Microplastic Pollution in Urban Lake Phewa, Nepal: The First Report on Abundance and Composition in Surface Water of Lake in Different Seasons

Malla-Pradhan, Rajeshwori; Suwunwong, Thitipone; Phoungthong, Khamphe; Joshi, Tista Prasai; Pradhan, Bijay Lal

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-972278/v1

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Microplastics are synthetic pollutants prevalent in both aquatic and terrestrial settings (Malla-Pradhan et al, 2022). During the COVID-19 epidemic, widespread inappropriate use of plastic objects and poor disposal of plastic trash (Silva et al, 2021) exacerbated the plastic pollution catastrophe, necessitating a large and comprehensive response effort (UNEP 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chironomus sp. as a Bioindicator for Assessing Microplastic Contamination and the Heavy Metals Associated with It in the Sediment of Wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Khdre

Ramadan

Ashry

et al. 2023

Water Air Soil Pollut

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The consequences of plastic waste pollution have imposed wide global concerns. One of these consequences is the production of micro- and nanosized particles (MNPLs) from aged plastics. The problem of MNPLs is magnified by their potential to transport various contaminants due to their large surface area and other variable physiochemical properties. From this point on, it is important to know the real concentration of MNPLs in our environment and their potential to internalize wild organisms as well as transfer contaminants that are completely highlighted. As a result, our study is the first to detect MP pollution in the upper Egypt wastewater environment. It could be utilized as a baseline to estimate MP wastes and develop management techniques, particularly in Sohag Governorate. The concentration and characterization of MPs in sludge, water, Chironomus sp. larvae, and their tubes were studied in this work. Chironomus sp. is a reliable bioindicator prevalent in such contaminated environments, and it was used to demonstrate how MPs invade biological barriers. Our results found that red and blue polyester fibers are much more prevalent than other polymers, colors, and shapes of MPs. While each dry kilogram of wastewater sludge contains 310 ± 84 particles, this amount is reduced to 1.55 ± 0.7 per liter in the water column. Biologically, the present study succeeded in detecting the MPs inside the wild organism, with concentrations reaching 71 ± 21 and 4.41 ± 1.1 particles per gram wet weight in Chironomus sp. larvae and their tubes (chironomid tubes), respectively. The potential hazard of MPs stems from their propensity to transfer pollutants. At this point, our findings revealed a corresponding and significant concentration of various heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, and Ni) detected in MPs or Chironomus sp. versus sludge. In conclusion, our findings not only proved the presence of MPs in wastewater but also demonstrated their ability to internalize cross-wild organisms, allowing toxins to accumulate inside their bodies, raising concerns about the possible health impacts of plastic pollution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%