Microplastics in irrigation water and vegetable garden soils adjacent to the Msimbazi river, Tanzania.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) are present in significant quantities across various environments; however, their persistence and detrimental effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems remain poorly understood. This study has examined MPs in water from the Msimbazi River, used for irrigation, and from soils of nearby vegetable gardens. The results indicate a higher concentration of MPs downstream in the Msimbazi (14.33 ± 2.92 MPs per 10 mL of water) compared to upstream at Sukita (8.49 ± 2.47 MPs per 10 mL of water). A significant difference in MPs abundance was observed between the water samples collected from Sukita and Msimbazi sites (two-sample t-test, degrees of freedom (df) = 62, P < 0.001). Conversely, soil from Sukita gardens exhibited a lower abundance of MPs (28.00 ± 4.25 MPs per g

SUBMITTER: Mwesiga JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12542589 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature