Microplastic concentrations in river water and bed sediments in a tropical river: implications for water quality monitoring.

Recent increase in awareness of the extent of microplastic contamination in marine and freshwater systems has heightened concerns over the ecological and human health risks of this ubiquitous material. Assessing risks posed by microplastic in freshwater systems requires sampling to establish contamination levels, but standard sampling protocols have yet to be established. An important question is whether sampling and assessment should focus on microplastic concentrations in the water or the amount deposited on the bed.

Relative contributions of different local sources to riverborne microplastic in a mixed landuse area within a tropical catchment.

Information on the relative contributions of microplastics coming from different sources is important to help prioritise measures to reduce river contamination levels and limit human and ecological health risks. This paper reports on work which aimed to quantitatively assess the relative concentrations and types of microplastic delivered from differed sources to a second order river. The study was undertaken in a mixed landuse area within a rapidly urbanising catchment in Malaysia.

Microplastic pollution in freshwater systems in Southeast Asia: contamination levels, sources, and ecological impacts.

Plastics are synthetic polymers known for their outstanding durability and versatility, and have replaced traditional materials in many applications. Unfortunately, their unique traits ensure that they pose a major threat to the environment. While literature on freshwater microplastic contamination has grown over the recent years, research undertaken in rapidly developing countries, where plastic production and use are increasing dramatically, has lagged behind that in other parts of the world.

Spatio-temporal variation of microplastic along a rural to urban transition in a tropical river.

Microplastic pollution is widely recognised as a global issue, posing risks to natural ecosystems and human health. The combination of rapid industrial and urban development and relatively limited environmental regulation in many tropical countries may increase the amount of microplastic entering rivers, but basic data on contamination levels are lacking. This is especially the case in tropical South East Asian countries.