查看文章

The aquatic ecosystems of the world are highly burdened with microplastics (MPs; particles <5 mm). There is a great need for better understanding of patterns of MP pollution across catchments and rivers of different sizes, anthropogenic pressures and hydrogeomorphological features. In this study, we investigated the MP concentrations including their characteristics (polymer type, shape, size and colour), and MP distribution in water and sediments of two hydrogeomorphologically different small-scale catchments (< 800 km²), namely Kamniška Bistrica (KB) and Ljubljanica (LJ), Slovenia. The main objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of how WWTP effluents and catchment urbanisation together with the diversity of natural hydrogeomorphology, affect the quantity and quality of MP pollutants in the rivers with smaller catchments. Significantly different mean MP concentrations were found in the …