Microplastic pollution is a significant concern in tropical rivers
Research gap analysis derived from 3 chemistry papers in our local library.
The gap
Microplastic pollution is a significant concern in tropical rivers. The presence of high-hazard polymers elevates polymer-based risks and increases PERI values. Effective management of microplastic pollution in tropical rivers is needed.
Evidence profile
Sourced from the stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 44 times in total.
Research trend
Established — well-defined area with open sub-problems.
Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps
- Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics and associations with river water physicochemical and hydrological parameters, including risk assessments in four tropical rivers in Sarawak, Malaysia (2026) · Environmental Monitoring and Assessment · doi
Microplastic pollution is a significant concern in tropical rivers. The presence of high-hazard polymers elevates polymer-based risks and increases PERI values. Effective management of microplastic pollution in tropical rivers is needed.
generalstated challengesevidence 5/5Keywords: microplastic pollution significant concern tropical rivers presence high-hazard - Microplastics in urine, sputum and lung lavage fluid from patients with respiratory illnesses (2025) · Environmental Research · cited 44× · doi
• Microplastics (MPs) determined in urine, sputum and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) of 30 adults • MPs were detected, with most < 100 μm fibres constructed of various thermoplastic polymers • However, numbers and visible-chemical signatures of MPs distinctly different among the three media • MPs might be fractionated differently according to exposure route and size, shape and composition • Impacts of MPs on human health unknown and warrant further investigation
generalabstractevidence 5/5Keywords: microplastics determined urine sputum bronchoalveolar fluid balf adults detected fibres constructed various thermoplastic polymers numbers - Polyisobutylene Micro/Nanoplastics Induce Multi-System Toxicity, Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction, and Neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster (2026) · bioRxiv · doi
Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as a persistent environmental contaminant of concern, yet polyisobutylene (PIB), an industrially significant polymer used as industrial sealants, adhesives, cable insulation, lubricant additives, and chewing gum bases, remains poorly studied relative to more commonly studied plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE).
generalabstractevidence 5/5Keywords: studied polyethylene micro nanoplastics mnps increasingly recognized persistent environmental contaminant concern polyisobutylene industrially significant polymer
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