The occurrence and distribution of microplastic contamination in Qara-sou river, Iran: incidence, quantification, and...

In the current study to investigate the characte - rization of Microplastic - released into the Qara-Sou river, Kermanshah, Iran, 12 sampling sites were surveyed along a 100 km stretch of the river. The maximum and minimum numbers of MPs were about 10,000 and 45,000 items per m³. The average concentration of MPs in the Qara-sou river was 23,666 ± 12147 items per m³. The dominant size and shape of MPs ranged from 0.025 to 1 mm (~44%) and fiber shapes (~78%). In addition, SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the presence of carbon-dominant peaks with O, Ca, Fe, Al, and Si. FTIR spectra have identified some MPs in the PVC, PU, PS, PE, and nylon polymer categories. A high level of MPs was discharged into the Qara-sou river, which should be attracting the attention of the community and decision-makers to reduce damage to the environment and human health.