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Distribution and flux assessment of microplastic debris in the middle and lower Chao Phraya River, Thailand
Summary
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations throughout Thailand's largest river, the Chao Phraya, finding plastic particles at every sampling station across all seasons, with sediment concentrations up to 546 particles per kilogram dry weight. Fiber was the most common form, and contamination peaked during monsoon season when rainfall flushes more plastic into the river. The study estimates the river's flux of microplastics toward the Gulf of Thailand, providing a baseline for understanding how major Asian rivers transport land-based plastic pollution to the ocean.
Microplastic (MP) debris is now a global concern. The Chao Phraya is the largest river in Thailand and transports MPs from terrestrial areas to the ocean. MP debris in its water and sediment were measured in March 2021, September 2021, and March 2022 in five provinces along the watercourse. Hydrological data were also collected to estimate the MP riverine flux between provinces. Size, shape, color, and types of MP polymers were observed, with sedimentation data collected for MP content. Results showed that MPs were found at all sample stations, with average abundance in all province water samples ranging from 0.54 ± 0.05 to 1.07 ± 0.28 pieces/L, while in sediment sample, numbers ranged from 183.84 ± 38.76 to 546.18 ± 86.84 pieces/kg dry weight throughout all seasons. Overall contamination and accumulation were similar between provinces but significantly different between seasons. Sizes of MPs in water varied between seasons with MPs in sediment mostly 330-5,000 μm (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). Sedimentation of MPs was different between seasons (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). The highest MP flux values discharged from Samut Prakan Province to the inner Gulf of Thailand were 1.83 × 105 and 1.60 × 105 million items/day in September 2021 and March 2022, respectively.