve the characterization of microplastic particles collected from river water, capturing detailed shape, color, and size data that manual microscopy cannot easily achieve at scale. Better identification tools like this are essential for standardizing microplastic monitoring across different waterways and research groups.

2024 Materials 2 citations
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

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

A Comprehensive Method for Water Environment Assessment considering Trends of Water Quality

Researchers developed a comprehensive water quality assessment method that accounts for both current pollution levels and trends over time, applying it to rivers feeding a major Chinese reservoir. Water quality assessment frameworks are increasingly being adapted to include microplastic contamination as a standard monitoring parameter.

2021 Advances in Civil Engineering 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The power of a multi-technique approach for the reliable quantification of microplastics in water

Researchers applied a multi-technique analytical approach combining several spectroscopic and microscopic methods to improve the reliability of microplastic quantification in environmental samples. The combined approach reduced false positives and improved polymer identification accuracy compared to any single method used alone.

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

Addressing Microplastic Monitoring Challenges in Drinking Water Resources in the Danube River Basin: Towards Standardization and Capacity Building

This review examines microplastic monitoring challenges across the Danube River Basin drinking water resources, comparing FTIR and Raman spectroscopy approaches used by different countries and making the case for standardized protocols and capacity-building initiatives to enable comparable data across the basin.

2025
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Riverine Plastic Pollution Combining Citizen Science, Remote Sensing and Water Quality Monitoring Techniques

A multi-method study combining citizen science litter surveys, remote sensing, and water quality monitoring characterized plastic pollution along the Tisza River, one of Europe's most plastic-polluted rivers, spanning five countries.

2024 Preprints.org 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A Methodology for Measuring Microplastic Transport in Large or Medium Rivers

Researchers developed a net-based multi-depth sampling methodology for measuring microplastic transport across the full vertical profile of medium and large rivers, testing it in the Austrian Danube and revealing high heterogeneity in plastic concentrations within a single cross-section. The study demonstrates that surface-only measurements substantially underestimate total plastic transport in rivers due to turbulent mixing, density variation, and biofilm-driven settling.

2018 Water 108 citations
Article Tier 2

A systems approach to understand microplastic occurrence and variability in Dutch riverine surface waters

Microplastic concentrations in two Dutch rivers ranged from 67 to 11,532 particles per cubic meter, varying by two orders of magnitude across space and one order over time, with polyethylene and polypropylene the most common polymers among 26 types identified. Rigorous quality assurance procedures including partial filter analysis guidelines are proposed to improve measurement reliability.

2020 Water Research 209 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

Characteristics and sources of microplastic pollution in the water and sediments of the Jinjiang River Basin

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution across surface water, groundwater, and sediments throughout the Jinjiang River Basin in China, tracing sources via principal component analysis and documenting contamination from inland areas to the estuary.

2022 China Geology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Water Quality Evaluation, Spatial Distribution Characteristics, and Source Analysis of Pollutants in Wanquan River, China

This paper is not about microplastics — it assesses water quality in a Chinese river basin, finding that agricultural runoff and domestic sewage are the main pollution sources, without examining plastic contamination.

2023 Applied Sciences 10 citations