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Transport and deposition of microplastics and mesoplastics along the river course: A case study of a small river in central Italy

TitoloTransport and deposition of microplastics and mesoplastics along the river course: A case study of a small river in central Italy
Tipo di pubblicazioneArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Anno di Pubblicazione2020
AutoriGallitelli, L., Cesarini G., Cera A., Sighicelli Maria, Lecce Francesca, Menegoni Patrizia, and Scalici M.
RivistaHydrology
Volume7
Paginazione1-16
ISSN23065338
Abstract

The release of plastics in freshwater is an increasing concern for ecosystem safety worldwide. There is a large knowledge gap on plastic pollution in Mediterranean freshwater, especially regarding surveys along entire river courses, partly due to the absence of guidelines for standardized monitoring of plastics. The present study analyzes the plastic distribution from source to mouth, also according to the River Continuum Concept, of the environmental matrices (water and sediments) and biota (caddisfly cases) of the Mediterranean River Mignone and their cause-effect relationship. The results of the water quality indices (Extended Biotic Index and Fluvial Functionality Index) were compared with the plastic concentrations observed in the water and sediments to explore what relationship there might be and to understand if the indices could be a proxy of the plastic pollution. Our results showed a significant prevalence of blue fibers, the concentration of which in water and sediment is positively associated. Plastic concentration at each site was not accurately detected by the water quality indices. These results may suggest that the factors considered by water quality indices are not able to detect the contamination of plastic pollution. It is mandatory to identify new tools for assessing the plastic impacts on river ecosystems. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85097401381&doi=10.3390%2fhydrology7040090&partnerID=40&md5=fc4c036f7e73d30f09eb4e311bef9547
DOI10.3390/hydrology7040090
Citation KeyGallitelli20201