Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

From mapping to modelling: the evolving multidimensional microplastic risks in China's farmlands

Researchers combined a national-scale soil survey with machine learning models to map and project microplastic risks across China's farmlands through 2050, finding that agricultural film use, population density, and GDP are key drivers, and that regional risk rankings will shift counter-intuitively depending on which socioeconomic development pathway is followed.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Impact of Complex Topography and Climate Variability on the Loss of Microclimate Heterogeneity in Southeast Asia

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper analyzes how topography and climate variability have driven declining microclimate heterogeneity in Southeast Asia between 1982 and 2017, with implications for regional biodiversity.

2023 Geophysical Research Letters 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling to inform the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems: A synthesis of five case studies

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper presents five modeling case studies for managing aquatic ecosystems under threats including invasive species, over-exploitation, and climate change; microplastics are briefly mentioned as one of many stressors but are not the paper's focus.

2023 Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management
Article Tier 2

Species Distribution Model (SDM) Predicts the Spread of Invasive Nile Tilapia in the Sensitive Inland Water System of the Southeastern Arabian Peninsula Under Climate Change

Not relevant to microplastics — this study uses species distribution models with CMIP6 climate projections to predict the potential spread of invasive Nile tilapia in the freshwater systems of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine learning-assisted assessment of key meteorological and crop factors affecting historical mulch pollution in China

Researchers used machine learning models (Elastic Net and Random Forest) to assess how meteorological and crop factors influenced plastic mulch contamination levels across China from 1993 to 2012, estimating mulch-derived microplastics and phthalic acid esters during the rapid expansion period of mulch use. The study identified key drivers of mulch pollution to inform more targeted management strategies for agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine learning models for forecasting microplastic dynamics in China’s coastal waters

Researchers used machine learning to analyze microplastic pollution patterns across China's four major coastal seas, drawing on over 1,100 data points from peer-reviewed studies. They found that urban centers and industrial activities are key drivers of contamination, with pollution levels varying significantly between marine, coastal, and estuary environments. The models project that economic development and education could reduce microplastic concentrations, while industrial expansion may increase them.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of plateau wetland ecological security and its influencing factors in multi-climatic zones: A case study of Yunnan Province

Not a microplastics paper — this study assesses the ecological security of plateau wetlands across Yunnan Province, China using a pressure-state-response model based on remote sensing data, identifying climate and human activity as key threats to these fragile ecosystems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Greening agriculture as a response to climate change: a case study from China over 2000–2021

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it assesses green agriculture development and carbon efficiency in China's Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2021 using economic and environmental modeling, with no connection to plastic pollution.

2024 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Using machine learning to reveal drivers of soil microplastics and assess their stock: A national-scale study

Using machine learning on data from 621 sites across China, researchers identified nine key factors driving microplastic distribution in soil, including population density, plastic production, and agricultural practices. The study estimated that Chinese topsoil contains a substantial stock of microplastics, with concentrations varying widely by region. This large-scale analysis helps predict where microplastic contamination is worst, which is important for understanding human exposure through food grown in contaminated soil.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of niche, diversity, and risks of microplastics in farmland soils of different rocky desertification areas

Researchers evaluated microplastic pollution in farmland soils across different levels of rocky desertification in Guizhou, China. The study found that microplastic diversity, distribution, and ecological risks varied significantly across desertification levels, suggesting that land degradation status influences how microplastics accumulate and behave in agricultural soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic diversity, risks and soil impacts: A multi-metric assessment across land-use systems

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance, polymer diversity, and ecological risk across seven land-use types in India's Brahmaputra Valley, finding that built-up areas had the highest particle counts while forest soils paradoxically showed the greatest polymer hazard scores due to high-risk polymers, and that land-use type shapes both the quantity and composition of soil microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Climate Change May Impact Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution in the Southeastern Arabian Peninsula through Range Contraction under Various Climate Scenarios

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it uses species distribution modeling to predict how climate change will affect the range of invasive Nile tilapia in the freshwater systems of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, finding that suitable habitat areas will contract under future climate scenarios.

2023 Fishes 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic ecological risk and environmental carrying capacity of agricultural soils based on integrated characterization: A case study

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in agricultural soils of the Tarim River Basin in China, finding concentrations ranging from 0 to 4,000 particles per kilogram. Polyethylene and polypropylene from agricultural mulch films and drip irrigation were the dominant plastics found. Early warning models predict that polyethylene and polypropylene levels may approach environmental carrying capacity thresholds in the near future, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to manage plastic pollution in farming regions.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics migration mechanisms in high-erosion watersheds under climate warming

Scientists built a machine-learning model using 15 years of sediment data from three different-use watersheds on China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau — grassland, cropland, and urban — to track how microplastics migrate and where they end up under changing climate conditions. The model achieved very high accuracy in tracing plastic sources and pathways, and found that wind direction and surface runoff are key drivers of transport, with cropland as a major source. The approach offers a practical tool for managing microplastic pollution in remote, high-altitude watersheds where warming is accelerating erosion.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in China’s surface water systems: Distribution, driving forces and ecological risk

Researchers compiled over 14,000 samples from across China to map microplastic pollution in surface water systems using machine learning models. They found that microplastic abundance varied enormously across regions, driven by a complex mix of human activities and natural conditions. The ecological risk assessment revealed that watersheds in nearly all Chinese provinces face high to extremely high contamination levels, underscoring the urgency of nationwide management efforts.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Considering microplastic characteristics in ecological risk assessment: A case study for China

Scientists measured microplastic contamination in agricultural soils in Northeast China and found concentrations ranging from 300 to 12,800 particles per kilogram. Most particles came from textiles and packaging, with rayon and PET fibers being the most common types. Risk assessment models showed varying levels of ecological concern, and the study emphasizes that multiple characteristics of microplastics, not just their quantity, need to be considered when evaluating environmental risk.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Litter from Different Belowground Organs of Phragmites australis on Microbial-Mediated Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in a Lacustrine Wetland

Despite its title referencing wetland litter decomposition and soil carbon, this paper studies how decomposing roots and rhizomes of common reed (Phragmites australis) affect microbial communities and organic carbon accumulation in a Chinese lake wetland — not microplastic pollution. It examines how plant organ type and flooding conditions influence carbon cycling through microbial pathways and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Microorganisms 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastics from Plastic Fragments in Cultivated Soil of Sichuan Province: The Key Controls

Researchers surveyed plastic fragment contamination in 20 mulched agricultural farmlands across Sichuan Province, China, finding abundances ranging from 50 to 1,158 particles per kilogram. A random forest model identified total mulch film amount, annual precipitation, and planting pattern as the key controls on fragment abundance.

2022 Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Risks ofMicroplastics in Soils and the CascadingEffects Thereof

This review mapped the spatial risks of microplastic contamination in global soils, examining how climate, land use, and human activities distribute MP pollution and analyzing cascading effects on soil ecology, carbon cycling, and ecosystem services.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Abundance of microplastics in a typical urban wetland in China: Association with occurrence and carbon storage

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in a Chinese urban wetland and estimated how much carbon the plastic particles contribute to the ecosystem. While microplastic-carbon currently makes up less than 0.3% of total organic carbon in the wetland, projections suggest this could rise to over 4% by 2100 if plastic production trends continue. The study highlights that microplastics are not just pollutants but are also subtly altering the carbon balance of ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, Environmental Risk Assessment, and Key Drivers of Microplastics in Farmland Soils Across Agricultural Zones in China

Researchers mapped the distribution and environmental risk of microplastics across a study area while identifying the key drivers of spatial variation, including land use and proximity to pollution sources. The findings provide a framework for prioritizing cleanup and management efforts in microplastic-contaminated environments.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Nationwide meta-analysis of microplastic distribution and risk assessment in China's aquatic ecosystems, soils, and sediments

A nationwide meta-analysis of 7,766 sampling sites across China found that microplastic distribution is influenced by economic development, population density, and geography, with generally higher concentrations in prosperous areas. The pollution varies significantly across water, soil, and sediment compartments, highlighting the need for AI-based regulatory frameworks to manage standardized risk assessment.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Transboundary impacts of microplastics within planetary boundaries: Regulation and responses of soil-plant systems under climate change

This review examines how climate change and microplastic pollution interact to create compounding threats to soil and plant health. Higher temperatures speed up plastic breakdown into smaller, more dangerous particles, while heavy rain and wind spread them further through soil and groundwater. These processes can disrupt soil nutrients and plant growth, ultimately threatening the food supply and human health through contaminated crops.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of potentially contaminated areas of soil microplastic based on machine learning: A case study in Taihu Lake region, China

Researchers applied machine learning models — including random forest and support vector regression — to predict the spatial distribution of soil microplastic pollution in China's Taihu Lake region, finding that soil texture, population density, and proximity to known plastic sources were the dominant drivers, with nearly half of urban soils showing serious contamination.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations