Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

TracingFootprintand Risk of Microplastics and Microfibersin the Lakes across China

Researchers traced microplastics and microfibers in 102 lakes across China using field sampling, source apportionment, and a novel Integrated Microplastic Risk Index (IMRI) incorporating abundance, particle characteristics, and human footprint. Abundance in sediments ranged from 0.3 to 6,600 items/kg, with risk levels highest in densely populated lake catchments.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Chinese Rivers: A detailed analysis of distribution, risk factors, and ecological impact

Researchers aggregated data from 2,474 microplastic samples across 165 publications to assess ecological risk in Chinese rivers, finding widespread contamination with average abundance varying substantially by watershed characteristics. A revised risk assessment accounting for particle morphology and polymer toxicity raised concern levels beyond previous estimates.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, Sources, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in the Lower Minjiang River

Researchers characterized microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer composition in surface water and sediments from the lower Minjiang River in China, then used pollution load indices and ecological risk assessments alongside socioeconomic data to identify likely pollution sources and ecological impacts.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Analysis on advances and characteristics of microplastic pollution in China’s lake ecosystems

Statistical data on microplastic pollution were compiled and analyzed for 86 lakes across China's lake ecosystems over the past five years, revealing widespread contamination with concentrations generally higher in lakes near urban and industrial areas. The review identifies China's heavily polluted eastern lake region as a priority for microplastic monitoring and management intervention.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Unmasking Microplastic Pollution: A Study on the Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in Yuehai Lake, China

This study surveyed microplastic characteristics and distribution across water samples from Yuehai Lake in China, finding widespread contamination with fragments and fibers, and identifying local anthropogenic activities and atmospheric deposition as primary sources.

2025 Science Letters
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

Microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems: A review of findings, methods, characteristics, effects, and management

This review synthesized findings on microplastic pollution across China's inland water systems — rivers, lakes, and reservoirs — documenting widespread contamination and identifying gaps in monitoring methods and research coverage.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 511 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution research methodologies, abundance, characteristics and risk assessments for aquatic biota in China

Researchers reviewed the current state of microplastic pollution research in China's aquatic environments, covering detection methods, abundance data, characteristics, and risk assessments for aquatic organisms. The review highlights that China's marine and freshwater environments are seriously polluted by microplastics, with ingestion by aquatic organisms posing potential ecological harm.

2020 Environmental Pollution 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and fish from a large recreational lake

Researchers surveyed microplastics in water, sediment, and fish from a large recreational lake in China, finding MPs across all sampled compartments with higher concentrations near tourist facilities and boat launch areas, raising concerns about human exposure through lake recreation and consumption of contaminated fish.

2025 Environmental Research 2 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

Research Progress of Microplastics in Freshwater Sediments in China

This review synthesizes Chinese research on microplastic pollution in freshwater sediments, covering detection methods, contamination levels across river systems, sources, and the potential ecological and human health implications.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and sedimentation of microplastics in Taihu Lake

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance in water, sediment, and inflowing rivers of Taihu Lake, China's third-largest freshwater lake, finding widespread contamination with fibers as the dominant type and higher concentrations near urban and agricultural shorelines.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution status of microplastics in the freshwater environment of China: a mini review

This review assessed microplastic pollution in China's freshwater environments including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, finding widespread contamination in surface waters, sediments, and biota with variations linked to population density and industrial activity.

2022 33 citations
Article Tier 2

A framework for systematic microplastic ecological risk assessment at a national scale

This study developed a framework for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution across China by analyzing data from 128 studies and over 3,400 sites. The research found that microplastic contamination is widespread in Chinese soil, water, and sediments, with some areas reaching concerning levels. This kind of large-scale risk assessment is important for understanding how widespread microplastic pollution may affect ecosystems and, ultimately, human health through contaminated food and water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 77 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

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in China’s largest freshwater lake system

Researchers found high levels of microplastics in both water and sediment across China's largest freshwater lake system, Poyang Lake, with concentrations up to 1,064 particles per cubic meter in water. The study reveals widespread contamination even in protected nature reserves, emphasizing the scale of the freshwater microplastics problem.

2020 Chemosphere 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in Water and Sediments of Main Rivers in Taihu Lake Basin

Microplastic abundance in water and sediments of 15 major inlet rivers to Taihu Lake in China was investigated, finding fibrous microplastics dominated and all three river types had a medium to high environmental risk rating, with navigable rivers showing the highest microplastic abundance.

2023 ACS ES&T Water 18 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative review of microplastics in lake systems from different countries and regions

Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination data from lake systems across multiple countries, finding that abundance, size, and polymer type varied widely by region and identifying land use, population density, and hydrological connectivity as key drivers of lake microplastic levels.

2021 Chemosphere 206 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters of Dongting Lake and Hong Lake, China

Researchers sampled surface waters of Dongting Lake and Hong Lake in China and found microplastic contamination at both sites, with fibers as the dominant type and concentrations reflecting nearby human population density and land use.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 517 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in the Yellow River Basin].

Researchers examined the spatial distribution, composition characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastic pollution across the Yellow River Basin in China, assessing contamination levels in the nation's historically significant waterway system.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Sedimentation of Microplastics in Taihu Lake

Researchers studied microplastic distribution and sedimentation in Taihu Lake, one of China's largest freshwater lakes, and its surrounding rivers. Microplastics were found throughout the lake with higher concentrations near urban and industrial areas, raising concerns for water quality and aquatic life.

2022 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics and risk assessment of microplastics in Lake Bosten

Researchers systematically investigated the distribution, characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastics in Bosten Lake — China's largest inland freshwater lake — finding surface water abundances of 1.33-9.43 items/L and sediment concentrations of 152-953 items/kg dry weight dominated by white and black polypropylene fibers and fragments. Potential sources include residential activities, tourism, agriculture, and fisheries, with seasonal variation in risk and an overall high-risk designation using the potential ecological risk index.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Global microplastic contamination in freshwater lakes: Spatial patterns, environmental drivers, and methodological challenges

This review systematically analyzed 84 studies covering more than 300 lakes worldwide to assess global microplastic contamination in freshwater lake systems. Surface water MP concentrations ranged from below 0.001 to over 200 MP/L, with fibers and fragments dominating, polyethylene and polypropylene most common, and highest levels found in shallow, lowland, and eutrophic systems near urbanized shorelines.

2025 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

[Basin Distribution and Ecological Risk of Microplastics in Surface Water Bodies in China].

A comprehensive analysis of data from China's ten major river basins (2014–2023) found microplastic contamination in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries across the country, with microplastic abundance strongly correlating with population density and economic output. Polypropylene and polyethylene were the dominant polymers, and the Haihe River Basin near Beijing was classified as high ecological risk. The study also highlighted a major data gap: far less is known about microplastics in China's less-populated northwestern regions. These findings provide a national-scale picture of where microplastic pollution is most severe and what types of plastics are driving the ecological risk.

2025 PubMed 1 citations