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Horizontal variation of microplastics with tidal fluctuation in the Chao Phraya River Estuary, Thailand

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2021 51 citations

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Microplastic concentrations and composition in the Chao Phraya River Estuary in Thailand varied with tidal cycle, with flood tides increasing marine-sourced particles and ebb tides flushing river-derived fragments, showing that tidal dynamics must be accounted for in estuarine microplastic sampling designs.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic (MP) pollution in estuarine environments is poorly characterized globally, although they are extensive buffer regions between terrestrial, freshwater and seawater environments. This research aims to investigate MP pollution levels and variations of MPs abundance with tidal fluctuation. Fourteen samples were collected from the surface water of the Chao Phraya River Estuary, Thailand using the Manta net at flood and ebb tides. The average abundance of microplastics at flood tide was 5.16 × 10 particles/km and at ebb tide was 3.11 × 10 particles/km. The abundance of microplastics in the estuary was directly related to the tidal fluctuation, creating an accumulation of microplastics in the study area. Polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene were the most common polymers. The findings provide important information on the pollution status of microplastics in the Chao Phraya River Estuary and the variation of suspended microplastics with tidal fluctuation should be considered in future estuarine microplastic studies.

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