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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to A first estimation of uncertainties related to microplastic sampling in rivers
ClearVariance and precision of microplastic sampling in urban rivers
Researchers assessed the variance and precision of microplastic sampling methods in urban rivers, finding that high spatial and temporal variability in microplastic concentrations requires carefully designed sampling strategies to obtain representative measurements and reliable data for river microplastic assessments.
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.
Microplastics in the riverine environment: Meta-analysis and quality criteria for developing robust field sampling procedures
This meta-analysis reviews how microplastics are sampled in rivers and finds that current methods are inconsistent, making it hard to compare results across studies. Better standardized sampling approaches are needed to accurately measure how much microplastic pollution flows through rivers that supply drinking water to communities.
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.
Experimental uncertainty assessment of meso- and microplastic concentrations in rivers based on net sampling
Researchers developed a method to account for net-clogging uncertainty when sampling meso- and microplastics in rivers, finding that a Weibull reliability function model can predict optimal filtration durations and keep concentration measurement errors below 12% in urban river conditions.
Does what we find depend on how we sample? Measured streambed microplastic concentrations can be affected by the choice of sampling method
Researchers compared how different microplastic sampling methods — including nets, pumps, and bulk water collection — affect measured concentrations in streambed sediments, finding large methodological differences in results. The study underscores that sampling protocol choice strongly influences what researchers find.
A critical view on determination of annual microplastic loads in the Rhine River
Researchers critically examined how microplastic loads in the Rhine River are calculated and found that differences in sampling methods and quantification approaches lead to widely varying estimates. The study suggests that without standardized protocols, reported annual microplastic loads in rivers may be unreliable and difficult to compare across studies.
Snapshot Sampling May Not Be Enough to Obtain Robust Estimates for Riverine Microplastic Loads
Researchers investigated how sampling frequency affects estimates of microplastic loads in a stream receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent. The study found considerable hourly variation in microplastic concentrations, suggesting that infrequent snapshot sampling can lead to significant uncertainties in estimating riverine microplastic pollution loads.
Microplastics in riverine systems: Recommendations for standardized sampling, separation, digestion and characterization
This paper provides standardized recommendations for microplastic sampling, separation, digestion, and characterization protocols in riverine systems, addressing methodological inconsistency that limits cross-study comparability. The authors propose harmonized operating procedures for field sampling and laboratory analysis to improve the reliability and comparability of microplastic data across river studies globally.
What You Net Depends on if You Grab: A Meta-analysis of Sampling Method’s Impact on Measured Aquatic Microplastic Concentration
This meta-analysis of 121 studies finds that the method used to collect water samples significantly affects how much microplastic pollution is measured. Net, pump, and grab sampling methods produce systematically different concentration readings, meaning past estimates of microplastic levels in drinking water sources may be inaccurate depending on how they were collected.
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.
An analytical approach to confidence interval estimation of river microplastic sampling
This study proposes a statistical method using the Poisson distribution to calculate confidence intervals for microplastic concentration measurements from single river water samples — addressing a major gap in environmental monitoring where replicate sampling is often impossible. The method is reliable when at least 10 microplastic particles are captured, and achieves sampling errors within ±30% when 50 or more particles are present. Standardizing how uncertainty is reported will make microplastic data from different rivers and studies far more comparable.
Sampling and processing methods of microplastics in river sediments - A review
This review summarizes and evaluates sampling and processing methods for detecting microplastics in river sediments, which are less studied than marine sediments. It identifies inconsistencies across studies in mesh size, extraction technique, and analytical methods as key barriers to comparing microplastic data across river systems globally.
On the representativeness of pump water samples versus manta sampling in microplastic analysis
Researchers compared pump sampling and manta net sampling methods for measuring microplastic concentrations in water and found that the two methods produced different results, highlighting how sampling technique choice significantly affects the representativeness and comparability of microplastic pollution data.
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.
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.
Methodological investigations and understanding of the transfer dynamics of microplastics in the River Seine
Researchers developed improved passive sampling methods and deployed them in the River Seine to better quantify microplastic flux dynamics at various spatio-temporal scales, addressing the limitations of conventional net and pump samplers that capture only a single location in the water column for short durations.
Assessment of microplastic content in natural waters and sediments: sampling and sample preparation
Researchers reviewed and evaluated sampling and analytical methods for measuring microplastic content in natural waters and sediments, assessing sources of error and variability in current approaches. The review recommended a standardized protocol to improve cross-study comparability.
Evaluation of riverine macro- and mesoplastic monitoring approaches.
This review evaluated and compared existing monitoring approaches for riverine macro- and mesoplastics, identifying key methodological inconsistencies that limit cross-study comparisons and calling for standardization to improve understanding of plastic transport and accumulation in freshwater river systems.
Concentration Depth Profiles of Microplastic Particles in River Flow and Implications for Surface Sampling
This study measured microplastic concentration depth profiles in river flow and found that particles are not uniformly distributed in the water column, with implications for sampling strategy and the accuracy of estimates of total microplastic transport.