Characteristics of microplastics in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa: implications on bioavailability and toxicity

dc.contributor.authorSaad, Dalia
dc.contributor.authorNdlovu, Michelle
dc.contributor.authorRamaremisa, Gibbon
dc.contributor.authorTutu, Hlanganani
dc.contributor.authorSillanpaa, M.
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-21T08:57:38Z
dc.date.available2024-06-21T08:57:38Z
dc.date.issued2024-01
dc.description.abstractThe aim of this study was to examine the physical characteristics and chemical composition of microplastics in sediments of the Vaal River, South Africa. Microplastics were detected in all samples, with abundance ranging from 29.12 to 1095.89 particles/kg dw. The physical identification of microplastics revealed dominance of small-sized particles of less than 0.5 mm, which accounted for 31.75% of the total microplastics detected in all samples. Fragments and fibres were significantly abundant compared to pellets, representing 63% and 35%, respectively. Microplastics were observed in different colours, among which blue, white and green were the most dominant. Raman analyses of microplastics showed the presence of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyurethane foam, polypropylene, polyethylene co-vinyl acetate, and poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene). Additionally, two pigments (vine black and smalt), one dye (saffron), three minerals (orthoclase, carbon, and microcline), and one additive (cis-13-docosanol) were also identified. The dominance of fragments and fibres, with the clear signs of fragmentation implied that microplastics in the Vaal River are mostly from secondary sources. The study reported the first data on microplastic pollution and characteristics in sediments of the Vaal River, thus, providing a benchmark and reference platform for relevant formulation and decision-making regarding this essential water source.en_US
dc.description.departmentChemistryen_US
dc.description.librarianhj2024en_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-06:Clean water and sanitationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipOpen access funding provided by University of the Witwatersrand. This project was supported by the Royal Society, UK, and funded by Government’s Grand Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).en_US
dc.description.urihttps://link.springer.com/journal/13762en_US
dc.identifier.citationSaad, D., Ndlovu, M., Ramaremisa, G. et al. Characteristics of microplastics in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa: implications on bioavailability and toxicity. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 21, 43–50 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05168-1.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1735-2630 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s13762-023-05168-1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/96587
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.en_US
dc.subjectAnthropogenic activitiesen_US
dc.subjectMicroplasticsen_US
dc.subjectSedimenten_US
dc.subjectVaal River, South Africaen_US
dc.subjectSDG-06: Clean water and sanitationen_US
dc.titleCharacteristics of microplastics in sediment of the Vaal River, South Africa: implications on bioavailability and toxicityen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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