We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Cuantificación de la presencia de microplásticos en la cuenca alta del río Guayllabamba
Summary
This study quantified microplastics in the upper basin of the Guayllabamba River in Ecuador, finding contamination at multiple sites. The results add to evidence that South American rivers far from major industrial centers are already contaminated with microplastics, which eventually flow toward coastal and marine environments.
In recent years the problem of contamination by microplastics has become more noticeable. Currently it is known that these particles less than 5 mm can lead to problems at both ecosystem level and health level due to the toxicity of its components. In spite of this, information on this topic has focused more on the oceans, leaving aside the rivers which are the ones that have the greatest contamination by these particles and which lead them to the oceans, and the information is limited to certain rivers in countries of the northern hemisphere. In South America, the information is practically nil. It is now known that these particles are mainly associated with the drainage areas, both domestic and industrial, and even dumps or streams. It is due to these reasons that this study focused on quantifying the microplastics present in the upper basin of the Guayllabamba River, which is related to all the discharges and waste produced in the city of Quito-Ecuador, where it also does not There is wastewater treatment. We perform an analysis by categories of microplastics in the different sampling points. The contamination of microplastics exists from the headwaters of the rivers with significant increases in urban areas of the Metropolitan District of Quito, with values higher than those recorded in the literature for rivers.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in tropical Andean rivers: A perspective from a highly populated Ecuadorian basin without wastewater treatment
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.
Preliminary Assessment of Plastic Litter and Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Depositional Areas: The Case Study of Puerto Misahualli, Ecuadorian Amazonia
Researchers conducted a preliminary assessment of plastic litter and microplastics in sediments at a riverine depositional area in the Ecuadorian Amazon, finding low-density polyethylene bags as the dominant macroplastic and documenting microplastic presence in an upper Amazon basin location.
Microplastics in rivers and coastal waters of the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Researchers found microplastic contamination throughout rivers and coastal waters of Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, with coastal waters showing significantly higher concentrations than rivers and transparent fibres and brown fragments being the most abundant types.
Microplastic occurrence and distribution in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador
Sampling of water and sediments throughout the Gulf of Guayaquil estuary in Ecuador revealed extremely high microplastic concentrations — particularly polycarbonate, polystyrene, and polypropylene particles — with levels peaking near the city of Guayaquil. The findings document a largely unreported pollution hotspot in South America and highlight urban wastewater and shrimp farming as key contamination sources requiring management.
Estudio de microplásticos en muestras de agua y sedimentos de un río urbano del suroccidente de Colombia
A study of a Colombian urban river found microplastics in all water and sediment samples, with concentrations reaching 4,186 particles per liter in water and 62,763 per kilogram in sediments, and human activity along the riverbank directly correlated with contamination levels. This adds to evidence that urban rivers act as major conduits channeling microplastics from cities into the ocean.