Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Lake sediments as microplastic sink: The case of three lakes from Northern and Central Poland

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in bottom sediments from three lakes in northern and central Poland with low surrounding human activity, finding between 4 and 21 microplastic particles per kilogram of wet sediment. These values were low compared to lakes in urbanized areas, suggesting anthropogenic pressure significantly drives sediment microplastic accumulation.

2024 Quaestiones Geographicae 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the sediments of a UK urban lake

Researchers sampled sediments from Edgbaston Pool, a small UK urban lake, and found microplastics throughout, including at depth — indicating historical accumulation. The study adds freshwater lakes to the list of microplastic-contaminated environments and suggests that urban lakes serve as local sinks for plastic pollution.

2017 Environmental Pollution 297 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

Review of microplastics in lakes: sources, distribution characteristics, and environmental effects

This review analyzes microplastic pollution in lakes worldwide and finds that contamination levels are higher in shallower lakes near populated areas with more human activity. Microplastics accumulate heavily in lake sediments and can also be trapped in seasonal ice, only to be released during warming periods. Since many communities rely on lakes for drinking water and fishing, understanding how microplastics concentrate in these freshwater systems is critical for protecting public health.

2023 Carbon Research 77 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tourism on microplastic pollution amount in Baltic Sea Region lakes

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments from 10 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland across spring, summer, and autumn 2023, finding that tourism pressure in lake catchment areas correlates with elevated microplastic contamination levels.

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

A Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Microplastics in the Shorelines of Urban Lakes

Researchers conducted a qualitative and quantitative assessment of microplastics in shoreline sediments of urban lakes, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on the water column rather than the zone where water and land meet.

2025 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in lakes and lake shoreline sediments – A case study on Lake Bolsena and Lake Chiusi (central Italy)

Researchers surveyed a lake and its shoreline sediments for microplastic pollution, documenting contamination levels and particle characteristics and finding that shoreline sediments accumulated higher concentrations than open water.

2016 Environmental Pollution 586 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution of Beach Sand from Selected Recreational Reservoirs by Microplastics

Researchers analyzed beach sand samples from three recreational reservoirs in southern Poland (Silesian Voivodship) to assess microplastic pollution levels in freshwater beach environments. The study found microplastics present in beach sand across all sampled sites, contributing to evidence that sediments and beach sands serve as long-term microplastic sinks in aquatic environments.

2022 Civil And Environmental Engineering Reports
Article Tier 2

Litter per liter – Lakes' morphology and shoreline urbanization index as factors of microplastic pollution: Study of 30 lakes in NE Poland

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across 30 lakes in northeastern Poland during summer stagnation, examining how lake morphology and shoreline urbanization influence pollution levels. The study found microplastics in every lake sampled, with concentrations ranging from 0.27 to 1.57 particles per liter, and observed gradual accumulation patterns linked to human activity and lake characteristics.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tourism on microplastic pollution amount in Baltic Sea Region lakes

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments from 10 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland across spring, summer, and autumn 2023, investigating whether tourism pressure in lake catchment areas correlates with microplastic contamination levels. They found microplastics in all samples, with surface water concentrations ranging from 0.56 to 38.53 particles per cubic meter depending on country and season, and observed that lakes with higher tourist activity tended to show elevated microplastic loads.

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

Characterization of microplastics in sediments and surface waters of Turkish lakes

Researchers surveyed seven lakes in Turkey and found microplastics in all of them, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. Human activities like tourism, fishing, and urban waste disposal were identified as major sources, showing that even protected lake areas are contaminated with plastic particles that can enter drinking water supplies.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sediments of tropical shallow lakes

Researchers found microplastics in all sediment samples from 48 tropical shallow lakes across a climatic gradient, with fibres dominating over fragments and polyester being the most common polymer, indicating widespread plastic contamination even in inland freshwater ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
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

Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in Lake Ontario sediments from nearshore areas, tributaries, and beaches to map pollution patterns. They found the highest concentrations near urban and industrial zones, particularly in Toronto Harbour, where levels exceeded 500 particles per kilogram of sediment. The study identifies wastewater outflows and urban runoff as key sources of microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes region.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 682 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in sediments of a man-made lake receiving reclaimed water

Researchers found microplastics in sediments of a man-made lake receiving reclaimed water from a wastewater treatment plant, with fiber and fragment morphotypes predominating and concentrations correlating with distance from the reclaimed water input point, implicating treated wastewater as a microplastic source to recreational water bodies.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in lakeshore and lakebed sediments – External influences and temporal and spatial variabilities of concentrations

This study examined spatial and temporal variation in microplastic concentrations in lakeshore and lakebed sediments, finding that external inputs, lake hydrodynamics, and seasonal factors all contributed to heterogeneous distribution patterns.

2021 Environmental Research 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Waters and Sediments of Urban Lake

This book chapter reviews microplastic pollution in urban lake surface waters and sediments, describing sources, distribution patterns, and the ecological consequences of MP accumulation in these widely used but understudied freshwater habitats.

2025
Article Tier 2

Spatial Variations in Microplastics in the Largest Shallow Lake of Central Europe and Its Protecting Wetland Area

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations across Lake Balaton, the largest shallow lake in Central Europe, and its protecting wetland area. The study found spatial variations in microplastic pollution, with the wetland and river inflow areas showing distinct contamination patterns compared to the open lake.

2024 Water 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Lake sediments act as a sink of microplastics in the High-Altitude Himalayan Dal Lake, India

Researchers quantified microplastic concentrations in surface water and sediments of Dal Lake, a high-altitude Himalayan urban lake in India at 1,583 meters elevation, finding sediment concentrations up to nearly 13,000 particles per kilogram dry weight and concluding that lake sediments act as a long-term sink for microplastic accumulation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Distribution Characteristics and Sources of Microplastics in Inland Wetland Ecosystem Soils

Researchers studied microplastic distribution across river, constructed, and lake wetlands in an inland ecosystem and found abundances ranging from 532 to 4,309 items per kilogram of soil. Lake wetlands emerged as a major sink for microplastics, while constructed wetlands did not significantly remove them. The study identified aquaculture, agriculture, and domestic waste as the primary sources of microplastic pollution in these wetland environments.

2025 Water 7 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Global occurrence characteristics, drivers, and environmental risk assessment of microplastics in lakes: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis of 42 studies found significant heterogeneity in microplastic pollution levels across global lakes, driven by geographical location and sampling methods. Small microplastics (under 1 mm) were disproportionately concentrated in sediment compared to water, and while most lakes showed low overall environmental risk, pollution levels in lake sediments were generally higher than in surrounding water.

2024 Environmental Pollution 44 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

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the sediments of Poyang Lake, China

Researchers found microplastic contamination in sediments across Poyang Lake, China, with abundances ranging from 11 to 3,153 items per kilogram dry weight, and identified significant spatial variability linked to human activity and hydrological conditions.

2019 Water Science & Technology 102 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence of microplastics in freshwater systems – preliminary results from Krakow (Poland)

This preliminary study measured microplastic concentrations in freshwater systems in Poland, finding particles widely distributed in both surface water and sediment. The research fills a gap in knowledge about microplastic contamination in Central European inland waterways.

2018 Geology Geophysics & Environment 25 citations