Microplastics pollution in the Surma River, Bangladesh: A rising hazard to upstream water quality and aquatic life

Israt Jahan; Gourab Chowdhury; Andrea Osorio Baquero; Nicolas Couetard; Mohammad Amzad Hossain; Sohel Mian; Mohammed Mahbub Iqbal

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121117

Microplastics pollution in the Surma River, Bangladesh: A rising hazard to upstream water quality and aquatic life

J Environ Manage. 2024 May 10:360:121117. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121117. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Israt Jahan¹, Gourab Chowdhury², Andrea Osorio Baquero³, Nicolas Couetard⁴, Mohammad Amzad Hossain⁵, Sohel Mian¹, Mohammed Mahbub Iqbal¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecophysiology, Department of Fish Biology and Genetics, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh.
² Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecophysiology, Department of Fish Biology and Genetics, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh; School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia; Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD 4556, Australia.
³ College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
⁴ Plastic@Sea, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, 66650 Banyuls-sur-mer, France.
⁵ Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecophysiology, Department of Fish Biology and Genetics, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh; Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC), Central Queensland University, QLD 4680, Australia; School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton QLD 4701, Australia. Electronic address: mamzad.fbg@sau.ac.bd.

PMID: 38733848
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121117

Abstract

The ecological health of freshwater rivers is deteriorating globally due to careless human activities, for instance, the emission of plastic garbage into the river. The current research was the first assessment of microplastics (MPs) pollution in water, sediment, and representative organisms (fish, crustacean, and bivalve) from the Surma River. Water, sediment, and organisms were sampled from six river sites (Site 1: Charkhai; Site 2: Golapganj; Site 3: Alampur; Site 4: Kazir Bazar; Site 5: Kanishail and Site 6: Lamakazi), and major water quality parameters were recorded during sampling. Thereafter, MPs in water, sediment, and organism samples were extracted, and then microscopically examined to categorize selected MPs types. The abundance of MPs, as well as size, and color distribution, were estimated. Polymer types were analyzed by ATR-FTIR, the color loss of MPs was recorded, the Pollution Load Index (PLI) was calculated, and the relationship between MPs and water quality parameters was analyzed. Sites 4 and 5 had comparatively poorer water quality than other sites. Microplastic fibers, fragments, and microbeads were consistently observed in water, sediment, and organisms. A substantial range of MPs in water, sediment, and organisms (37.33-686.67 items/L, 0.89-15.12 items/g, and 0.66-48.93 items/g, respectively) was recorded. There was a diverse color range, and MPs of <200 μm were prevalent in sampling areas. Six polymer types were identified by ATR-FTIR, namely Polyethylene (PE), Polyamide (PA), Polypropylene (PP), Cellulose acetate (CA), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and Polystyrene (PS), where PE (41%) was recognized as highly abundant. The highest PLI was documented in Site 4 followed by Site 5 both in water and sediment. Likewise, Sites 4 and 5 were substantially different from other study areas according to PCA. Overall, the pervasiveness of MPs was evident in the Surma River, which requires further attention and prompt actions.

Keywords: Ecotoxicology; Freshwater river; Microplastics; Pollution load index.