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Assessment of microplastic pollution in selected freshwater reservoirs of Kano State, Nigeria
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Researchers tested water from four reservoirs in Kano State, Nigeria, finding microplastics in all of them, with higher amounts during the rainy season. Lead and cadmium levels exceeded WHO safety limits, though no clear statistical link was found between microplastics and heavy metals or water conditions.
As escalating microplastic pollution reshapes aquatic ecosystems globally, the multipurpose freshwater reservoirs of Nigeria remain a critical blindspot in environmental monitoring. This study investigated the seasonal occurrence, distribution, and composition of microplastics alongside their relationship with heavy metals and physicochemical parameters in four major reservoirs (Wasai, Thomas, Tiga, and Challawa Gorge) in Kano State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected monthly from July to December 2025, capturing both rainy and dry seasons, from three targeted zones per reservoir (fishing, farming and an area with minimum to non-anthropogenic activity). Microplastics were isolated using wet peroxide oxidation (WPO) method and vacuum filtered using 0.45 µm Membrane filters, identified using FTIR and quantified under a digital Stereoscopic Microscope. A total of 1,470 microplastic particles were isolated across the study sites. Heavily driven by seasonal hydrology, total counts of 940 particles in the rainy season dropped to 530 particles in the dry season representing a 43.6% reduction (paired t-test, t = 9.025, p < 0.001). Wasai Reservoir recorded the highest contamination and polymer diversity. No statistically significant differences in Microplastic counts were observed among the targeted zones (Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05) indicating reservoir wide distribution. Microplastics Pollution Load Index (PLI) across all reservoirs was extremely severe in rainy season, while cadmium and lead also exceeded WHO permissible safety limits. Spearman correlation revealed no statistically significant relationships between MP abundance and heavy metals or physicochemical parameters, though strong positive trends were noted for lead, TDS, pH, temperature and EC. These findings confirm widespread contamination across the reservoirs. The results underscore an urgent need for catchment wide plastic waste management policies, strict industrial discharge regulations and public health interventions.
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