Microplastic Abundance and Sources in Surface Water Samples of the Vaal River, South Africa.

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as a global environmental concern due to their persistent nature. In South Africa, microplastic research has primarily focused on marine systems. However, recent years have seen a shift in focus to studying MPs in South African freshwaters.

Comparative Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Waters and Sediments of the Vaal River, South Africa: Abundance, Composition, and Sources.

We extracted microplastics from surface water and sediment samples from the Vaal River in Johannesburg, South Africa. Average abundances of 0.61 ± 0.

Microplastics in freshwater environment: the first evaluation in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa.

Microplastic pollution has become an environmental concern worldwide. In this study, the occurrence, abundance, and composition of microplastics (MPs) in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa were assessed. Twenty-five sediment samples were collected from the Vaal River using a Van Veen grab sampler, samples underwent digestion, density separation, and filtration prior to physical and chemical analysis.