We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The never-ending story of dangerous ubiquitous particles: A meta-analysis of microplastics
Clear[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Aquatic Environments and Their Environmental Ecological Risk Assessment].
This meta-analysis pools data from studies worldwide to map where microplastics are found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and assesses their ecological risks. Understanding how widespread microplastics are in water sources matters because contaminated water is one of the main ways people are exposed to these particles.
Microplastics as contaminants in freshwater environments: A multidisciplinary review
This multidisciplinary review covers microplastic sources, abundance, composition, transport, and biological effects in freshwater systems globally, arguing that freshwater environments are both major conduits and sinks for microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in coastal and oceanic surface waters and their role as carriers of pollutants of emerging concern in marine organisms
Researchers analyzed 167 studies on microplastics in ocean surface waters and marine organisms, finding that fragments and fibers are the most common particle types across all regions studied. The review highlights that microplastics act as carriers for other harmful pollutants, increasing the chemical burden on marine life. The uneven global distribution of research means that microplastic contamination in many ocean regions remains poorly understood.
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.
Systematic Meta-analysis of Microplastic Concentrations in Aqueous Ecosystems
This meta-analysis compiles data on microplastic concentrations measured across different water environments worldwide. The findings help establish baseline levels of microplastic contamination in the aquatic systems that supply our drinking water and seafood, providing important context for understanding how much microplastic exposure humans may face through these sources.
Beyond the ocean: contamination of freshwater ecosystems with (micro-)plastic particles
This review examined the available data on microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems — rivers, lakes, and urban water systems — and found it to be widespread globally, though often underreported compared to marine environments. The authors highlight the need for reliable concentration data and chemical characterization of freshwater plastics to properly assess ecological risk.
Research progresses of microplastic pollution in freshwater systems
This review examines the widespread presence of microplastics in freshwater systems around the world, finding concentrations that vary by several orders of magnitude across different regions. Researchers identified fibers as the most common shape, with polypropylene and polyethylene as the dominant polymer types, primarily originating from human activities like sewage discharge. The study highlights concerns about microplastic contamination in drinking water and its potential effects on aquatic organisms.
Microplastic Pollution and Monitoring in Seawater and Harbor Environments: A Meta-Analysis and Review
This meta-analysis reviews microplastic pollution levels in seawater and harbors worldwide, finding that contamination is widespread and persistent. The research matters for human health because marine microplastics enter the food chain through fish and shellfish, representing a significant route of exposure for seafood consumers.
Microplastics in ecosystems: Critical review of occurrence, distribution, toxicity, fate, transport, and advances in experimental and computational studies in surface and subsurface water
This review provides a broad overview of microplastic contamination across freshwater, marine, and land environments, finding concentrations ranging from negligible to hundreds of thousands of particles per kilogram of sediment. The most common types are polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, and PET, spread by wastewater discharge, stormwater runoff, and poor waste management. The wide variability in contamination levels makes it difficult to assess overall risk to ecosystems and human health.
Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: Occurrence, Persistence, Analysis, and Human Exposure
This review synthesizes global research on microplastic occurrence in aquatic environments, from rivers and lakes to wastewater and seafood, and examines how these particles eventually reach humans. Researchers found that microplastics are now ubiquitous in freshwater and marine systems, with trophic transfer and biomagnification serving as key routes of human exposure. The study highlights the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to enable better comparison across studies and more accurate risk assessment.
A meta-analysis of the characterisations of plastic ingested by fish globally
This meta-analysis pools data from global studies to assess what types of plastic fish most commonly ingest, finding that microfibers and small fragments dominate across both freshwater and marine species. These findings are important for human health because widespread plastic ingestion by fish means that microplastics are likely present in much of the seafood consumed around the world.
Microplastics in aquatic ecosystems of Africa: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis
This meta-analysis integrating data from 75 studies found that African aquatic ecosystems are highly contaminated with microplastics compared to global averages, with fibers and fragments being the most prevalent shapes. Sampling methods significantly affect reported abundance, and the environmental risk assessment revealed that polyethylene and polypropylene are the dominant polymer types across African rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Worldwide distribution and abundance of microplastic: How dire is the situation?
This review examines the global distribution and abundance of microplastics across marine and freshwater ecosystems. Researchers found that microplastic accumulation varies significantly based on geographic location, water movement patterns, and proximity to human activity. The study emphasizes that without proper regulations to curb plastic pollution, microplastics will continue to threaten aquatic environments and, ultimately, human well-being.
Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments: a meta-analysis of influencing factors and methodological recommendations
This meta-analysis pools data from over 60 European studies to identify the key factors that influence microplastic concentrations in rivers, lakes, and oceans. The findings reveal that population density, proximity to urban areas, and sampling methods all significantly affect measured levels, helping researchers better understand where microplastic exposure risks are highest.
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.
Microplastic Pollution in the Environment
This review examines the ubiquitous presence of microplastics as emerging environmental pollutants across all major environmental compartments, synthesizing data on their sources, fates, and concentrations over time and space to characterize the scale of global contamination.
Global Review and Analysis of the Presence of Microplastics in Fish
This global review and meta-analysis compiled data on microplastic occurrence in fish from studies across dozens of countries, finding microplastics in fish from virtually all sampled regions with higher concentrations in coastal and urban-influenced waters. The analysis identified fibers and fragments as the most common forms, and raised concerns about human dietary exposure through fish consumption.
Microplastics in freshwater and marine ecosystems: Occurrence, characterization, sources, distribution dynamics, fate, transport processes, potential mitigation strategies, and policy interventions
This review summarizes research on microplastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems on all six continents, finding that polyethylene and polypropylene are the most common types found in water. The study highlights that microplastics serve as carriers for toxic chemicals and can move up the food chain, ultimately posing risks to human health through seafood consumption and drinking water.
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.
Microplastics in freshwater: Unveiling sources, fate, and removal strategies
This review of 167 studies examines the sources, distribution, and fate of microplastics in freshwater systems worldwide. Key sources include improperly disposed plastic waste, synthetic fabrics, and personal care products, and these particles act as carriers for heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- collectively posing potential cancer and other health risks through contaminated drinking water and food.
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Impacts, and Challenges for Biodiversity, Food Security, and Human Health - A Meta Analysis
This meta-analysis pooled data from multiple studies on microplastic pollution in water environments. It found that microplastics are everywhere in aquatic ecosystems, with polyethylene and polystyrene being the most common types. These particles build up in fish, shellfish, and other organisms we eat, causing oxidative stress, reproductive problems, and nerve damage — raising concerns about our food safety and long-term health.
Microplastic Pollution: Fate, Sources, Transport and Identification
This review summarizes the sources, fate, transport, and identification methods for microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting their global distribution across all ecosystems and the growing concern for their impacts on marine life, other organisms, and human health.
Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling
Researchers analyzed microplastic concentrations reported across 196 studies from 49 countries and found that levels in soils, sediments, and surface water can vary by up to eight orders of magnitude. The study suggests that inland sources like urban stormwater carry concentrations up to 100 times higher than rivers transporting microplastics to coastal areas, and that only 20% of studies captured particles below 20 micrometers, meaning actual contamination may be significantly underestimated.
Global prevalence of microplastics in tap water systems: Abundance, characteristics, drivers and knowledge gaps
A global analysis of tap water from 34 countries found that microplastics were present in 87% of over 1,100 samples tested, with particles smaller than 50 micrometers being the most common. When researchers looked for particles as small as 1 micrometer, concentrations were more than 20 times higher than studies that only counted larger particles. This means that most people worldwide are regularly drinking microplastics in their tap water, and the true extent of exposure has likely been underestimated.