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Abundance and spatial distribution of microplastics particles in sediments of Khormarud River, Golestan Province
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Mohammad Gholizadeh   1, Donya Hatamy |
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Abstract: (107 Views) |
| Rivers efficiently transfer microplastics into seas, meanwhile they can be temporarily stored in sediments, where they undergo further fragmentation due to biological and physical processes. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the distribution and abundance of microplastics (MPs) in the surface sediments of Khormarud River, Golestan province, Iran. A total of 15 sediment samples (5 stations with 3 replicates) were taken in the spring of 2022 and the identification of MP was studied using a stereomicroscope. Their polymer compositions were characterized using weak total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The results showed that station 5, with high human activities, had the highest frequency of MPs with 880±160 particle/kg of dry sediments, and station 1, upstream of the river, had the lowest frequency with 200±66 particle/kg. The average of MPs observed in all studied stations was 430.17 ± 92.8 particles. The most abundant MPs were fiber (77.52%) and the least abundant were films (3.10%). The results showed that the 500-1000 µm group had the highest frequency with 44.19%, while the 3000-5000 µm group had the lowest frequency with 3.88%. Black color was the most frequent with 55.81% and blue color was the least frequent with 2.33%. The polymer composition of MPs includes polypropylene (PP, 41%), polyethylene (PE, 30%), polystyrene (PS, 16%), polyester (PS, 11%), and polyamide (PA, 2%). The results of this study showed that MPs in coastal sediments have a complex source that is mostly derived from tourism, sewage, and packaging. |
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| Keywords: Microplastic, Sediment, Khormarud River, ATR-FTIR |
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Full-Text [PDF 789 kb]
(17 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
آلودگي محيطهاي آبي
Received: 2024/02/19 | Accepted: 2024/04/29
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