Microplastic Contamination in the Coastal Environment: A Case Study from the Mae Klong Estuary, Samut Songkhram

Abstract

The mangrove sediment from the Mae Klong River (MK) and Klong Khon Canal (KK) revealed the microplastics contamination in the Mae Klong Estuary environment. Microplastic analyses were analyzed by using ZnCl2 density separation and H2O2 digestion process. The average concentrations of microplastic was 580 and 1690 items kg-1 dry weight in the samples from MK and KK. MK sediment contained more coarse grain than KK sediment. The lower microplastic concentration in MK was mainly related to the runoff through the sea. In contrast, the abundant microplastic in KK was possibly caused by the low transportation energy of sediment in the tidal flat that associated with deposition of fine grain. In addition, the microplastics were mainly polyester fiber originating from laundry processes or transport from the vicinity. The contamination in mangrove sediment in this study may encourage communities and the government to be more aware of waste management.