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Urbanization Drives Microplastic Pollution in Thailand's Mun River: A Multi-Index Risk Assessment and Spatial Distribution Analysis
Summary
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in Thailand's Mun River across natural, agricultural, and urban areas, finding urban zones had dramatically higher microplastic concentrations. Polypropylene fibers dominated the samples, and risk assessments showed substantial ecological and human health hazards across all sites, with urban areas posing the greatest danger — evidence that city development directly intensifies river microplastic pollution.
A comprehensive investigation assessed microplastic contamination in Thailand's lower Mun River system, a critical freshwater resource in Southeast Asia.Sampling was conducted during the dry season using the Albatross Mark 6 (AM-6) device across four distinct landuse zones: pristine natural areas, agricultural landscapes, urban developments, and the Mun-Chi River confluence.Mean microplastic concentration was quantified at 168.4166.64particles/m,with urban zones exhibiting significantly elevated conce ntrations compared to natural areas (mean difference: 168.33particles/m; 95% CI: 151.11-185.55,P<0.001).Morphological and spectroscopic analyses revealed a predominance of bluepigmented fibrous particles, with polypropylene (PP) constituting 40.57% of identified polymers.Ecological risk assessment using Plastic Hazard Index (PHI), Pollution Load Index (PLI), and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) demonstrated substantial environmental and human health implications across all sampling sites, with urban zones manifesting the highest risk profiles.These findings provide crucial evidence for the spatial heterogeneity of microplastic pollution in this riverine ecosystem, emphasizing the necessity for targeted mitigation strategies, particularly in urban corridors, to preserve the Mun River's ecological integrity and safeguard public health in this developing region.