A Comprehensive Review of MP Pollution in Global Rivers: Distribution Patterns and Fluvial Transport Dynamics
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have a ubiquitous presence in our environment, and their abundance, particularly in fluvial systems, has been documented in most rivers worldwide over the last decade. Rivers are critical carriers of almost 70%-80% of the plastic waste that reaches the oceans from land-based sources, and MPs have become a major pollutant found in the riverine sediments. This article comprehensively reviews the available studies on the MP pollutants in riverine sediments across global rivers. A synthesis of continent-wise characteristics of MPs in river sediments, including primary sources, shape and size, polymer types, and concentration levels, based on statistical parameters, is presented. MP concentrations show a strong gradient across continents, with the highest levels detected in Africa, followed by Asia, South America, Europe, North America, and Australia. Globally, the major primary sources of MPs in river sediments include wastewater treatment plants, industrial discharges, textile and garment processing, fishing-related activities, and mismanaged municipal waste, although their relative contributions indicate substantial geographic variation. Across all continents, the occurrence of fibers and fragments is significant, and PE, PP, PS, PET, and PA emerge as the most commonly found polymers in the riverbed. Additionally, inferences are drawn from the available studies on the threshold, movement, and deposition processes of MP pollutants in river systems. Due to…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe
- Alarming situation of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza and effective control strategies
- Livestock and food security: vulnerability to population growth and climate change
- Atmosphere–ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations
- Characterization of the global distribution and diversified plasmid reservoirs of the colistin resistance gene mcr-9
- The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.