MICROPLASTIC CONTAMINATION IN FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DISTRIBUTION, ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Keywords:
microplastics, freshwater ecosystems, plastic pollution, ecological impacts, systematic literature reviewAbstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as one of the most pervasive environmental challenges of the twenty-first century, yet freshwater ecosystems—despite functioning as both transport conduits and long-term sinks for MPs—have historically received less research attention than marine environments. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) framework and synthesis examining the distribution, ecological impacts, and mitigation strategies associated with MP contamination in freshwater rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and groundwater systems, drawing on peer-reviewed literature indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review protocol specifies explicit search strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a structured data extraction and thematic coding process. Synthesis of the available evidence indicates that MP distribution is shaped primarily by urban proximity, hydrological retention characteristics, and land-use intensity, with contamination arising from the concurrent operation of point sources—principally wastewater treatment plant effluent—and diffuse sources, including agricultural and urban runoff, atmospheric deposition, and tire wear particles. Ecotoxicological evidence documents consistent physiological, behavioral, and reproductive effects across freshwater trophic levels, from zooplankton to fish, with plausible cumulative implications for ecosystem functioning and food web stability. Human health and socioeconomic implications, while not yet fully characterized in quantitative risk terms, extend to drinking water security, fishery-dependent economies, and public health governance. Mitigation strategies spanning technological, regulatory, community-based, and circular-economy approaches each demonstrate partial effectiveness but require integrated, multi-pronged application to meaningfully reduce freshwater MP loading. The review concludes that freshwater MP contamination constitutes a distinct, cross-cutting sustainability challenge requiring coordinated scientific monitoring, technological investment, and policy action across watershed, national, and international scales.
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