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Spatial distribution of microplastics in the fluvial sediments of a transboundary river – A case study of the Tisza River in Central Europe
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This case study mapped microplastic distribution in the fluvial sediments of the transboundary Tisza River in Central Europe, finding that microplastic abundance varied with land use, human population density, and hydrological conditions across national borders.
The geographical environment fundamentally influences the transport and deposition of sediments, including microplastics. In addition, the socioeconomic differences inherent in transboundary catchments result in various waste management strategies among the different countries influencing the input of microplastics into rivers. The catchment of the Tisza River in Central Europe is shared by five countries with different economic statuses and wastewater treatment practices. The aim of this research is to study the spatial changes in microplastic debris deposition along the Tisza and its main tributaries. The mean number of microplastic particles in the sediments of the Tisza was 3177 ± 1970 items/kg, while 3808 ± 1605 items/kg were counted in the sediments of the tributaries. Most of the particles were fibres, indicating the dominance of municipal wastewater input; this is especially the case in the upstream sub-catchments, where there are low degrees of wastewater management. The highest amount of microplastics was found in the sediments of the most-upstream section, where a low number of households are connected to wastewater treatment plants. Thus, it is hypothesized that suburban areas where high population densities and improper waste management co-exist may contribute to the direct input of microplastics into river systems and the development of local microplastic contamination hotspots. In addition, a high microplastic concentration was measured at the furthest downstream section, resulting from the decreased flow velocity related to impoundment by a dam. The efficiency of the microplastic trapping of the various depositionary forms varies along the river, suggesting various influencing factors and the complexity of the process. The higher concentration of microplastics observed in the tributaries compared to that observed in sediments of the main stream may reflect the importance of local sources and the complexity of source-to-sink relations for microplastic routes through the fluvial system; these processes do not always reflect progressive downstream increases.
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