Author(s): Yugo Kobayashi; Mamoru Tanaka; Jin Kashiwada; Yasuo Nihei
Linked Author(s): Mamoru Tanaka, Jin Kashiwada, Yasuo Nihei
Keywords: Microplastic mesoplastic particle concentration river water seasonal variation
Abstract: Plastic pollution in the natural environment, including the ocean, especially microplastics (MPs) smaller than 5 mm, is becoming more serious every year. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the annual amount of MPs transported from land to the ocean via rivers. Our research group has been observing MPs in the surface water of two rivers once a month since August 2018, and has been accumulating data. In this study, we aim to use these measured data to clarify the temporal variation characteristics of MP concentrations in rivers, which are currently unknown, especially seasonal changes under normal conditions. As a result, we confirmed that MP concentrations tend to be higher in the summer (July, August) in both rivers. In response to this result, we investigated the relationship between antecedent precipitation conditions and MP concentrations.
Year: 2025