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Spatiotemporal assessment of microplastic incidence in the Atoyac basin — a key watershed in Mexico
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This spatiotemporal study quantified and characterized microplastics in freshwater and sediments across the Atoyac sub-basin in Mexico, documenting MP types, shapes, and sizes at sites impacted by urban, agricultural, and industrial activity over multiple sampling periods.
This spatiotemporal study quantified and analyzed the types, shapes, and sizes of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater and sediments from the Atoyac sub-basin in Puebla, Mexico, a region impacted by highly populated areas, agriculture, and extensive industrial activity. Microplastics were quantified via fluorescence microscopy and analyzed using complementary techniques: attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (pyro-GC/MS). Sediment concentrations ranged from 1.0 to 23.8 mg MPs kg, while item counts varied from 7.15 to 135 particles g. In water, MP concentrations reached 238 ± 42 particles L. Key trends revealed higher MP concentrations in urban and industrial areas, directly linking human activity to pollution. We observed seasonal variation in MP distribution: for both water and sediments, sites 1, 2, and 3 showed higher concentrations in the dry season, while sites 5 and 6 exhibited the reverse trend in the wet season, challenging typical MP transport assumptions due to drought-influenced flow rates. In sediments, we found complementary results for polymer composition, with rayon prevalent via ATR-FTIR, and PE, PP, and PS dominating pyro-GC/MS analyses. This study highlights the importance of combining complementary techniques to quantify and identify MPs, revealing the complex environmental factors-including spatial variations, sources, sinks, flow, seasonality, water depth, and biological factors (microphyte consortia)-governing their fate and distribution. Ultimately, this work advances our understanding of MP sources, fate, and transport, which is critical for developing effective mitigation strategies in similar environments.
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Microplastics in freshwater sediments of Atoyac River basin, Puebla City, Mexico
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Microplastics were found throughout the sediments of the Atoyac River basin in central Mexico, with fibers and fragments as the dominant shapes and higher concentrations near urban areas. The study provides baseline data on freshwater microplastic contamination in a rapidly urbanizing region of Latin America.
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This study characterized microplastics in water and bed sediments from the Baluarte River basin in Mexico, documenting occurrence, spatial distribution, and dominant polymer types, and identifying urban wastewater and agricultural runoff as key sources.
The state of microplastic pollution in México: a review and evolving perspectives
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A PRISMA-based review of microplastic research in Mexico documented growing contamination across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, characterized the dominant polymer types and particle shapes, and identified major knowledge gaps needing attention in the Mexican context.
Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in Hydrologically Connected River–Reservoir Systems: Tepeji–Requena and Tula–Endhó, Mexico
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Researchers tested water from two connected river and reservoir systems in central Mexico, the Tepeji River-Requena Reservoir and the Tula River-Endhó Reservoir, for microplastics. Samples were filtered and treated chemically, then examined under a microscope to detect and count the plastic particles present.
Microplastic Pollution in Freshwater Sediments: Spatial–Temporal Patterns
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This global review of freshwater sediment studies finds that human activities, stormwater runoff, water flow, and sediment grain size all shape where microplastics accumulate in rivers and lakes, but most data come from Asia with limited coverage elsewhere. Filling these geographic and temporal gaps is essential for understanding the long-term fate of microplastics in freshwater systems that supply drinking water worldwide.
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