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Characterization of microplastics in the water and sediment of Baram River estuary, Borneo Island
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Researchers characterized microplastics in the water and sediment of the Baram River estuary in Borneo, finding contamination at all sampling stations with fibers as the dominant form, linked to nearby industrial and domestic activities.
The Baram River is one of the largest rivers in Sarawak, where many large industries, such as plywood, sawmills, shipyards, interisland ports, and other wood-based industries are located along the river. Microplastic contamination has become a widespread and growing concern worldwide because of the small sizes of microplastics and their presence in seafood such as fish, squid, scallop, crabs, shrimp, and mussels. In this study, microplastics were found in all sampling stations. Out of the 4017 microplastics found in the water and sediment, microplastics fragment accounted for 67.8% of total microplastics, followed by fiber, film, pellet, and foam. Five microplastic polymer types were detected by ATR-FTIR, including polyethylene (PE), polyester (PET) fibers, silicon polymer, nitrile, and polystyrene (PS). The most common microplastics size range in Baram River was 0.3-1 mm, with blue as the highly abundant color.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic Occurrence in the Water and Sediment of Miri River Estuary, Borneo Island
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Researchers surveyed the Miri River estuary in Borneo and detected microplastics in both water and sediment samples, with fragments under 1 mm being the most common form, adding to evidence that river systems worldwide are significant pathways for microplastic pollution.
A novel report on the occurrence of microplastics in Pekalongan River Estuary, Java Island, Indonesia
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Researchers measured microplastic contamination in water and sediments of the Pekalongan River estuary in Indonesia, finding concentrations of 45.2-99.1 particles/L in water and 0.77-1.01 particles/g in sediment. Polystyrene, polyester, and polyamide were the dominant polymers, with fragments and films smaller than 1 mm accounting for the majority.
Microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and fish from the Kahayan River, Indonesia
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and fish from the Kahayan River in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. They found microplastics present across all sample types, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms, and identified polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant polymer types. The study provides the first baseline data on microplastic pollution in this region and highlights the widespread nature of contamination in Indonesian freshwater systems.
Abundance and Distribution of Microplastics in the Water and Riverbank Sediment in Malaysia – A Review
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Microplastic abundance and distribution were surveyed in the water column and riverbank sediments of a Malaysian river. Results showed microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber shapes dominating in water and fragments more common in sediments, reflecting contributions from domestic wastewater and plastic litter.
Occurrence, abundance, and distribution of microplastics pollution: an evidence in surface tropical water of Klang River estuary, Malaysia
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Researchers measured microplastic abundance, size, shape, and polymer type in surface water of the Klang River estuary in Malaysia — a highly urbanized waterway — finding concentrations among the highest reported in Southeast Asian estuaries, with industrial packaging materials and synthetic textiles as the dominant sources.
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.