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Microplastic contamination on urban river under different precipitation rate and land use gradient
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Researchers sampled water, sediment, and fish across nine sites in a Javanese urban stream through wet and dry seasons, finding that microplastic abundance in water was higher during dry conditions when developed land use concentrated runoff, while seasonal flushing during the wet season obscured these land-use patterns and fish accumulation depended more on species behavior than pollution levels.
Microplastic pollution has been widely known to infect river ecosystems. However, comprehensive information regarding the abundance and distribution of microplastics and the role of spatiotemporal variations in urban streams of Java Island is urgently needed. This study provides an integrated assessment of microplastic contamination in the Gajahwong Stream, Indonesia. We analyzed surface water, sediment, and fish across nine sites to assess the abundance and distribution of microplastics and the influence of land use gradients and seasonal variation. A total of 497 MP particles were collected, with a significantly higher number of particles observed during the dry season compared to the wet season. Fibers were the predominant shape, and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy confirmed polyethylene terephthalate as the polymer, pointing toward laundry, textiles, and domestic greywater as major pollution sources. Generalized Linear Mixed Model revealed that developed land use positively correlated with MP abundance in water during the dry season, while the wet season was characterized by a flushing effect, obscuring local land use relationships. Bioaccumulation in fish was driven more by species-specific behavioral and morphological factors. However, the dominance of fragment particles in sediments that potentially threaten benthopelagic fish cannot be overlooked. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved waste management and greywater treatment facility to mitigate plastic leakage in the urban river ecosystem.
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Researchers sampled a small Brazilian inland stream upstream and downstream of an urban center during dry and rainy seasons, finding urbanization significantly increased microplastic abundance from 1.7 to 2.6 particles per liter during the dry season, while rainfall effects were less consistent.
Spatio-temporal characteristics of microplastics in river surface water: insights from multi-year field monitoring.
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Researchers sampled river water across two years and four seasons to study tiny plastic particles. Microplastic counts were higher in dry seasons than rainy seasons, mainly because higher water flow diluted them, and city pollution sources created persistent hotspots. Flux (the total amount moving through the river) and discharge showed a linear relationship.
Assessment of Small-Scale Microplastics Abundance and Characterization in Urban River: A Case Study in Metro River, Indonesia
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in the Metro River in Indonesia, finding that abundance and characteristics varied by land use type, with urban areas showing higher concentrations of fragments and fibers in this rapidly developing region.
Unseen riverine risk: Spatio-temporal shifts of microplastic pollution and its bioavailability in freshwater fish within the Ikopa River urban system
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This study tracked spatio-temporal shifts in microplastic pollution concentrations in a river system, linking concentration changes to seasonal flow dynamics and identifying hot spots of accumulation that pose elevated risk to aquatic biota.
High abundances of microplastics in a tropical urban stream, negatively related to precipitation.
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in an urban tropical stream over nine months and found very high levels, inversely correlated with rainfall — more rain diluted particle concentrations. The stream drained commercial and residential areas, reflecting the high plastic waste burden of urban environments in tropical regions. These findings suggest urban streams are important but understudied conduits for microplastics to enter larger water bodies.
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