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Spatial distribution and compartmental storage of microplastic particles in a tropical lowland river system (Perak river, Malaysia)
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Researchers studied tiny plastic particles in water and riverbank sediment along the Perak river in Malaysia. Sediments had higher, more consistent microplastic levels than water, mostly plastic fragments, with sediments trapping particles like polystyrene over time while water contained more polyethylene and polypropylene, linked to water cloudiness and fine sediment.
Rivers function as critical Earth surface systems that both transfer and temporarily retain anthropogenic particles, linking terrestrial landscapes with aquatic and marine environments. Microplastics represent a rapidly increasing class of emerging pollutants, yet their behaviour within water-sediment systems remains poorly understood particularly in tropical lowland rivers. This study investigated microplastic particles in river water and riverbank surface sediments along the downstream Perak river (Malaysia). This study also aimed to quantify and characterise microplastics in both compartments, assess their spatial variability along the river continuum and examine relationships between microplastic occurrence and physicochemical parameters. In addition, microplastic pollution levels in river water and surface sediments were assessed using polymer-based ecological risk indices. Microplastics were detected in both compartments, but river surface sediment concentrations (0.7–3.8 items kg −1 ) were consistently higher and more spatially uniform than those in river water (0.01–2.35 items m −3 ). Fragments dominated in both matrices, indicating the prevalence of secondary microplastics derived from weathered consumer plastics. Polymer composition differed systematically between compartments, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating river water, whereas sediments showed increased contributions from polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate, reflecting density-driven settling and sedimentary trapping following biofouling and weathering. Statistical analyses demonstrated significant and consistent differences between water and sediment compartments, as well as strong associations with turbidity, electrical conductivity and fine sediment properties. Although surface waters exhibited higher short-term variability in pollution intensity and potential ecological risk, sediments displayed buffered and uniformly low risk levels, consistent with their function as time-integrated particulate sinks.
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Microplastic concentrations in river water and bed sediments in a tropical river: implications for water quality monitoring
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Researchers found that microplastic concentrations in a tropical Malaysian river averaged 3.12 particles/L in water and 6,027 particles/m² in bed sediments, with high within-site variability and poor correlation between water and sediment contamination levels, complicating monitoring strategies.
Abundance and Distribution of Microplastics in the Water and Riverbank Sediment in Malaysia – A Review
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Microplastic abundance and distribution were surveyed in the water column and riverbank sediments of a Malaysian river. Results showed microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber shapes dominating in water and fragments more common in sediments, reflecting contributions from domestic wastewater and plastic litter.
Occurrence of Microplastics in Kemena River and Niah River of Sarawak, Malaysia
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Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in water and riverbed sediments of the Kemena and Niah Rivers in Sarawak, Malaysia, finding that urbanization along these rivers correlates with higher microplastic concentrations in freshwater environments.
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Microplastics in Water and Surface Sediments Along the Jawi River–Kakap Estuary, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Scientists found tiny plastic bits, mostly fibers in the water and fragments in the mud, throughout an Indonesian river and estuary system. The riverbed sediment accumulates far more plastic over time than the water itself, meaning these tropical waterways act as long-term plastic traps. This matters because these rivers often connect to fishing grounds and food and water sources people rely on daily.
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.
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