Spatio-temporal trends in microplastic presence in the sediments of the River Thames catchment (UK)

Skalska, Karolina; Ockelford, Annie; Ebdon, James; Cundy, Andrew; Horton, Alice A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6058-6048. 2024 Spatio-temporal trends in microplastic presence in the sediments of the River Thames catchment (UK). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 207, 116881. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116881

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Text © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 1-s2.0-S0025326X24008580-main.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

This study investigated the spatio-temporal variability of microplastics (MPs) in the sediments of the River Thames (UK) catchment over 30 months (July 2019 – Dec 2021). The average MP concentration was 61 items kg−1 d.w., with fragments <1 mm being dominant and polyethylene (PE) the most common polymer. Adjacent land use influenced MP concentrations and types, with industrial sites showing particularly high levels and a prevalence of small beads and industrial polymers. MP concentrations generally decreased after higher winter flows, likely due to sediment rearrangement or winnowing. This study describes the seasonal concentrations and characteristics of MPs present in sediment from the River Thames catchment, and attempts to identify their likely origin. Further, the study provides new insights into the mobility and fate of MPs in riverine settings under varying flow conditions, which is vital given the predicted increases in flooding under various global heating scenarios.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116881
ISSN:	0025326X
Additional Keywords:	Plastic, Pollution, Riverine, Remobilisation, Transport, Wastewater
Date made live:	10 Sep 2024 14:26 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537999

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