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Abundance and sources of plastic debris on beaches in a plastic hotspot, Nha Trang, Viet Nam
Summary
Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in sediments from a semi-arid river system receiving treated municipal wastewater as its primary flow input, finding high particle concentrations particularly near effluent discharge points. The study illustrates how wastewater-fed rivers in water-scarce regions may be especially vulnerable to microplastic contamination given their dependence on treated effluent.
Viet Nam is challenged by extensive marine plastic pollution, however, remediation efforts are hampered by undefined sources to the coastal environment. This study surveyed the abundance, type, and source of beached plastic litter at seven beaches along the coast of Nha Trang, Viet Nam. A total of 4754 beached plastic litter items (>2 cm) yielded a mean abundance of 19.8 ± 19.5 items m−2 corresponding to 116 ± 226 g DW m−2. Our results demonstrate that plastic litter related to fishing and aquaculture constituted at least 62 % of the total by weight and 38 % by number, showing that these two sectors are responsible for a significant part of the plastic pollution along the coast. Hence, we argue that improved management of the fishing and aquaculture sectors could substantially reduce marine plastic pollution along Viet Nam's coast.