Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic analysis in urban areas and their impact on quality of life

Researchers reviewed the growing threat of microplastic pollution to biodiversity and human health, focusing on freshwater systems as a key exposure pathway. The study emphasizes the need for standardized identification methods for microplastics in freshwater environments.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Updated review on microplastics in water, their occurrence, detection, measurement, environmental pollution, and the need for regulatory standards

This review examines microplastic occurrence, detection methods, and measurement techniques in aquatic environments, highlighting the urgent need for explicit regulatory frameworks to address the growing threat of microplastic pollution in water systems.

2021 Environmental Pollution 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Surface Waters: A Critical Review of Emerging Challenges and Future Perspectives

This review examines microplastic contamination across aquatic environments, covering detection technologies, ecological risks from ingestion by wildlife and transfer through food webs, and how microplastics serve as vectors for pesticides, heavy metals, and chemical pollutants.

2025 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Studies on the Impact of Microplastics in Freshwater Systems: Biota Could Be Vital Indicators in Delta State, Nigeria

Researchers investigated the effects of microplastics on freshwater systems in Delta State, Nigeria using aquatic plants as bioindicators, conducting bimonthly sampling from June to August to examine microplastic occurrence and pollution intensity in water bodies.

2024 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 1 citations
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

Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research.
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

Are We Underestimating Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments?

This review argues that current microplastic monitoring methods likely underestimate the true extent of contamination in aquatic environments, especially for small particles and fibers. The authors call for standardized, more sensitive detection methods to better inform regulation and risk assessment.

2017 Environmental Management 277 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Natural Water: Sources and Determination

This paper reviews the sources of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments and the analytical methods used to characterize and quantify microplastic particles, covering sampling, extraction, and identification techniques relevant to freshwater and marine monitoring.

2023 WATER AND WATER PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL NEWS 3 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review

Researchers systematically reviewed the spread of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and streams — documenting their sources, how they move through water, the damage they cause to aquatic organisms, and the methods used to detect them. Their review serves as a baseline reference for future research and calls for improved waste management to protect freshwater environments from ongoing microplastic contamination.

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Microplastics Presence in the Dambovita River

Researchers investigated the presence and distribution of microplastics in the Dambovita River, contributing to growing evidence of plastic pollution in freshwater systems across Romania.

2023 International Journal of Conservation Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging pollutant in surface water bodies: a review on monitoring, analysis, mitigation measures and removal technologies of micro-plastics.

This review examined the status of emerging pollutants — including microplastics — in Indian surface water bodies, covering monitoring methods, concentrations, mitigation strategies, and regulatory context. The authors highlight the inadequacy of existing water quality monitoring systems in India for capturing these new pollutant classes.

2024 Environmental geochemistry and health
Article Tier 2

Knowledge about Microplastic in Mediterranean Tributary River Ecosystems: Lack of Data and Research Needs on Such a Crucial Marine Pollution Source

This review surveys the limited literature on microplastic pollution in freshwater rivers feeding the Mediterranean Sea, finding major gaps in data and inconsistent methods. The authors call for standardized monitoring protocols to better understand how rivers transport microplastics from land to the ocean.

2020 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 42 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of methods for measuring microplastics in aquatic environments

This review critically evaluates methods used to measure microplastics in aquatic environments, covering sampling design, sample processing, and spectroscopic identification, and identifies the most significant sources of methodological variation. Standardizing these methods is essential for generating comparable data across studies and enabling robust environmental risk assessment.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 361 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in River Ecosystems: Effect of Land Use and Biotic Indices

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in Spanish river ecosystems and found that concentrations in both water and sediment were strongly linked to surrounding urban land use. They discovered that traditional water quality assessments based on biological indicators do not capture microplastic contamination effectively. The study suggests that new monitoring approaches are needed to account for this emerging pollutant in river health evaluations.

2024 Water 22 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

Laboratory Assessment for Determining Microplastics in Freshwater Systems—Characterization and Identification along the Somesul Mic River

Scientists tested different laboratory techniques for detecting and identifying microplastics in freshwater samples from the Somesul Mic River in Romania. They found microplastics of various sizes, shapes, and polymer types using microscopy and spectroscopy methods. The study highlights the importance of having reliable detection methods so researchers can accurately measure how much microplastic contamination exists in the freshwater sources that communities depend on for drinking water.

2024 Water 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Analytical challenges, ecological impacts, and mitigation strategies

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of micro- and nanoplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering detection methods, toxic effects across the food chain, and emerging cleanup strategies. Researchers highlight the limitations of current analytical techniques and the challenges of accurately measuring these tiny particles in water and living organisms. The study identifies key research priorities needed to better understand and mitigate the growing threat of plastic particle pollution in waterways.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 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

Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastics in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers assessed the ecological risk of microplastics across freshwater ecosystems worldwide, including rivers and lakes in China, Vietnam, Europe, and South America. While one risk method showed negligible danger, more comprehensive assessment approaches revealed extreme ecological threats at every location studied, suggesting that microplastic pollution in freshwater may be more serious than previously thought.

2024 Chemosphere 22 citations
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

Microplastics in lakes and rivers: an issue of emerging significance to limnology

Researchers found that microplastic concentrations in freshwater lakes and rivers can exceed those of living organisms like zooplankton, with sediment levels matching the most contaminated marine sites, establishing microplastics as a significant issue for limnology.

2021 Environmental Reviews 141 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats, identification of knowledge gaps and prioritisation of research needs

This review synthesizes the growing body of research on microplastic contamination in freshwater rivers, lakes, and sediments, which has received far less attention than marine environments. Researchers found that freshwater microplastic concentrations can rival or exceed those reported in ocean studies, particularly near urban and industrial areas. The study identifies critical knowledge gaps including the lack of standardized sampling methods and limited understanding of how microplastics affect freshwater organisms and ecosystems.

2015 Water Research 2541 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in water: occurrence, detection, and impacts – a comprehensive review of multiple studies

This comprehensive review synthesized current knowledge on microplastic occurrence, detection methods, and impacts across marine, freshwater, and remote aquatic ecosystems. Researchers highlighted that microplastic concentrations are particularly high in urban rivers, transported through runoff, atmospheric deposition, and river input. The review identifies critical research gaps including the need for standardized detection methods and more studies on chronic human exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2026 Water Practice & Technology