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High abundances of microplastics in a tropical urban stream, negatively related to precipitation.
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in an urban tropical stream over nine months and found very high levels, inversely correlated with rainfall — more rain diluted particle concentrations. The stream drained commercial and residential areas, reflecting the high plastic waste burden of urban environments in tropical regions. These findings suggest urban streams are important but understudied conduits for microplastics to enter larger water bodies.
Abstract Most studies on microplastic (MP) pollution in freshwaters consider large rivers and lakes, with streams relatively poorly studied. We analysed the temporal variation in abundance of MP particles in an urban stream draining commercial and residential areas, sampling on seven occasions during the course of nine months. We filtered samples through a nylon net of 68µm mesh size, carried out digestion with a novel method, namely WPO (H2O2 + Fe) followed by KOH, and analysed MP particles quantitatively and qualitatively by light microscopy. All samples contained MPs, with concentrations varying between 1.1 and 11.3 particles.L− 1. The most abundant forms were transparent filaments (found in 67% of the samples) and black fragments (found in 47% of the samples). MP concentrations were significantly positively related to the absence of rainfall. Mean transport was calculated to be 5.75x1011 items.year− 1. These abundances are equal or superior to those recorded in large rivers draining industrial areas, suggesting that small streams can be an important source of MP pollution.
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Researchers sampled a small Brazilian inland stream upstream and downstream of an urban center during dry and rainy seasons, finding urbanization significantly increased microplastic abundance from 1.7 to 2.6 particles per liter during the dry season, while rainfall effects were less consistent.
Microplastic contamination on urban river under different precipitation rate and land use gradient
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Researchers sampled water, sediment, and fish across nine sites in a Javanese urban stream through wet and dry seasons, finding that microplastic abundance in water was higher during dry conditions when developed land use concentrated runoff, while seasonal flushing during the wet season obscured these land-use patterns and fish accumulation depended more on species behavior than pollution levels.
Land use-based characterization and source apportionment of microplastics in urban storm runoffs in a tropical region
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Urban stormwater runoff in a tropical monsoon region contained 4.7 particles/L and 3.8 mg/L microplastics on average, with concentrations following land use order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential, and approximately 85% of sources identifiable by morphology and polymer type.
Revealing microplastic dynamics: the impact of precipitation and depth in urban river ecosystems
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Microplastic abundance was monitored at different depths and during different precipitation events in urban rivers in Brazil, finding that rainfall significantly increases MP concentrations and that deeper water layers can carry higher loads than surface water.
Microplastic pollution in streams spanning an urbanisation gradient
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Researchers sampled microplastics in small streams across an urbanization gradient and found contamination at all sites, with concentrations comparable to those in larger rivers and lakes. Fragments and small particles between 63 and 500 micrometers were the most common forms detected. Surprisingly, catchment-scale factors like population density and stormwater overflows did not predict microplastic levels well, suggesting that local-scale sources may be more important for pollution in small streams.
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