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Microplastics in surface water of the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay
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Microplastics were detected in all surface water samples collected from the Bay of Asunción and its tributaries in Paraguay, with concentrations in the bay itself about 13 times higher than in tributary rivers. The most common polymers — polypropylene and polyethylene — point to single-use packaging discarded due to inadequate waste collection as the main source. This is among the first documented records of microplastic pollution in South American inland freshwater systems.
This study identified and quantified microplastics in the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay, and its main tributaries. Surface water samples were sieved in duplicate at six locations using stainless-steel sieves (0.3-4.75 mm range), digested employing the Fenton's reaction (Fe-catalysed H2O2 digestion), and floated using NaCl and NaI. Particles were inspected using a microscope and characterized by IR spectrometry. Microplastics were found in all samples; more abundant (p < 0.05) in water from the bay (13.2 ± 13.4 items·m-3) than from the tributaries (1.0 ± 0.5 items·m-3). Most microplastics were common polymers and their abundance was in the order polypropylene > high-density polyethylene > low-density polyethylene, transparent and white. The results were similar to other regional studies and suggested that their main source was single-use packaging, disposed inadequately due to poor garbage collection.
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Researchers found macro-, meso-, and microplastics along riverbanks near Rosario city on the lower Paraná River in Argentina, with single-use items being dominant. The study highlights that South American freshwater rivers are important conduits for plastic pollution entering the ocean.
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This study assessed microplastic concentrations in a stream in Argentina's Pampas region that receives urban wastewater, finding relatively high levels and developing optimal analysis protocols for local conditions. As one of the first such studies in Argentina, the findings highlight that microplastic contamination of freshwater is a global problem reaching South American rivers.
Microplastics in Rivers of South America: An Emerging Area of Research
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This review examines the current state of microplastic research in South American rivers, finding that studies are concentrated in just a few countries and that standardized sampling methods are largely absent. Researchers identified polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the most commonly found plastics, primarily from packaging and textile sources. The study calls for expanded and coordinated research efforts across Latin America to better understand the scale of riverine microplastic pollution on the continent.
Assessment of meso- and microplastics distribution in coastal sediments and waters at the middle estuary of the Rio De La Plata, Argentina (SW Atlantic Ocean)
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Researchers assessed the distribution of microplastics and mesoplastics in coastal waters and sediments of the Rio de la Plata estuary in Argentina. The study found average concentrations of about 14 microplastic particles per liter in water and nearly 548 particles per kilogram in sediments, representing one of the first surveys of plastic contamination in this ecologically significant South American estuary.
Microplastics in gut contents of coastal freshwater fish from Río de la Plata estuary
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Microplastics were found in 100% of gut contents sampled from coastal freshwater fish in the Rio de la Plata estuary in South America, with fibers making up nearly all of the plastic found. Contamination was highest near sewage outfalls, linking microplastic ingestion directly to inadequate wastewater treatment.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.