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Spatiotemporal distribution and annual load of microplastics in the Nakdong River, South Korea
Water Research2019
556 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 50
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Young Kyoung Song,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Gi Myung Han,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Gi Myung Han,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Summary
Microplastics were measured seasonally and spatially throughout the Nakdong River in South Korea, finding 293–4,760 particles/m³ in water and 1,970 particles/kg in sediment, with concentrations three times higher at the surface than mid-water in downstream areas and an estimated annual load of 15.45 billion particles to the sea. The study provides comprehensive temporal and spatial microplastic flux data for a major Korean river.
Although rivers represent an important pathway for the transport of microplastics to the oceans, research on riverine microplastics is limited compared to the marine environment. Hence, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics in the Nakdong River down to 20 μm in size and characterized them using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in surface and mid waters and sediment. The mean (±standard deviation) abundance of microplastic in the Nakdong River was in the range of 293 ± 83 (upstream, February 2017) to 4760 ± 5242 (downstream, August 2017) particles/m in water, and 1970 ± 62 particles/kg in sediment. The abundance of microplastics was about three times higher in surface than mid waters in the downstream area. Polypropylene and polyester accounted for 41.8% and 23.1% of microplastics in the water, respectively, whereas about 50% in the sediment was composed of polypropylene and polyethylene. Microplastics smaller than 300 μm in size accounted for 74% in the water and 81% in sediment, and the distribution peaked in the 50-150 μm size range. Based on these results, we estimated the annual load of microplastics carried by the Nakdong River in 2017 to be 5.4-11 trillion by number and 53.3-118 tons by weight. The proportions of the total load transported through surface water and the water column were 8% and 92%, respectively. In addition, the microplastic load was concentrated in the wet season, which makes up 71% in number and 81% in weight. These results indicate that it is necessary to reflect seasonal variation and sample both in the surface water and water column to estimate microplastic transport. Without considering these factors, the annual load of microplastics may be overestimated or underestimated.