Significant quantities of microplastic particles are being trapped in riverbed sediments or carried through the air along major river systems, new research shows.
The research, conducted along the length of the Ganges River in South Asia, found on average about 41 microplastic particles per square metre per day settled from the atmosphere.
In addition, analysis by scientists found 57 particles per kilogram on average in sediment from the riverbed, as well as one particle in every 20 litres of water.
The research, published in Science of the Total Environment, represents the first combined analysis of microplastics in water, sediment and air around a major river system.
Read more at University of Exeter
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