Primary risk assessment of microplastic pollution in spineless cuttlefish (Sepiella inermis) from the North-East Bay of Bengal: A tissue-based analysis

Abundance, characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastics in the riverbed sediments around Dhaka city

Transboundary microplastic pollution in Xiamen Bay and adjacent Jiulong River estuary after the outbreak of COVID-19

Characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in laver from the Yueqing Bay

Microplastics pollution in the Surma River, Bangladesh: A rising hazard to upstream water quality and aquatic life

Microplastic surge in the Ariyankuppam river, Puducherry, India: A study on abundance, characterization, and pollution load index.

Occurrence, sources, and ecological risk of microplastics in groundwater: Impacts by agricultural activities and atmospheric deposition.

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is now a global concern and particles have been detected in various aquatic environments and their associated biota including in humans. Its only recent that research in MPs have gain a better understanding of MPs sources, transportation and sink including potential impacts. To further contribute to the growing body of literature, this study aims to quantify and enumerate seasonal MPs densities and characteristics in sediments and surface water samples in small subtropical reservoirs associated with different landscape and human activities. Moreover, the study not only quantified and characterised MPs but further assessed the risk of MPs contamination using pollution load indices. High MPs densities were found during the dry season in sediments (84.74–374.76 particles/kg−1 dwt) and surface water (6.07–21.77 particles/100–1 L), in comparison with low densities in the wet season i.e. sediments (68.72–260.87 particles/kg−1 dwt) and surface water (7.33–19.27 particles/100–1 L). White (43.1%) and transparent (38.4%) colours were the most dominant in sediments and surface water samples, respectively. In terms of MPs shapes and polymer types, fibres and polyethylene (PE) were the most dominate for sediments and surface water. Moreover, no correlative relationships were observed for tested water quality parameters and MPs densities within and between reservoirs and seasons. MPs pollution indices indicated high pollution levels in reservoirs associated with high human activities, indicating a source-driven effect of anthropogenic activities on MPs contamination. This study contributes to understanding the seasonal variations in MPs occurrence and characteristics in small subtropical reservoirs. Additionally, the study establishes a benchmark for future plastic pollution control and management efforts in South African small reservoirs, since if left unattended MPs pollution could escalate and pose significant environmental risks in the future.

Sediment-associated microplastics in Chilika lake, India: Highlighting their prevalence, polymer types, possible sources, and ecological risks

Plastic waste in marine waters will undergo a degradation process that breaks down large plastic pieces into smaller particles called microplastics. The abundance of microplastics, caused by their small size (<5mm) can be easily indirectly consumed by aquatic animals. Anadara granosa is one of the bivalves that is quite vulnerable to microplastic contamination because it has the nature of a filter feeder which means it can sift particles and organic matter around it. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics, abundance, and types of microplastic polymers in blood clams (A. granosa). The results of microplastic observations made on 60 blood clams were 153 microplastic particles identified from 47 individuals (78%) of contaminated blood clams with an average microplastic abundance of 0.591 ± 0.083 item/gr. Fiber-type microplastics are the most dominant form found and blue is the most dominant color found in the sample. Based on the average abundance of microplastics in Anadara granosa in the coastal area of Palopo City, it is lower than several studies that have been conducted previously. Fourier Transform-Infra Red was conducted to determine the type of polymer in microplastics. Three types of polymers were found in the Anadara granosa samples polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene, and polyester. The three types of polymers have effects on human health such as respiratory problems, skin irritation, and genotoxicity. Action is needed to prevent microplastic pollution in Palopo City’s rivers before microplastic pollution becomes more severe in the future.

Ecological risk assessment of microplastics contamination in water, sediment and native fish species of the Brahmaputra River, India.

Occurrence characteristics and potential risk of microplastics under different land conditions

An enhanced risk assessment framework for microplastics occurring in the Westerscheldt estuary

Plastic and especially microplastic (MP) pollution has posed a serious threat to the marine environment for decades. Studies on MPs have started to gain momentum especially in the Sea of Marmara (SoM), which is an international waterway, under the pressure of intense maritime traffic and exposure to domestic and industrial discharges. The aim of this study was to evaluate the MPs found in surface sediments collected from the coastal area of the SoM according to the locations and to reveal the extent of the existing pollution. This is the first study to examine MPs in both the surface sediments of the entire shorelines of the SoM, which have not been previously reported, and in the surface sediments of Çanakkale Strait. Accordingly, the highest MP abundance was detected at Yenice station (St 15) with 1286 items/kg, and the lowest MP abundance was detected at Turan Village station (St 14) with 199 items/kg. The most dominant shapes across all sampling stations and months were fiber (37%) and fragment (26%), while the most dominant color was blue (35%). According to the polymer characterization results, PE (polyethylene) was found to be the most dominant polymer type. Additionally, most stations were found to have “Moderate” and “High” pollution levels in terms of the contamination factor (CF), and regions were classified as “Moderate” and ‘High’ in terms of the pollution load index (PLI), with the St 15 station specifically exhibiting “Very High” pollution levels. Furthermore, hazard index (HI) and pollution risk index (PRI) values were also calculated regionally, revealing that regions have pollution levels classified as “High”, “Very High”, and even “Dangerous”. This study concluded that there are no areas with low pollution levels in SoM, and that the threat posed by MP pollution in this sea is increasing. Furthermore, this study found that stations with high MP pollution levels are located near river discharges and that rivers significantly contribute to MP pollution in the seas. The findings are of great importance in terms of the need to implement sustainable plans and measures to prevent pollution in the SoM and to take concrete steps to protect and ensure the sustainability of coastal ecosystems, particularly those under serious pollution threats.

Fate, source, and ecological risk of microplastic in the surface sediment of the Beibu Gulf, the Northern South China sea.

Estuarine habitats are a critical zone of the Earth with strong land-sea interactions, that are strongly influenced by human activities. Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) wetland, a typical young warm-temperate estuarine wetland, has not been comprehensively studied. The morphology, abundance, particle size, and polymer composition of MPs in the surface sediments of the YRD wetland were determined, and the pollution status and ecological risk in the study area were evaluated using the pollution load index (PLI) and potential pollution risk index (PRI). The results showed that the abundance of MPs in the YRD wetland was 20-520 n·kg-1, with a median value of 150 n·kg-1. The MPs were primarily fibers in shape and black in color, with particle size over 1 mm. The polymer components were primarily rayon, polyethylene, polyester, and polyethylene terephthalate. The PLI and PRI values of the MPs in the area were between 0.04-0.96 and 0.00-171.60, respectively, indicating that the pollution of MPs in the YRD wetland was at a slightly polluted level with low ecological risk.