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Microplastic concentration, distribution and dynamics along one of the largest Mediterranean-climate rivers: A whole watershed approach.
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Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution across the entire Biobio river watershed in Chile, one of the largest rivers in South America. They found microplastics at all 18 sampling sites, with concentrations linked to urbanization, wastewater discharge, and agricultural activities. The study reveals that both environmental and human factors drive microplastic distribution patterns throughout large river systems.
Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as one of the most ubiquitous environmental pollutants globally. They have been found in all ecosystems studied to date, threatening biological diversity, ecosystem functioning and human health. The present study aimed to elucidate the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of MP dynamics in the whole catchment of the Biobío river, one of the largest rivers in South America. MP concentration and characteristics were analysed in 18 sites subjected to different sources of pollution and other human-related impacts. The sampling sites were classified in relation to altitudinal zones (highland, midland and lowland) and ecosystem types (fluvial and reservoir), and different water and territorial environmental variables were further collated and considered for analysis. Seven types of microplastic polymers were identified in the samples analysed, with a catchment mean (±SE) MP concentration of 22 ± 0.4 particles m, and MP presence being significantly higher in lowlands (26 ± 2 particle m) and in reservoirs (42 ± 14 particle m). The most abundant type of MP was fragments (84%), with a mean concentration of 37 ± 6 particles m. Overall, MP concentrations were low compared to those found in other studies, with a strong influence of human population size.
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Researchers conducted the first study of microplastic contamination along the Colorado River in Argentine Patagonia, collecting samples from 12 sites spanning approximately 1000 km. The findings document microplastic pollution in a remote South American river affected by agriculture, hydrocarbon extraction, and urbanization, showing that even relatively pristine rivers carry plastic pollution.
Land-ocean export of microplastic in central Chile: The contribution of the Biobío River using a particle tracking model approach
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Researchers collected water samples across the entire Biobío River basin in Chile during summer and winter to quantify how many microplastics this major river delivers to the Pacific Ocean, finding concentrations roughly 20 times higher in winter due to rain-driven runoff. Particle tracking models confirmed the river as a significant land-to-ocean microplastic transport pathway. The work demonstrates that South American rivers, often understudied, are important contributors to ocean microplastic pollution, especially during seasonal rainfall events.
Spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in a Mediterranean river catchment: The importance of wastewater as an environmental pathway
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Microplastic concentrations were mapped across a Mediterranean river catchment in central Spain over multiple seasons, finding that wastewater treatment plant effluents were the dominant point source and that storm events transiently increased concentrations in downstream reaches by mobilizing accumulated particles from river beds and floodplains.
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in a highly populated Ecuadorian river basin that lacks wastewater treatment, finding contamination throughout the system and demonstrating that rivers in low-income tropical countries with poor infrastructure are major conduits for microplastics.
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Researchers found macro-, meso-, and microplastics along riverbanks near Rosario city on the lower Paraná River in Argentina, with single-use items being dominant. The study highlights that South American freshwater rivers are important conduits for plastic pollution entering the ocean.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.