Microplastic pollution in rivers of the Adriatic Sea basin in Montenegro: Impact on pollution of the Montenegrin coastline

Neda Bošković; Željko Jaćimović; Oliver Bajt

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167206

Microplastic pollution in rivers of the Adriatic Sea basin in Montenegro: Impact on pollution of the Montenegrin coastline

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 20:905:167206. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167206. Epub 2023 Sep 18.

Authors

Neda Bošković¹, Željko Jaćimović², Oliver Bajt³

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b. 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro. Electronic address: nedaboskovic93@gmail.com.
² Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro, Cetinjski put b.b. 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro.
³ National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Fornače 41, 6330 Piran, Slovenia; Faculty of maritime studies and Transport, University of Ljubljana, Pot pomorscakov 4, 6320 Portoroz, Slovenia.

PMID: 37730057
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167206

Abstract

Concern regarding microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic ecosystems has increased in recent years with growing awareness of the environmental harm that it causes. While most studies have focused on seas and oceans, knowledge of MP occurrence in freshwater sediments is limited. This study investigated MP concentrations at shore sediments of the Zeta, Morača, and Bojana rivers in Montenegro. The MP concentration in the studied samples varied depending on the river, location, and sampling season. MP abundance in river shore sediments varied between mean values of 145 ± 110 MPs/kg for the Zeta, 169 ± 113 MPs/kg for the Morača, and 180 ± 53.5 MPs/kg dry sediment for the Bojana. In comparison, the mean MP abundance in the three rivers combined was 163.6 ± 96.1 MPs/kg of dry sediment. The identified MPs were mainly fibres and fragments of blue, red and clear color, 0.5-1 mm in size, and mainly composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate. The main contribution of this study is that it provides new insight into MP abundance in freshwater sediments of rivers, where the studied rivers were identified as a potential important sink and source of MP on the Montenegrin coast.

Keywords: Adriatic Sea basin; Microplastic; Montenegro; Rivers shore sediments.