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Unveiling Microplastic Pollution in the Northern Amazon: First Evidence from the Cauamé River
Original title: Unveiling Microplastic Pollution in the Northern Amazon: First Evidence from the Cauamé River
Summary
Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the Cauamé River in the Amazon for the first time, with pollution levels 8 times higher during the rainy season than the dry season, largely coming from sewage and fishing waste. This matters because rivers like this carry plastic pollution into larger water systems people rely on for drinking water and fishing, meaning these particles could eventually end up in our food and water supply.
Although freshwater systems are potential sources of plastic debris to the oceans, knowledge about microplastics (MPs) in these systems remains limited. The Amazon Basin, the largest in the world, already shows widespread MP contamination, but data gaps persist, especially in the Northern Amazon. This study is the first to evaluate MP abundance in the Cauamé River, Roraima, in the extreme North of Brazil. Twelve sites were analyzed in two sampling campaigns, considering the dry and rainy seasons. During the rainy period, 391 MPs were detected, with abundances ranging from 50 to 365 MPs m⁻3 (mean = 206 ± 87 MPs m⁻3). In the dry period, there was an 84% reduction, with 61 MPs and abundances from 0 to 43 MPs m⁻3 (mean = 24 ± 15 MPs m⁻3). Higher abundances were associated with areas affected by sewage discharge and fishing-related waste. Particle sizes ranged from 152 to 4908 µm. Fragments accounted for 52% and fibers for 48%, with dominance of fragments between 1000 and 5000 µm. Nine colors were identified, mainly transparent (55%) and blue (22%). FTIR analysis indicated predominance of polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. MPs showed a heterogeneous distribution in the river surface waters.