Use of high yield pulp and recycled fiber as raw materials and water system closure result in higher fines content and buildup of organic and inorganic contaminants in white water. These are detrimental for the effectiveness of chemical additives including retention aids. Thus it is imperative to employ a retention systems that maintains its efficiency in closed papermaking system for reducing fresh water consumption. The performance of four different microparticle retention systems including cationic polyacrylamide (C-PAM)/bentonite, highly charged cationic starch (HCS)/silica, C-PAM/micropolymer, cationic guar gum (CGG)/silica was evaluated and compared at three different levels of papermaking system closure. Buildup of detrimental substances in a closed white water system increased cationic demand and finally reduced the performance of retention systems. Cationic starch and guar gums maintained their effectiveness in retention in closed white water systems contaminated with anionic trashes because of their structural rigidity and hydrogen bonding ability. Particularly, cationic guar gums, due its stiffness of molecular structure, appeared perform better than catinonic starch.