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Hundreds of millions of microplastic particles could be flowing into UK rivers, hidden in raw sewage
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Researchers found that raw sewage discharged into UK rivers may be carrying hundreds of millions of microplastic particles, suggesting that current estimates of environmental microplastic levels are significantly underestimated. This finding points to wastewater infrastructure as a major and underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering freshwater systems.
The amount of microplastics in the environment is being significantly underestimated, research shows.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics: 77% more found in River Thames during lockdown may be due to discarded face masks and PPE – research shows
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Researchers sampling the River Thames over two years found a 77% increase in microplastic levels during the COVID-19 lockdown period, likely linked to the disposal of single-use face masks and personal protective equipment. The findings illustrate how health crises can generate unanticipated surges in microplastic pollution, highlighting the environmental trade-offs of disposable medical and hygiene products.
Acute riverine microplastic contamination due to avoidable releases of untreated wastewater
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Researchers documented routine dry-weather discharges of untreated wastewater into UK rivers flowing too slowly to disperse the microplastics, causing acute contamination of riverbed habitats with high concentrations of fragments and microbeads. They show that treating this wastewater would eliminate the dominant source of these microplastic types and that climate-driven low flows will worsen contamination without intervention.
Beyond our oceans: Microplastics pollute rivers and lakes too
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Researchers and journalists highlighted that microplastic pollution extends well beyond the ocean, contaminating rivers, lakes, and terrestrial ecosystems — environments that supply much of the world's drinking water and food. This broader distribution suggests human exposure to microplastics may be more widespread than previously recognized.
Microplastics in Wastewater
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter wastewater systems through multiple human activity pathways and how conventional treatment plants, while removing a large fraction, still discharge significant quantities of microplastic particles into receiving water bodies, threatening aquatic ecosystems and downstream drinking water quality.
Fish in a major South African river are full of microplastics
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The Vaal River in South Africa, which supplies drinking water and supports livelihoods for over 11 million people, was found to be heavily contaminated with microplastics throughout its fish populations. This finding underscores the threat microplastic pollution poses to freshwater food sources and drinking water security in densely populated river basins.
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.