Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil
The contamination of surface waters by microplastics (MPs) is an emerging concern, due to their environmental impact and negative effects on biota. However, in recent years, although the occurrence of these pollutants has been widely reported in marine systems, studies on MPs in freshwater are still...
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024166534 |
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| author | Glaucia Peregrina Olivatto Romulo Augusto Ando Rafaella Ferreira Fernandes Ana Laura Athayde Lourenço Adijailton José de Souza Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo |
| author_facet | Glaucia Peregrina Olivatto Romulo Augusto Ando Rafaella Ferreira Fernandes Ana Laura Athayde Lourenço Adijailton José de Souza Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo |
| author_sort | Glaucia Peregrina Olivatto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The contamination of surface waters by microplastics (MPs) is an emerging concern, due to their environmental impact and negative effects on biota. However, in recent years, although the occurrence of these pollutants has been widely reported in marine systems, studies on MPs in freshwater are still scarce in the literature, particularly in Southeastern Brazil. In this context, the current study aimed to provide unprecedented information on the abundance and spatial and temporal distribution of MPs in three sites located in the Atibaia river basin (Southeastern Brazil) - the main river, a tributary, and the discharge of effluent from a sewage treatment plant. Surface water was sampled in four sampling campaigns, two in wet season and two in dry season, between 2019 and 2020, at three sampling points. At each point, 200 L of water were collected with the aid of an aluminium bucket, followed by sieving in the field to isolate the particles between 100 μm and 5000 μm, using stainless steel sieves. Chemical identification of the polymer was performed by ATR-FTIR micro spectroscopy. The abundance of MPs in the water ranged from 188 to 533 items/m3. The water samples with the greatest MPs abundance corresponded to the sampling point that includes the receipt of domestic effluent treated by the local Sewage Treatment Station. The chemical identification of the polymers highlights polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP) as the most frequent, respectively. This study emphasizes the importance of discharged domestic effluents and rivers as MPs transport systems. Therefore, further studies should be carried out to identify the main sources and contribute to the gathering of information, aiming to mitigate the emission of this pollutant in aquatic systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-516b5057196a4c2182cdac7d4e31a75e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-516b5057196a4c2182cdac7d4e31a75e2025-08-20T02:38:11ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-12-011023e4062210.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40622Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, BrazilGlaucia Peregrina Olivatto0Romulo Augusto Ando1Rafaella Ferreira Fernandes2Ana Laura Athayde Lourenço3Adijailton José de Souza4Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo5Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Centenário, 303, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil; Corresponding author.Fundamental Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP, 05508—000, BrazilFundamental Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo, SP, 05508—000, BrazilCenter of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Centenário, 303, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, BrazilLuiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, 13418-900, BrazilCenter of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Centenário, 303, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, BrazilThe contamination of surface waters by microplastics (MPs) is an emerging concern, due to their environmental impact and negative effects on biota. However, in recent years, although the occurrence of these pollutants has been widely reported in marine systems, studies on MPs in freshwater are still scarce in the literature, particularly in Southeastern Brazil. In this context, the current study aimed to provide unprecedented information on the abundance and spatial and temporal distribution of MPs in three sites located in the Atibaia river basin (Southeastern Brazil) - the main river, a tributary, and the discharge of effluent from a sewage treatment plant. Surface water was sampled in four sampling campaigns, two in wet season and two in dry season, between 2019 and 2020, at three sampling points. At each point, 200 L of water were collected with the aid of an aluminium bucket, followed by sieving in the field to isolate the particles between 100 μm and 5000 μm, using stainless steel sieves. Chemical identification of the polymer was performed by ATR-FTIR micro spectroscopy. The abundance of MPs in the water ranged from 188 to 533 items/m3. The water samples with the greatest MPs abundance corresponded to the sampling point that includes the receipt of domestic effluent treated by the local Sewage Treatment Station. The chemical identification of the polymers highlights polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP) as the most frequent, respectively. This study emphasizes the importance of discharged domestic effluents and rivers as MPs transport systems. Therefore, further studies should be carried out to identify the main sources and contribute to the gathering of information, aiming to mitigate the emission of this pollutant in aquatic systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024166534Plastic pollutionMicroplasticsSynthetic fibersFreshwaterWastewaterAtibaia river |
| spellingShingle | Glaucia Peregrina Olivatto Romulo Augusto Ando Rafaella Ferreira Fernandes Ana Laura Athayde Lourenço Adijailton José de Souza Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil Heliyon Plastic pollution Microplastics Synthetic fibers Freshwater Wastewater Atibaia river |
| title | Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil |
| title_full | Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil |
| title_short | Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater Atibaia river basin, Campinas-SP, Brazil |
| title_sort | temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the freshwater atibaia river basin campinas sp brazil |
| topic | Plastic pollution Microplastics Synthetic fibers Freshwater Wastewater Atibaia river |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024166534 |
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