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Microplastics in sediments of the Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil
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Researchers investigated microplastic concentrations, sizes, and distribution factors in fluvial sediments of the Cuiabá River within Brazil's Pantanal Wetlands — the world's largest flooded savanna — finding microplastics present and identifying hydrological and anthropogenic variables influencing their spatial distribution.
Microplastics (<5 mm) can have negative and deleterious environmental effects. However, the scarce information on the levels of microplastics and the factors underlying their input in wetlands, limits the understating of the vulnerability of these ecosystems to microplastics. To contribute closing this important information gap, the concentration (items/m −2 ), size and the variables related to the distribution of microplastics in fluvial sediments of the Cuiabá River, a tributary of the Pantanal, the world largest flooded Savanna and a UNESCO World Heritage were investigated. The mean microplastic level was 576.8 ± 577.8 items/m −2 of sediments which were mainly fragments (309.0 ± 319.6 items/m −2 ) and fibers (267.8 ± 339.9 items/m −2 ). The maximum level was 1938.8 items/m −2 found in the urban stretch of the sister cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande, the largest urban agglomeration in the study area. Unexpectedly, the composition of the microplastic with highest average level (240.7 ± 310.4 items/m −2 ), a blue synthetic fiber, could not be unequivocally determined by RAMAN spectrometry. Its complex composition includes Pb, Li and Nb, suggesting it may derive from electronic waste. Polypropylene (159.2 ± 133.4 items/m −2 ) and Polyvinyl Chloride (104.6 ± 217.2 items/m −2 ) were the second and third polymers with higher average levels. The average size of microplastics particles in sampling sites ranged from 0.18 mm to 1.74 mm. Microplastic concentration was positively related to urban areas. Similarly, microplastics particles size decreased with distance from urban areas. These results suggest that urban areas along the Cuiabá River, with poor waste management, are a major source of microplastic pollution in the Pantanal floodplain and that electronic waste might contribute significantly to this contamination. This study highlights the importance of adequate waste management in cities to limit microplastic contamination in areas of ecological importance, such as the Pantanal.
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Researchers sampled microplastics in the affluents and floodplains of the South American Pantanal wetland ecosystem, documenting this emerging threat to one of the world's largest tropical floodplains near urban pollution sources and in remote lowland areas.
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Researchers sampled microplastics from water courses, lakes, and floodplains across 16 locations in the South American Pantanal wetland using plankton nets, documenting microplastic contamination in one of the world's largest tropical freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastics pollution in the South American Pantanal
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Researchers documented microplastic pollution in the South American Pantanal — the world's largest tropical wetland — finding particles in water and sediment samples across the region. The findings are concerning because the Pantanal is a globally important biodiversity hotspot that was assumed to be relatively pristine.
Microplastics pollution in the South American Pantanal
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This is a duplicate entry for the study documenting microplastic pollution in the South American Pantanal wetlands, the world's largest tropical wetland. Microplastics were found in water and sediment, confirming that plastic pollution has reached this remote but biodiverse ecosystem.
Microplastics in the sediment of the Amazonian fluvio-estuarine system: Possible influences of sediment characteristics on microplastics composition
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Researchers studied riverbed and estuary sediment from seven sites along the Pará River in the Brazilian Amazon. Microplastics, mostly fibers made of polyester and PET, were found in every sample, with sandier sediments containing more microplastics than muddier, silt-heavy areas.
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