Filling the Gap: A Comprehensive Freshwater Network to Map Microplastics across Ecological Gradients in Argentina

Abstract

The first comprehensive freshwater microplastics monitoring initiative is underway in South America, focusing on lakes, shallow lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers from Argentina. The project Monitoring and Analysis of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments (MappA) aims to implement a standardized methodology to comprehensively understand microplastics' presence, characteristics, and distribution within these water bodies. Building upon the successes of prior international collaborations (Nava et al. 2023), Dr. Maria B. Alfonso, based at Kyushu University, Japan, is leading the collaborative effort. Engaging 51 experts in aquatic science from 31 renowned institutes and research centers across Argentina, MappA is currently developing an expansive microplastics study. This ambitious project encompasses 117 diverse study sites spanning 21 lakes, 25 shallow lakes, 7 reservoirs, 44 rivers, and 20 streams, covering