Abstract
The occurrence of microplastics in marine habitats is well documented and of growing concern. The presence of these small (<5 mm) pieces of plastic is less well recorded in inland water systems. In this paper, we determine a cost-efficient and straightforward method for the collection and identification of microplastics in UK inland waters. We found pieces of microplastic from all sample sites ranging from over 1000 L-1 in the River Tame, to 2.4 L-1 in Loch Lomond. The presence of microplastics in all waters tested suggest it should now be classed as an emergent contaminant, with routine monitoring required.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 92-95 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of Limnology |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 13 Nov 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2020 |
Keywords
- Microplastics
- emergent contaminants
- fluorescence microscopy
- inland waters
- plastic pollution