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Microplastics in surface water of the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay
Summary
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.