Microplastics and Tire Wear Particles in Urban Stormwater: Abundance, Characteristics, and Potential Mitigation Strategies

Ziajahromi, Shima; Lu, Hsuan-Cheng; Drapper, Darren; Leusch, Frédéric D.L.

doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c03949

Cited by 17 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

(99 reference statements)

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“…Plastic pollution has become a signi cant global environmental issue since mass plastic production began in the 1940s (Mitrano & Wohlleben, 2020). Annual plastic production has increased exponentially from an initial 1.7 million tons (Wright & Kelly, 2017) to 390 million tons in 2021 (Ziajahromi et al, 2023). Although plastics have signi cantly improved people's lives (Idumah & Nwuzor, 2019), they have also become a major component of municipal solid waste (MSW) (Kibria et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic pollution in riparian soils of the rapidly growing city of Thimphu, Bhutan

Jamtsho,

Lund,

Blake

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Plastic has become a vitally important material for humans; however, the large amount of plastic waste generated annually pollutes the environment. Plastic decomposition generates microplastics (MPs), which have emerged as a concerning global environmental pollutant because of their potential to be more harmful to the environment than their larger counterparts. This study investigated the effects of land use, distance to impervious cover (IC), and plot IC% on the abundance of MPs, as well as the relationship between MPs and urban riparian soil (RS) properties, surface plastic, textile waste, and distance to upstream drainage outlet in the riparian zone (RZ) of the Wang River in Thimphu City, Bhutan. A density separation technique was used to extract MPs from the soil. The results showed that RS in urban sites had higher concentrations of MPs (93.31%) than in other land use (7.69%, p = 0.04). Blue MPs (46.15%) were the most common plastic colour. MPs in urban RS sites were distributed unevenly, ranging from 0 to 500 particles/kg. MP concentration was positively correlated with RS available phosphorus (p = 0.01). Our findings highlight the nature and pathways of MP pollution in developing cities, where the emphasis on economic growth often leads to environmental management being deprioritized. We also identify opportunities for developing cities to reduce MP pollution by recovering surface plastic and textile waste, recycling, and disposing of them in low-impact landfills.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic pollution in riparian soils of the rapidly growing city of Thimphu, Bhutan

Jamtsho,

Lund,

Blake

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Microplastic Pollution in Riparian Soils of the Rapidly Growing City of Thimphu, Bhutan

Jamtsho,

Lund,

Blake

et al. 2024

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Plastic has become a vitally important material for humans; however, the large amount of plastic waste generated annually pollutes the environment. Plastic decomposition generates microplastics (MPs), which have emerged as a concerning global environmental pollutant because of their potential to be more harmful to the environment than their larger counterparts. This study examined the occurrence and abundance of MPs in riparian soils (RS) of a rapidly growing city in Thimphu, Bhutan. Additionally, the study investigated the relationships between the abundance of MP and several variables, such as the physicochemical properties of the soil, land use, the distance to impervious cover (IC), the plot IC%, surface plastic, textile waste, and the distance to upstream drainage outlets within the riparian zone (RZ). A density separation technique was used to extract MPs. The results showed that RS in urban sites had higher concentrations of MPs (93.3%) than in other land use (7.7%, p = 0.04). Blue MPs (46.2%) were the most common plastic colour. In urban RS, MPs ranged from 0 to 500 particles/kg. MP concentration showed a positive correlation with available phosphorus (p = 0.01) and the distance to the upstream drainage outlets (p = 0.01). Our findings highlight the nature and pathways of MP pollution in rapidly growing cities, where economic growth often overshadows environmental management. We also identify opportunities for these cities to mitigate MP pollution by reclaiming surface plastic and textile waste, stepping up recycling initiatives, and disposing of plastic-ridden waste in low-impact landfills.

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Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota

Qaiser,

Aqeel,

Sarfraz

et al. 2023

Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering

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Microplastics and Tire Wear Particles in Urban Stormwater: Abundance, Characteristics, and Potential Mitigation Strategies

Cited by 17 publications

References 43 publications

Microplastic pollution in riparian soils of the rapidly growing city of Thimphu, Bhutan

Microplastic pollution in riparian soils of the rapidly growing city of Thimphu, Bhutan

Microplastic Pollution in Riparian Soils of the Rapidly Growing City of Thimphu, Bhutan

Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota

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