Dynamics of plastic debris and its density change between river compartments in the Tuul River system, Mongolia.

ABSTRACT: Plastic pollution in river environments has become an emerging global concern. However, the migration of plastic and changes in its properties between river compartments are less understood. This study demonstrates the plastic debris aging and the dynamics between floodplain, surface water, and sediment compartments of the Tuul River, Mongolia. Plastic occurrence is evaluated in terms of their abundance, size, shape, polymer type, and photodegradation in each compartment. Photodegradation stages were calculated using the carbonyl index (CI). Plastic abundance was 5.46 ± 3.53 items m^-2 in the floodplain, 155 ± 100.7 items m^-3 in the surface water, and 128.4 ± 76.3 items kg^-1 in the sediment. Microplastics dominated in the size category in all compartments, w

SUBMITTER: Munkhbat D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11632066 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature