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Microplastics in Moose Jaw River, Saskatchewan, Canada: Spatial variability in abundance, polymer composition, and size distribution
Summary
Scientists found tiny plastic particles (many smaller than the width of a human hair) throughout a Saskatchewan river, with the highest levels near urban areas, likely from road runoff and city sources. More than half the plastic bits were extremely small, which matters because smaller particles can more easily enter the body and travel through tissues, and this study helps identify the types of plastic and pollution sources that may need closer monitoring in drinking water sources.
Microplastics (MPs) in surface waters have emerged as a growing environmental concern due to their persistence, mobility, and interactions with co-occurring pollutants. This study investigated MP pollution in the Moose Jaw River (Saskatchewan, Canada) by providing baseline data on MP abundance, polymer composition, and size distribution across six sampling locations using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (Nicolet iS50 + RaptIR imaging system, Thermo Fisher Scientific). MP concentrations ranged from 40 to 171 particles/L, with substantially higher concentrations at the upstream site compared to downstream locations. This pattern likely reflects elevated inputs from urban runoff and roadway-associated sources upstream, combined with dilution and hydrodynamic dispersion along the river continuum. Across all sites, the dominant polymer types were ethylene propylene / ethylene propylene diene monomer elastomers (EP/EPDM) (27%), polyethylene (PE) (24%), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (11%), consistent with their widespread industrial and domestic applications and environmental persistence. Size distribution analysis revealed that particles smaller than 200 µm accounted for more than 50% of detected MPs. Polymer Risk Index (PRI) analysis further showed that site-specific hazard patterns were driven more strongly by polymer composition than by total MP abundance alone. Overall, this study provides the first location-resolved baseline assessment of MPs in a Saskatchewan prairie river and offers practical evidence to support targeted management, mitigation, and long-term monitoring of freshwater MP pollution.