Microplásticos en agua y sedimentos superficiales de la subcuenca Huangáscar del río Cañete, Perú

Jhairo Jacay; José Iannacone; Franklin Canchari

doi:10.24850/j-tyca-2026-05-02

Authors

Jhairo Jacay Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8622-263X
José Iannacone Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima, Perú. Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3699-4732
Franklin Canchari Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2598-8583

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24850/j-tyca-2026-05-02

Keywords:

plastics, microplastics, chemical analysis, water pollution, sedimentation, surface water, agricultural wastes, rivers, river basins, Peru

Abstract

The Cañete River basin, located in the Lima region of Peru, is an area of intense agricultural activity, the primary socioeconomic source of the valley, and subject to high water demand. In the Huangáscar sub-basin, this activity generates waste, including plastics, which are discharged into creeks and water bodies. Microplastics (MPs) are transported by river flow and accumulate in sediments along the channel. This study aimed to determine the abundance and predominant characteristics of MPs in terms of size, color, and shape in surface water and sediments of the Huangáscar River. Samples were collected from nine sites (SH-1 to SH-9) and analyzed in the laboratory. MP abundance in surface water ranged from median values of 55 to 170 items/m³, while in surface sediments it ranged from 133.33 to 800 items/kg of dry sediment. No significant differences were found in MP abundance in surface water. However, a significant difference was observed in sediments between sites SH-01 and SH-03. Correlation analysis did not show a relationship between MP concentrations in water and sediment. The predominant characteristics of MPs were sizes < 1 mm (60.64 % in water; 5.44 % in sediments); blue color (54.19 % in water; 56.38 % in sediments), and fiber shape (61.72 % in water; 66.43 % in sediments). It is concluded that MP presence in the sampling sites was low, with particles predominantly small, blue, and fibrous, both in surface water and sediments.

References

ACIJ, Agencia de Cooperación Internacional del Japón. (2012). Hidrología de máximas avenidas del río Cañete. https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/12125233_02.pdf

Ahmed, A., Billah, M., Ali, M., Guo, L., Akhtar, S., Bhuiyan, M., & Islam, M. (2025). Microplastic characterization and factors influencing its abundance in coastal wetlands: Insights from the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, Sundarbans. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 32, 5435-5456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36044-9

Amelia, T. S. M., Khalik, W. M. A. W. M., Ong, M. C., Shao, Y. T., Pan, H.-J., & Bhubalan, K. (2021). Marine microplastics as vectors of major ocean pollutants and its hazards to the marine ecosystem and humans. Progress in Earth and Planetary Sciences, 8, Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-020-00405-4

ANA, Autoridad Nacional del Agua. (2019). Estudio hidrológico de la unidad hidrográfica Cañete. https://repositorio.ana.gob.pe/handle/20.500.12543/4713

Akdogan, Z., Guven, B., & Kideys, A. E. (2023). Microplastic distribution in the surface water and sediment of the Ergene River. Environmental Research, 234, 116500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116500

Auta, H. S., Emenike, C. U., & Fauziah, S. H. (2017). Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the sources, fate, effects, and potential solutions. Environment International, 102, 165-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2017.02.013

Barnes, D., Galgani, F., Thompson, R., & Barlaz, M. (2009). Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Biological Sciences, 364, 1985-1998. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0205

Bellasi, A., Binda, G., Pozzi, A., Galafassi, S., Volta, P., & Bettinetti, R. (2020). Microplastic contamination in freshwater environments: A review, focusing on interactions with sediments and benthic organisms. Environments, 7(4), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments7040030

Botterell, Z., Beaumont, N., Dorrington, T., Steinke, M., Thompson, R., & Lindeque, P. (2019). Bioavailability and effects of microplastics on marine zooplankton: A review. Environmental Pollution, 245, 98-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.065

Cai, M., Liu, M., Hossain, K. B., Wang, J., Zhou, Y., Yan, M., & Leung, K. M. (2025). Current status and emerging techniques for sampling, separating, and identifying microplastics in freshwater environments. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 184, 118151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2025.118151

Canchari, F. I., & Iannacone, J. (2023). Microplastics in sediments deposited by rainwater runoff in a populated center in the Peruvian Andes. Brazilian Journal of Water Resources, 28, e7. https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0331.282320220108

Canchari, F. I., & Iannacone, J. (2024). Microplastics in river sediments in two streams in an Andean region of Peru. Brazilian Journal of Water Resources, 29, e31. https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0331.292420240016

Castro-García, S., Barrera-Leiva, A. M., González-Evaristo, A. M., Pinot-Gómez, A. L., Vargas-Chan, J. R., Sierra-Lemus, I., & Huchin-Mian, J. P. (2021). Contaminación y microplásticos en ecosistemas acuáticos. Jóvenes en la Ciencia, 10. https://www.jovenesenlaciencia.ugto.mx/index.php/jovenesenlaciencia/article/view/3311

Cháves-Velasco, J. J., Arias-Hoyos, A., Muñoz-Solarte, D. M., & Romero-Puentes, R. B. (2023). Estudio de microplásticos en muestras de agua y sedimentos de un río urbano del suroccidente de Colombia. Investigación e Innovación en Ingenierías, 11, 120-130. https://doi.org/10.17081/invinno.11.2.6637

Chen, H., Qin, Y., Huang, H., & Xu, W. (2020). A regional difference analysis of microplastic pollution in global freshwater bodies based on a regression model. Water, 12(7), 1889. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12071889

Christoph, R., Muñoz, R., Hernández, Á., & Ventura, J. (2016). Aspectos nano de los desechos de plástico. Momento-Revista de Física, 51E, 65-76. http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/momento/article/view/55990

Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Halsband, C., & Galloway, T. (2011). Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 62, 2588-2597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.09.025

Crawford, C. B., & Quinn, B. (2016). Microplastic pollutants. Elsevier Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2015-0-04315-5

Ding, L., Zhang, S., Wang, X., Yang, X., Zhang, C., Qi, Y., & Guo, X. (2020). The occurrence and distribution characteristics of microplastics in the agricultural soils of Shaanxi Province, in North-Western China. Science of the Total Environment, 720, 137525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137525

Durand, M. (2012). La gestión de los residuos sólidos en los países en desarrollo: ¿cómo obtener beneficios de las dificultades actuales? Espacio y Desarrollo, 23, 115-130. http://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/espacioydesarrollo/article/view/3502

Fazey, F. M. C., & Ryan, P. G. (2016). Biofouling on buoyant marine plastics: An experimental study into the effect of size on microplastic buoyancy. Environmental Pollution, 210, 354-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.026

Ferreira, P., Fonte, E., Soares, M. E., Carvalho, F., & Guilhermino, L. (2016). Effects of multi-stressors on juveniles of the marine fish Pomatoschistus microps: Gold nanoparticles, microplastics and temperature. Aquatic Toxicology, 170, 89-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.11.011

Foley, C. J., Feiner, Z. S., Malinich, T. D., & Höök, T. O. (2018). A meta-analysis of the effects of exposure to microplastics on fish and aquatic invertebrates. Science of the Total Environment, 631, 550-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.046

Gamboa, A. C., Gaida, W., Volpi, G. B., Deitos, T., Machado, A. M., Breunig, F. M., Da Rosa, G. M., & Flach, K. A. (2025). Microplastics in rivers of South America: An emerging area of research. Sociedade & Naturaleza, 37, e74055. https://doi.org/10.14393/SN-v37-2025-74055

He, B., Goonetilleke, A., Ayoko, G., & Rintoul, L. (2020). Abundance, distribution patterns, and identification of microplastics in Brisbane River sediments, Australia. The Science of the Total Environment, 700, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134467

Horton, A., Svendsen, C., Williams, R., Spurgeon, D., & Lahive, E. (2017). Large microplastic particles in sediments of tributaries of the River Thames, UK – Abundance, sources and methods for effective quantification. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 114, 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.004

Hossain, M., AftabUddin, S., Akhter, F., Nusrat, N., Rahaman, A., Sikder, M., Monwar, M., Chowdhury, M., Jiang, S., Shi, H., & Zhang, J. (2022). Surface water, sediment, and biota: The first multi-compartment analysis of microplastics in the Karnafully river, Bangladesh. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 180, 113820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113820

Islam, M. S., Islam, Z., & Hasan, M. R. (2022). Pervasiveness and characteristics of microplastics in surface water and sediment of the Buriganga River, Bangladesh. Chemosphere, 307, 135945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135945

Idowu, G. A., Oriji, A. Y., Olorunfemi, K. O., Sunday, M. O., Sogbanmu, T. O., Bodunwa, O. K., & Aiyesanmi, A. F. (2024). Why Nigeria should ban single-use plastics: Excessive microplastic pollution of the water, sediments and fish species in Osun River, Nigeria. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 13, 100409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100409

Inrena, Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales. (2001). Evaluación y ordenamiento de los recursos hídricos en la cuenca del río Cañete. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12543/3897

Jiang, C., Yin, L., Li, Z., Wen, X., Luo, X., Hu, S., Yang, H., Long, Y., Deng, B., Huang, L., & Liu, Y. (2019). Microplastic pollution in the rivers of the Tibet Plateau. Environmental Pollution, 249, 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.03.022

Jung, Y. S., Sampath, V., Prunicki, M., Aguilera, J., Allen, H., LaBeaud, D., Veidis, E., Barry, M., Erny, B., Patel, L., Akdis, C., Akdis, M., & Nadeau, K. (2022). Characterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human health. Environmental Pollution, 315, 120442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120442

Kataoka, T., Nihei, Y., Kudou, K., & Hinata, H. (2018). Assessment of the sources and inflow processes of microplastics in the river environments of Japan. Environmental Pollution, 244, 958-965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.111

Kaza, S., Yao, L., Bhada-Tata, P., & Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid waste management to 2050. World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1329-0

Khan, N. A., Khan, A. H., López-Maldonado, E. A. L., Alam, S. S., López-López, J. R. L., Méndez-Herrera, P. F. M., Mohamed, B. A., Mahmoud, A. D., Abutaleb, A., & Singh, L. (2022). Microplastics: Occurrences, treatment methods, regulations and foreseen environmental impacts. Environmental Research, 215(1), 114224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114224

Kieu-Le, T. C., Thuong, Q. T., Tran, Q. V., & Strady, E. (2023). Baseline concentration of microplastics in surface water and sediment of the northern branches of the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 187, 114605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114605

Kunz, A., Schneider, F., Anthony, N., & Lin, H. T. (2023). Microplastics in rivers along an urban-rural gradient in an urban agglomeration: Correlation with land use, potential sources and pathways. Environmental Pollution, 321, 121096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121096

Kuroda, M., Isobe, A., Uchida, K., Tokai, T., Kitakado, T., Yoshitake, M., Miyamoto, Y., Mukai, T., Imai, K., Shimizu, K., Yagi, M., Mituhasi, T., & Habano, A. (2024). Abundance and potential sources of floating polystyrene foam macro-and microplastics around Japan. Science of the Total Environment, 925, 171421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171421

Lara-Díaz, Z., Mostajo, M., & Ochoa, M. (2024). Detección y cuantificación de Microplásticos en el sistema de agua potable de la ciudad del Cusco. Cantua, 19, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.51343/cantu.v19i0.1354

Lee, H., Kim, S., Sin, A., Kim, G., Khan, S., Nadagouda, M. N., Sahle-Demessie, E., & Han, C. (2023). Pretreatment methods for monitoring microplastics in soil and freshwater sediment samples: A comprehensive review. Science of the Total Environment, 871, 161718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161718

Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Chen, G., Xu, K., Gong, H., Huang, K., Yan, M., & Wang, J. (2021). Microplastics in surface waters and sediments from Guangdong coastal areas, South China. Sustainability, 13, 2691. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052691

Lin, L., Zuo, L.-Z., Peng, J.-P., Cai, L.-Q., Fok, L., Yan, Y., Li, H. X., & Xu, X. R. (2018). Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in an urban river: A case study in the Pearl River along Guangzhou City, China. The Science of the Total Environment, 644, 375-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.327

Lin, H., Yuan, Y., Jiang, X., Zou, J., Xia, X., & Luo, S. (2021). Bioavailability quantification and uptake mechanisms of pyrene associated with different-sized microplastics to Daphnia magna. The Science of the Total Environment, 797, 149201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149201

Lino, L. (2022). Microplástico en el agua y sedimentos de los ríos Huallaga, Aucayacu y Sangapilla en la ciudad de Aucayacu [tesis de pregrado, Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva]. Repositorio institucional de la Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva. https://repositorio.unas.edu.pe/items/07d2c49b-e812-4bf1-8e20-300369ef5ca8

Liu, F., Olesen, K. B., Borregaard, A. R., & Vollertsen, J. (2019). Microplastics in urban and highway stormwater retention ponds. The Science of the Total Environment, 671, 992-1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.416

Lusher, A. L., Tirelli, V., O’Connor, I., & Officer, R. (2015a). Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: The first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples. Scientific Reports, 5, 14947. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep14947

Lusher, A. L., Hernandez-Milian, G., O'Brien, J., Berrow, S., O'Connor, I., & Officer, R. (2015b). Microplastic and macroplastic ingestion by a deep diving, oceanic cetacean: The True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus. Environmental Pollution, 199, 185-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.023

McCormick, A. R., Hoellein, T. J., London, M. G., Hittie, J., Scott, J. W., & Kelly, J. J. (2016). Microplastic in surface waters of urban rivers: Concentration, sources, and associated bacterial assemblages. Ecosphere, 7, e01556. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1556

Manrique, R. (2019). Microplásticos en sedimentos fluviales de la cuenca baja y desembocadura del río Jequetepeque, Perú [tesis de maestría, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú]. Repositorio Digital de Tesis y Trabajos de Investigación PUCP. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12404/15030

Melgarejo-Velásquez, G., & Reyes-Avalos, W. (2024). Abundancia de microplásticos del agua, sedimento, y en peces y camarones de la cuenca baja del río Lacramarca (Ancash, Perú). Caldasia, 46, 616-624. https://doi.org/10.15446/caldasia.v46n3.106414

MSFD TSML, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter. (2013). Guidance on monitoring of marine litter in European seas. Comisión Europea. https://doi.org/10.2788/99475

Napper, I. E., Baroth, A., Barrett, A. C., Bhola, S., Chowdhury, G. W., Davies, B. F., Duncan, E. M., Kumar, S., Nelms, S. E., Niloy, M. N. H., Nishat, B., Maddalene, T., Thompson, R. C., & Koldewey, H. (2021). The abundance and characteristics of microplastics in surface water in the transboundary Ganges River. Environmental Pollution, 274, 116348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116348

O’Connor, J. D., Murphy, S., Lally, H. T., O’Connor, I., Nash, R., O’Sullivan, J., Bruen, M., Heerey, L., Koelmans, A. A., Cullag, A., Cullag, D., & Mahon, A. M. (2020). Microplastics in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) from an Irish riverine system. Environmental Pollution, 267, 115572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115572

Orata, J. C., Costa da, J. P., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2019). Methods for sampling and detection of microplastics in water and sediment: A critical review. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 110, 150-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.10.029

Osorio, E. D., Tanchuling, M. A. N., & Diola, M. B. L. D. (2021). Microplastics occurrence in surface waters and sediments in five River Mouths of Manila Bay. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 719274. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.719274

Park, T. J., Lee, S. H., Lee, M. S., Lee, J. K., Lee, S. H., & Zoh, K. D. (2020). Occurrence of microplastics in the Han River and riverine fish in South Korea. The Science of the Total Environment, 708, 134535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134535

Pham, D. T., Choi, S. H., & Kwon, J. H. (2024). Year-round spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in water and sediments of an urban freshwater system (Jungnang Stream, Korea). Environmental Pollution, 334, 124362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124362

Rajan, K., Khudsar, F. A., & Kumar, R. (2023). Urbanization and population resources affect microplastic concentration in surface water of the River Ganga. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 11, 100342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2023.100342

Rami, Y., Shoshtari-Yeganeh, B., Ebrahimi, A., & Ebrahimpour, K. (2023). Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in surface water and sediment of Zayandeh-rud River, Iran. Environmental Health Engineering and Management Journal, 10, 207-216. https://doi.org/10.34172/EHEM.2023.23

Scopetani, C., Chelazzi, D., Martellini, T., Pellinen, J., Ugolini, A., Sarti, C., & Cincinelli, A. (2021). Occurrence and characterization of microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in the Migliarino San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Nature Park (Italy). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 171, 112712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112712

Shruti, V., Jonathan, M., Rodríguez, P., & Rodríguez, F. (2019). Microplastics in freshwater sediments of Atoyac River basin, Puebla City, Mexico. The Science of the Total Environment, 654, 154-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.402

Singh, P., Singh, A., Tripathi, K., Basniwal, R., Chauhan, R., & Chauhan, A. (2024). Insights into the seasonal variation, distribution, composition and dynamics of microplastics in the Ganga River ecosystem of Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196, 1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-13307-5

Soltani, N., Keshavarzi, B., Moore, F., Busquets, R., Nematollahi, M. J., Javid, R., & Gobert, S. (2022). Effect of land use on microplastic pollution in a major boundary waterway: The Arvand River. The Science of the Total Environment, 830, 154728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154728

Su, L., Xue, Y., Li, L., Yang, D., Kolandhasamy, P., Li, D., & Shi, H. (2016). Microplastics in Taihu Lake, China. Environmental Pollution, 216, 711-719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.06.036

Suresh, A., Vijayaraghavan, G., Saranya, K. S., Neethu, K. V., & Aneesh, B. (2020). Microplastics distribution and contamination from the Cochin coastal zone, India. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 40, 101533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101533

Talbot, R., & Chang, H. (2025). Microplastics in freshwater: A global review of factors affecting spatial and temporal variations. Environmental Pollution, 292, 118393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118393

Thompson, R., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, R., Davis, A., Rowland, S., John, A., McGonigle, D., & Rushell, A. (2004). Lost at sea: Where is all the plastic. Science, 304(5672), 838. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1094559

Thompson, R. C. (2015). Microplastics in the marine environment: Sources, consequences and solutions. In: Bergmann, M., Gutow, L., & Klages, M. (eds.). Marine anthropogenic litter (pp. 185-200). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16510-3

Vasudeva, M., Warrier, A. M., Kartha, V. B., & Unnikrishnan, V. K. (2025). Advances in microplastic characterization: Spectroscopic techniques and heavy metal adsorption insights. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 183, 2025, 118111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2024.118111

Vayghan, A. H., Rasta, M., Zakeri, M., & Kelly, F. J. (2022). Spatial distribution of microplastics pollution in sediments and surface waters of the Aras River and reservoir: An international river in Northwestern Iran. The Science of the Total Environment, 843, 156894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156894

Vermeiren, P., Lercari, D., Muñoz, C. C., Ikejima, K., Celentano, E., Jorge-Romero, G., & Defeo, O. (2021). Sediment grain size determines microplastic exposure landscapes for sandy beach macroinfauna. Environmental Pollution, 286, 117308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117308

Wang, C., Liu, X., Ma, Q., Xing, S., Yuan, L. & Ma, Y. (2024). Distribution and effects of microplastics as carriers of heavy metals in river surface sediments. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 266, 104396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104396

Wang, J., Peng, J., Tan, Z., Gao, Y., Zhan, Z., Chen, Q., & Cai, L. (2017). Microplastics in the surface sediments from the Beijiang River littoral zone: Composition, abundance, surface textures and interaction with heavy metals. Chemosphere, 171, 248-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.12.074

Welden, N., & Lusher, A. (2020). Microplastics: From origin to impacts. In Plastic Waste and Recycling (pp. 223-249). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817880-5.00009-8

Welle, F., & Franz, R. (2018). Microplastic in Bottled Natural Mineral Water – Literature Review and Considerations on Exposure and Risk Assessment. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 35(12), 2482-2492. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2018.1543957

Yang, L., Luo, W., Zhao, P., Zhang, Y., Kang, S., Giesy, J. P., & Zhang, F. (2021a). Microplastics in the Koshi River, a remote alpine river crossing the Himalayas from China to Nepal. Environmental Pollution, 290, 118121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118121

Yang, L., Zhang, Y., Kang, S., Wang, Z., & Wu, C. (2021b). Microplastics in freshwater sediment: A review on methods, occurrence, and sources. The Science of the Total Environment, 754, 141948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141948

Zhang, K., Gong, W., Lv, J., Xiong, X., & Wu, C. (2015). Accumulation of floating microplastics behind the Three Gorges Dam. Environmental Pollution, 204, 117-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.04.023

Zhang, X., Wen, K., Ding, D., Liu, J., Lei, Z., Chen, X., Ye, G., Zhang, J., Shen, H., Yan, C., Dong, S., Huang, Q., & Lin, Y. (2021). Size-dependent adverse effects of microplastics on intestinal microbiota and metabolic homeostasis in the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). Environment International, 151, 106452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106452

Zhang, Z., Chen, W., Chan, H., Peng, J., Zhu, P., Li, J., Jiang, X., Zhang, Z., Wang, Y., Tan, Z., Peng, Y., Zhang, S., Lin, K., & Yung, K. K. L. (2024). Polystyrene microplastics induce size-dependent multi-organ damage in mice: Insights into gut microbiota and fecal metabolites. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 461, 132503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132503

Zhao, W., Li, J., Liu, M., Wang, R., Zhang, B., Meng, X. Z., & Zhang, S. (2024). Seasonal variations of microplastics in surface water and sediment in an inland river drinking water source in southern China. The Science of the Total Environment, 908, 168241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168241

Zhou, N., Wang, Z., Yang, L., Zhou, W., Qin, Z., & Zhang, H. (2023). Size-dependent toxicological effects of polystyrene microplastics in the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei using a histomorphology, microbiome, and metabolic approach authorship. Environmental Pollution, 316, 120635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120635