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Microplastics in a small river: Occurrence and influencing factors along the river Oker, Northern Germany
Much attention regarding the environmental pollution by plastics had focused on the Oceans. More recently, contamination of freshwater ecosystems has been addressed but information from smaller rivers in moderately populated catchments is still comparatively scarce. This study explored the microplas...
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Published in: | Journal of contaminant hydrology 2024-05, Vol.264, p.104366, Article 104366 |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Much attention regarding the environmental pollution by plastics had focused on the Oceans. More recently, contamination of freshwater ecosystems has been addressed but information from smaller rivers in moderately populated catchments is still comparatively scarce. This study explored the microplastic (MP) occurrence in the small regional river Oker, Northern Germany (catchment area 1822 km2, population of ca. 500,000, discharge approx. 12 m3 s−1).
MPs (fibers and fragments in the size range 0.3–5 mm, identification by microscopy) were found in all 10 in-stream samples collected along the course of the river, ranging between 28 and 134 particles m−3 with an overall average of 63 particles m−3. This MP concentration found in the small river Oker is similar to, or higher than, that reported for larger rivers in similar environments in Central Europe. On average, higher MP concentration was found at urban (71 particles m−3) compared to rural sampling sites (51 particles m−3). Within the Oker catchment, in-stream MP concentration showed no or low correlation to the catchment-scale factors of catchment size and population. Additional samples taken from three locations directly influenced by discharges of potential MP point sources confirmed wastewater treatment plants of different capacities and an urban rainwater sewer as sources.
Our results support findings that MP concentrations in small rivers are crucially influenced by local sources, superimposing linear relationships to factors of catchment size and -population. They show that even small rivers draining moderately populated catchments may exhibit comparatively high concentrations of MPs, and thereby represent underestimated pathways of MP in the environment.
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•Microplastic concentration in small river is similar to large rivers.•Importance of point sources (WWTP, rain sewer) for microplastic (MP) in a small river.•Higher MP river concentration in urban than rural areas.•No linear correlation of MP concentration with catchment factors (size, population).•Prevalence of fibers in in-stream samples, fragments in point source discharge. |
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ISSN: | 0169-7722 1873-6009 1873-6009 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104366 |