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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparative assessment of microplastics in water and sediment of a large European river
ClearSequential combination of micro-FTIR imaging spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC/MS for microplastic quantification. Application to river sediments
Researchers developed a protocol combining micro-FTIR imaging and pyrolysis-GC/MS for sequential microplastic analysis in river sediments. While both methods showed consistent total mass concentrations across sites, they found discrepancies in polymer proportions due to each method's specific limitations, providing practical recommendations for comparing results across different analytical approaches.
Microplastic analysis in sediments of the Elbe River by electrostatic separation and differential scanning calorimetry
Researchers surveyed 43 sediment samples from the Elbe River using electrostatic separation and differential scanning calorimetry, finding microplastics — predominantly polyethylene fibers — at concentrations up to 44.6 mg/kg in harbor basins, with the highest pollution in the middle Elbe between two major tributaries.
Comparison of μ-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and py-GCMS as identification tools for microplastic particles and fibers isolated from river sediments
Researchers compared two identification methods — micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC-MS — for characterizing microplastics extracted from river sediments, finding that the methods generally agreed on dominant polymers but differed in sensitivity to certain types. The comparison provides practical guidance for choosing analytical methods in freshwater microplastic monitoring programs.
Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS
Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.
Insights Into Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystem: a Short Review of Sampling and Analysis Methods
This review summarizes current methods for sampling and analyzing microplastics in rivers and estuaries, including techniques like FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification. The authors highlight the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to ensure that microplastic data across different studies are reliable and comparable.
Source, Identification, Distribution, and Abundance of Microplastics in Rivers and Their Ecological Impacts: a Review
This review synthesizes global data on microplastic sources, identification methods, distribution in rivers, and ecological impacts, covering studies from the past two decades. It finds MPs widespread in riverine systems (up to 120 MPs/L in water, 13,607 MPs/kg in sediment), with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as dominant identification tools and PE/PP fibers and fragments as the most common polymer types.
Microplastic in Water and Sediments at the Confluence of the Elbe and Mulde Rivers in Germany
Microplastic abundance and characteristics were measured in water and sediments at the confluence of the Elbe and Mulde Rivers in Germany, finding elevated concentrations downstream of the Mulde mouth consistent with a previous study that detected micro-spheres in that location.
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.
Is There a Difference in Yield? A Comparative Analysis of Microplastics Sampling Techniques in River Water with a Low-Velocity Flow
Researchers compared three microplastic sampling techniques in low-velocity river water, quantifying differences in particle abundance and characteristics to evaluate which method most accurately captures microplastic concentrations in surface water environments.
Multi-temporal surveys for microplastic particles enabled by a novel and fast application of SWIR imaging spectroscopy – Study of an urban watercourse traversing the city of Berlin, Germany
Researchers applied short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging spectroscopy to rapidly identify and classify microplastic particles in surface water samples from an urban Berlin waterway across six time points, finding that plastic concentrations increased downstream of urban areas and after rainfall events, and that wastewater treatment plant effluent contributed measurably to the plastic load.
Occurrence and transport of microplastics across the streambed interface during bank filtration
Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and spatial distribution across surface water, riverbed sediments, and groundwater at two German lowland river sites -- the Teltow Canal and the Havel -- under bank filtration conditions, collecting monthly surface water and quarterly groundwater samples over one year alongside sediment freeze cores to 100 cm depth, analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy.
Microplastics in sediments of the river Rhine—A workflow for preparation and analysis of sediment samples from aquatic river systems for monitoring purposes
Researchers developed a workflow for preparing and analysing river sediment samples for microplastic monitoring using density separation followed by thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analysis of Rhine River sediments identified polyethylene and styrene-butadiene rubber as dominant polymers, with total polymer masses ranging from 1.18 to 337.0 µg/g and highest MP concentrations found at low-flow sites such as harbours and reservoirs.
Microplastics in River Water: Features of Analytical Methods for Quantitative Determination
Researchers developed and tested a method for isolating and quantifying microplastics from freshwater river samples using three analytical techniques: spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, and thermal analysis. The study highlights the lack of standardized methods for microplastic detection across environmental samples and demonstrates the advantages and limitations of each approach for accurate quantification.
A Practical Overview of Methodologies for Sampling and Analysis of Microplastics in Riverine Environments
This practical review compiles and evaluates sampling and analytical methods for detecting and characterizing microplastics in rivers, including collection devices, extraction protocols, and spectroscopic identification techniques. It provides guidance for researchers designing monitoring studies to ensure reliable and comparable results.
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.
Towards understanding uncertainties in the measurement of microplastic concentrations in river systems
This research investigates how different laboratory methods affect microplastic measurements in rivers, finding that higher-resolution instruments detect far more particles. The study compared contamination in the Yangtze and Rhine river systems, highlighting that the true extent of microplastic pollution in our waterways may be underestimated depending on the analysis methods used.
Direkte Mikro- und Makroplastiktransportmessungen an großen und mittleren Flüssen sowie im Ablauf von Kläranlagen
This German-language study presents direct measurements of micro- and macroplastic transport in large and medium-sized rivers as well as wastewater treatment plant effluents. It addresses a research gap in freshwater plastic transport quantification, providing empirical data on how rivers carry plastics toward marine environments.
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.
Laboratory assessment for determining microplastics in freshwater systems – characterization and identification along Somesul Mic River
Researchers applied Raman and FTIR spectroscopy alongside microscopy to characterize microplastics in water and sediment samples from the Somesul Mic River in Romania, identifying multiple polymer types and assessing which analytical methods worked best. Developing reliable, standardized laboratory methods for detecting microplastics in freshwater is essential for generating comparable data on environmental contamination levels.
Comparative microplastic analysis in urban waters using μ-FTIR and Py-GC-MS: A case study in Amsterdam
Researchers compared two analytical methods for measuring microplastics in Amsterdam's canal water and found good agreement between them, with concentrations ranging from 16 to 107 particles per cubic meter. Microplastic levels were higher in the city center than in suburban areas, and seasonal differences were observed, providing a clearer picture of urban freshwater contamination that can ultimately reach drinking water sources.
Riverine microplastic contamination in southwest Germany: A large-scale survey
A large-scale survey of microplastic contamination across multiple rivers in southwest Germany found that contamination increased from headwaters to lowland sections and was elevated downstream of urban areas and wastewater treatment plant discharges. Fibers dominated in all rivers, and the study highlighted rivers as both pathways and temporary sinks for microplastics.
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.
Identification and quantification of microplastic particles in drinking water treatment sludge as an integrative approach to determine microplastic abundance in a freshwater river
Researchers used drinking water treatment plant sludge as an integrative sampler to estimate microplastic abundance in a freshwater river over extended periods, capturing larger water volumes than conventional net or filtration methods. The approach improves representativeness of microplastic occurrence data in flowing water bodies.
Microplastic pollution in the German aquatic environment: Existence, interactions and research needs
This review examines microplastic pollution in German waterways and wastewater treatment plants, finding concentrations as high as 11,050 particles per liter in rivers. Fibers were the most common shape, and polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene were the dominant polymer types, mostly coming from municipal and industrial wastewater. The authors highlight that despite being Europe's largest economy, Germany has surprisingly limited research on this issue and call for standardized measurement methods.