Background: Microplastic pollution in freshwater systems is a rapidly intensifying environmental challenge that intersects materials science, ecology, public policy, and remediation technology. This paper synthesizes multidisciplinary evidence on sources, transport, transformation, ecological effects, detection challenges, and remediation strategies for microplastics in freshwater environments. Methods: A conceptual synthesis method was applied, integrating empirical findings and theoretical frameworks from materials conservation, marine and freshwater microplastic literature, transport modeling studies, ecotoxicology, and management reviews to produce an integrative evaluation. Results: Primary and secondary microplastics originate from diverse sources including industrial pellets, consumer products, tire wear, and in-situ fragmentation of larger plastics; these particles are transported vertically and horizontally across water columns and sediments through biological vectors, aggregation, and hydrodynamic processes (Andrady, 2015; Boucher & Friot, 2017; Choy et al., 2019). Microplastics act as vectors for chemical transfer and promote contaminant transport, causing physiological stress across trophic levels and altering ecosystem functioning (Rochman et al., 2013; Alimi et al., 2017; Castro-Castellon et al., 2021). Detection is confounded by methodological variability and material complexity, while remediation strategies span source control, engineered filtration, bioremediation, and policy interventions (Eerkes-Medrano et al., 2015; Madala et al., 2025). Conclusions: Effective mitigation requires an integrated approach linking material design and conservation principles, robust monitoring and standardized methods, targeted remediation technologies, and governance frameworks that coordinate lifecycle responsibility. Research priorities include harmonized detection protocols, mechanistic ecotoxicology across realistic exposure scenarios, scalable remediation pilots, and socio-political analyses of policy instruments.

microplastics, freshwater ecosystems, transport, ecotoxicology

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