We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic Contamination of Fine-Grained Sediments and Its Environmental Driving Factors along a Lowland River: Three-Year Monitoring of the Tisza River and Central Europe
Summary
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in fine-grained river sediments over three years (2020-2022) along a large river system, examining environmental driving factors including hydrology, land use, and sediment transport dynamics. The study found that hydrological and geomorphological processes are key determinants of where microplastics accumulate and are remobilized.
The hydro-geomorphological background in microplastic (MP) deposition and mobilization is often neglected, though the sampling environment is the key point in a monitoring scheme. The aim of the study was to analyze the environmental driving factors of MP transport over three years (2020–2022) along a 750 km-long section of the Tisza River, Central Europe. The mean MP content of the fresh clayey sediments was 1291 ± 618 items/kg in 2020, and then it decreased (2021: 730 ± 568 items/kg; 2022: 766 ± 437 items/kg). The upstream and downstream sections were the most polluted due to improper local sewage treatment. In 2020, 63% of the sites were hotspot (≥2000 items/kg), but their number decreased to one-third in 2021 and 2022. MP pollution is influenced by highly variable environmental factors. (1) The geomorphological setting of a site is important, as most of the hotspots are on side bars. (2) The tributaries convey MP pollution to the Tisza River. (3) The bankfull or higher flood waves effectively rearrange the MP pollution. (4) The dams and their operation influence the downstream trend of MP pollution in the reservoir. (5) Downstream of a dam, the clear-water erosion increases the proportion of the pristine sediments; thus, the MP concentration decreases.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
High spatiotemporal resolution analysis on suspended sediment and microplastic transport of a lowland river
Researchers conducted dense spatial and time-series monitoring of microplastic and suspended sediment transport along Hungary's Tisza River, finding that microplastic concentrations closely tracked sediment levels during floods but diverged during low water. Most detected particles were fibers likely from wastewater, and the data showed that floods, tributaries, and river dams all influence how microplastics move through river systems.
Deposition and Mobilization of Microplastics in a Low-Energy Fluvial Environment from a Geomorphological Perspective
Researchers evaluated how geomorphological factors influence microplastic deposition and mobilization in the fluvial sediments of the Tisza River in Central Europe, comparing surveys conducted in 2019 and 2020. Flood events between surveys redistributed microplastic pollution, reducing sediment concentrations by 30% in the main river and 48% in tributaries while increasing contamination in the Middle Tisza section.
Spatial distribution of microplastics in the fluvial sediments of a transboundary river – A case study of the Tisza River in Central Europe
This case study mapped microplastic distribution in the fluvial sediments of the transboundary Tisza River in Central Europe, finding that microplastic abundance varied with land use, human population density, and hydrological conditions across national borders.
Abundance, Distribution and Drivers of Microplastic Contaminant in Urban River Environments
Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in urban river environments and identified key drivers of accumulation hotspots, finding that land use, hydrology, and infrastructure factors concentrated microplastics at predictable locations that could inform targeted management interventions.
Microplastic distribution and their abundance along rivers are determined by land uses and sediment granulometry
Researchers studied two river watersheds and found that microplastics were widespread in both water and sediment, with concentrations in water rising alongside increased urban land use. Interestingly, microplastics trapped in sediment were more influenced by the grain size of the riverbed than by human activity. The findings suggest that both human factors and natural river characteristics work together to shape where microplastics end up in freshwater systems.