Bridging research gaps in global freshwater-plastic research via big data and machine learning

This dataset accompanies the manuscript “Bridging research gaps in global freshwater-plastic research via big data and machine learning.” It compiles 2000–2025 records from Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, deduplicated by DOI/title and screened with PRISMA criteria. Contents include: (i) deduplicated freshwater and comparator marine bibliographies; (ii) screened metadata on study countries/waterbody types, polymers, size classes, and reported abundances (water, sediment); (iii) georeferenced study coordinates; and (iv) PRISMA-stage record. These files reproduce manuscript Figs. 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 and enable reuse for synthesis and mapping. Abundance units and taxonomies are as reported and may require harmonization; some coordinates are approximate.