Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of sediment size on microplastic fragmentation

Researchers examined how sediment grain size influences the physical fragmentation of microplastics in river environments, where the mechanical controls on microplastic storage, remobilization, and transfer pathways remain poorly understood. The study found that sediment size plays a meaningful role in breaking down plastic particles, contributing to the generation of smaller microplastic fragments in fluvial systems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and their abundance along rivers are determined by land uses and sediment granulometry

Researchers studied two river watersheds and found that microplastics were widespread in both water and sediment, with concentrations in water rising alongside increased urban land use. Interestingly, microplastics trapped in sediment were more influenced by the grain size of the riverbed than by human activity. The findings suggest that both human factors and natural river characteristics work together to shape where microplastics end up in freshwater systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracing microplastics in aquatic environments based on sediment analogies

Researchers found significant correlations between microplastic abundance and sediment grain size in an estuarine river system in Germany, suggesting that sediment grain size can serve as a proxy for predicting microplastic distribution in aquatic sediments. Using grain-size normalization could help standardize microplastic data across sites with different hydrodynamic conditions.

2019 Scientific Reports 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Source- and polymer-specific size distributions of fine microplastics in surface water in an urban river

Researchers investigated size distributions of fine microplastics from different sources in an urban river, finding that weathering and fragmentation produce a range of particle sizes and that source-specific size signatures can help trace microplastic origins.

2021 Environmental Pollution 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling the Fate of Microplastics in river bed sediments.

Researchers modeled microplastic transport, deposition, and burial in river bed sediments under varying hydrological conditions. River bed sediments were found to act as long-term reservoirs for microplastics, with periodic high-flow events temporarily resuspending and redistributing particles.

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

Factors Controlling the Distribution of Microplastic Particles in Benthic Sediment of the Thames River, Canada

This study investigated the factors controlling where microplastic particles accumulate in benthic sediments of Ontario's Thames River, finding that sediment grain size and local hydrodynamics strongly influence distribution patterns. The results provide a framework for predicting microplastic hotspots in freshwater river systems.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 216 citations
Article Tier 2

A Shear Reynolds Number-Based Classification Method of the Nonuniform Bed Load Transport

Researchers developed a method based on shear Reynolds numbers to classify bed load transport in rivers with mixed sediment. Understanding how particles of different sizes move in rivers is relevant to modeling how microplastics, which vary in size and density, are transported and deposited in river systems.

2019 Water 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Percentage composition of microplastic size: A) sediment, B) water.

This study presents size distribution data for microplastics detected in sediment and water samples, characterizing the proportions of different size classes across both environmental matrices.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution in a meandering river bed and its sedimentary predictors

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution patterns within a meandering riverbed and identified sedimentary predictors of microplastic accumulation, advancing understanding of within-channel spatial variability that affects large-scale pollution quantification. The study found that specific geomorphological features of meandering channels are strong predictors of local microplastic hotspots in riverbed sediments.

2024
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Scientists used laboratory river-bed simulations to study how microplastics move from surface water down into streambed sediments. Smaller particles (1 micrometer) penetrated deeper into the sediment than larger ones, and higher water flow pushed more particles downward. This research helps explain how microplastics accumulate in river beds, which serve as both drinking water sources and habitats for aquatic organisms.

2024 Water Resources Research 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling the Fate of Microplastics in river bed sediments.

Researchers modeled the fate of microplastics deposited in river bed sediments, examining how hydrological conditions influence their distribution, burial, and potential for downstream transport. The models revealed that river bed sediments act as significant long-term reservoirs for microplastic pollution.

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

Effects of seasonal variation and resuspension on microplastics in river sediments

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in river sediments across multiple seasons and examined the role of resuspension events, finding that MP levels varied significantly by season and that high-flow events released previously deposited particles, redistributing contamination downstream.

2021 Environmental Pollution 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigations on microplastic infiltration within natural riverbed sediments

Researchers used laboratory flume experiments to investigate how sediment grain size affects the infiltration of four types of microplastics (PET spheres, PET ellipsoids, polystyrene fragments, and polyamide fibers) into riverbed sediments. Sediment particle size, microplastic shape, and density were key factors controlling how deeply microplastics penetrate into the hyporheic zone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the influence of sediment motion on microplastic deposition in streambeds

This study systematically explored how sediment motion affects microplastic deposition in streambeds made of fine sediments, finding that sediment transport dynamics play a critical role in controlling where microplastics accumulate. The results improve understanding of microplastic fate in riverine systems.

2023 Water Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic infiltration into mobile sediments

Researchers used an annular flume to simulate how microplastic particles infiltrate into sandy river sediments as bedforms migrate. They found that particle size was the most important factor determining how deep microplastics penetrated into the sediment, while bedform speed and particle density had less influence. The study reveals that smaller microplastics can be buried deeper in river sediments, making them harder to detect and potentially creating long-term contamination reservoirs.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Sediment Texture on the Composition and Abundance of Microplastics in Banjaran River, Banyumas Regency, Indonesia

Researchers examined how sediment texture influences the composition and abundance of microplastics in the Banjaran River in Banyumas Regency, Indonesia, finding links between particle size distribution in sediments and microplastic accumulation patterns.

2024 Jurnal Riset Teknologi Pencegahan Pencemaran Industri
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and natural sediment in bed load saltation: Material does not dictate the fate

Researchers investigated how microplastics move as bed load in river flows and found that transport behavior in saltation was governed primarily by particle size, shape, and density rather than material composition, suggesting that microplastics follow similar transport mechanics as natural sediment.

2023 Water Research 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydro-geomorphological features govern the distribution, storage, and transport processes of riverbed microplastics

This study examined how river channel shape, water flow, and sediment dynamics control where microplastics accumulate, travel, and are stored in riverbeds. Identifying these hydro-geomorphological drivers is important for predicting microplastic transport to downstream ecosystems and the ocean.

2026 Mendeley Data
Article Tier 2

Riverbed depth-specific microplastics distribution and potential use as process marker

Researchers examined the depth-specific distribution of microplastics in riverbed sediments, finding that particle concentration and type varied significantly with sediment depth. The findings suggest that riverbeds act as significant microplastic sinks, with deeper layers representing older accumulation zones.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydro-geomorphological features govern the distribution, storage, and transport processes of riverbed microplastics

This study examined how river channel shape, water flow, and sediment dynamics control where microplastics accumulate, travel, and are stored in riverbeds. Identifying these hydro-geomorphological drivers is important for predicting microplastic transport to downstream ecosystems and the ocean.

2026 Mendeley Data
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination of Fine-Grained Sediments and Its Environmental Driving Factors along a Lowland River: Three-Year Monitoring of the Tisza River and Central Europe

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in fine-grained river sediments over three years (2020-2022) along a large river system, examining environmental driving factors including hydrology, land use, and sediment transport dynamics. The study found that hydrological and geomorphological processes are key determinants of where microplastics accumulate and are remobilized.

2024 Hydrology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring possible controlling factors of spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments of a river segment (Loire River, France)

At 14 sites along an 8 km Loire River segment, microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied significantly by sedimentary environment, with grain size and flooding frequency as key controlling factors for MP spatial distribution in river sediments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport processes of microplastic particles in the fluvial environment : erosion, transport and deposition

This thesis examines how microplastics are eroded, transported, and deposited in river systems, tracing their movement from land sources to the ocean. The research fills an important gap in understanding how rivers act as conduits for microplastic pollution and what processes determine where plastic particles accumulate in freshwater environments.

2020 RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Sediment Grain Size and Its Correlation with Microplastic Accumulation and Characteristics in the Kahayan River, Indonesia

Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation in sediments of the Kahayan River in Indonesia in relation to sediment grain size, finding an average abundance of 7.3 items/kg dry weight. Significant correlations were found between coarse and fine sand grain sizes and microplastic occurrence, suggesting grain size plays a key role in microplastic retention.

2024 Environmental Forensics 4 citations