Ebere Enyoh Christian, Wirnkor Verla Andrew, Ngozi Verla Evelyn, Chukwuemeka Ihenetu Stanley
Group Research in Analytical Chemistry, Environment and Climate change (GRACE&CC), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo, Nigeria.
Department of Environmental Technology, School of Environmental Technology Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo, Nigeria.
Environ Anal Health Toxicol. 2019 Dec;34(4):e2019012-0. doi: 10.5620/eaht.e2019012. Epub 2019 Dec 30.
The abundance, distribution and composition of marine debris ( > 5 cm) and small microplastics (11 μm) from five rivers in South Eastern Nigeria was investigated. This study provided the first assessment of the type and quantity of marine litter and microplastics in Nigeria. A total of 3,487 macrodebris items/m2 were counted with the following distribution: plastics (59%), metal (10%), cloth (7%), paper/cardboard (7%), rubber (7%), glass/ceramics (5%), medical and agro-based waste (3%), and wood (2%). The cleanliness of the river assessed with clean coast index ranged from "very clean" to "extremely dirty". Microplastics abundance ranged from 440 to 1,556 particles/L, with high accumulation at downstream. Fragment shape was most abundant while fiber and film followed. The distribution of plastic types was PET (29%), PE (22%), PVC (16%), PP (14%), and others (6%). Significant relationship was found between the total abundances of microplastics and different macrodebris groups suggesting that microplastics were abundant in areas where the macrodebris abundance was high. Our results provide baseline information for future assessments. Management actions should focus on input prevention including proper waste management, recycling of plastics, and strict penalties for illegal dumping of wastes.
对尼日利亚东南部五条河流中海洋垃圾(>5厘米)和小型微塑料(11微米)的丰度、分布和组成进行了调查。本研究首次评估了尼日利亚海洋垃圾和微塑料的类型和数量。每平方米共统计到3487件大型垃圾,分布如下:塑料(59%)、金属(10%)、布料(7%)、纸张/纸板(7%)、橡胶(7%)、玻璃/陶瓷(5%)、医疗和农业废弃物(3%)以及木材(2%)。用清洁海岸指数评估的河流清洁程度从“非常清洁”到“极其肮脏”不等。微塑料丰度范围为440至1556颗粒/升,下游积累量较高。碎片形状最为丰富,其次是纤维和薄膜。塑料类型的分布为PET(29%)、PE(22%)、PVC(16%)、PP(14%)和其他(6%)。发现微塑料的总丰度与不同大型垃圾组之间存在显著关系,这表明在大型垃圾丰度高的地区微塑料也很丰富。我们的结果为未来评估提供了基线信息。管理行动应侧重于源头预防,包括适当的废物管理、塑料回收以及对非法倾倒废物的严厉处罚。