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Spatio-Temporal Variation of Microplastic Along a Rural to Urban Transition in a Tropical River in Selangor Malaysia
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination along an urban-to-rural gradient in Malaysia's Klang River and found widespread pollution across all six sampling stations, with HDPE, LDPE, polypropylene, and nylon fibers and fragments dominating — patterns pointing to urban runoff and industrial discharge as primary sources entering the Malacca Strait.
It is acknowledged that microplastic contamination is a worldwide problem that jeopardise both human and environmental health. Rapid industrial and urbanisation in many tropical nations, along with weak ecological regulation, may lead to an upward trend in microplastics entering rivers; yet there is a shortage of fundamental data on contamination levels. The purpose of this study was to catalogue the physical features of microplastics found in the Klang River and to examine their characteristics in relation to the river basin in the Malacca Strait. It was selected for its commercial, residential, and industrial regions, which are situated along its length. The study also measured the water quality parameters, including DO, pH, salinity, turbidity, and FTIR analysis. A total of 171 microplastic pieces were obtained from the six stations. Microplastics have been discovered in many shapes and sizes, including films, fibres, and fragments. The FTIR analysis revealed that the microplastics most found were HDPE, LDPE, polypropylene, and polyamide/nylon. The findings indicate that the Klang River is heavily polluted with microplastics. The outcomes enable future research to further the investigations of microplastics along the Klang River as it is one of the main water sources in Peninsular Malaysia and provide new insights into understanding of microplastics.
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