Microplastics in surface water of the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay

Diana Beatriz Diez-Pérez; Inés Arenas; Erenia Maidana; Adrián López-Rosales; Jose M Andrade; Soledad Muniategui-Lorenzo

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115075

Microplastics in surface water of the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jul:192:115075. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115075. Epub 2023 Jun 2.

Authors

Diana Beatriz Diez-Pérez¹, Inés Arenas², Erenia Maidana², Adrián López-Rosales³, Jose M Andrade⁴, Soledad Muniategui-Lorenzo³

Affiliations

¹ National University of Asunción, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Department of Physical Chemistry, San Lorenzo, Paraguay; University of A Coruña, Group of Applied Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science (IUMA), Campus da Zapateira, 15071 A Coruña, Spain.
² National University of Asunción, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Department of Physical Chemistry, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
³ University of A Coruña, Group of Applied Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science (IUMA), Campus da Zapateira, 15071 A Coruña, Spain.
⁴ University of A Coruña, Group of Applied Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science (IUMA), Campus da Zapateira, 15071 A Coruña, Spain. Electronic address: andrade@udc.es.

PMID: 37269701
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115075

Abstract

This study identified and quantified microplastics in the Bay of Asunción, Paraguay, and its main tributaries. Surface water samples were sieved in duplicate at six locations using stainless-steel sieves (0.3-4.75 mm range), digested employing the Fenton's reaction (Fe-catalysed H₂O₂ digestion), and floated using NaCl and NaI. Particles were inspected using a microscope and characterized by IR spectrometry. Microplastics were found in all samples; more abundant (p < 0.05) in water from the bay (13.2 ± 13.4 items·m^-3) than from the tributaries (1.0 ± 0.5 items·m^-3). Most microplastics were common polymers and their abundance was in the order polypropylene > high-density polyethylene > low-density polyethylene, transparent and white. The results were similar to other regional studies and suggested that their main source was single-use packaging, disposed inadequately due to poor garbage collection.

Keywords: IR spectrometry; Microplastics; Microreflectance; Paraguay; Surface water.

MeSH terms

Bays / chemistry
Environmental Monitoring
Hydrogen Peroxide
Microplastics*
Paraguay
Plastics / analysis
Polyethylene / analysis
Water / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics
Water
Hydrogen Peroxide
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Polyethylene