VIII Congreso Internacional de Investigación REDU
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Publicado el 25 de abril de 2022 | http://doi.org/10.5867/Medwave.2022.S1.CI27
Macroplásticos y microplásticos en sedimentos fluviales en los ríos Vinces y Los Tintos, provincia de Guayas, Ecuador
Macroplastic and Microplastic in River Sediment in Vinces and Los Tintos Rivers, Guayas province, Ecuador
Rebecca Talbot , Maritza Cárdenas-Calle, James M Mair, Franklin López, Guillermo Cárdenas, Beatríz Pernía, Mark G J Hartl
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Tema
Ciencias de los recursos naturales
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Palabras clave
Plastics, rivers, Guayas province, pollution, litter
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Introducción
Plastic pollution has become one of the main global emerging environmental concerns of recent years, especially in aquatic ecosystems where environmental impacts are particularly visible. Microplastics enter the ocean by the direct introduction of wastewater and by the fragmentation of plastic waste, which are subsequently transported and released in large quantities of fibers and particles into the oceans (Andrady, 2011).
Objetivos
To determine the composition, abundance and distribution of plastic in Vinces and Los Tintos rivers influenced by the Pueblo Nuevo, Santa Marianita and Los Tintos localities, to generate a baseline of contamination in fresh water sources in Ecuador.
Método
Macroplastics were recorded by visual census, covering a total distance of 140 m and microplastics were extracted from sediments via density separation using a saturated NaCl solution and these were counted using a stereomicroscope.
Principales Resultados
A total of 940 plastic items (286 macro and 654 micro) were identified. Plastic was the material most abundant between the debris. Vinces River contained the highest abundance of plastic in the locality Pueblo Nuevo (191 items). The most abundant plastic litter items were sandbags (n = 95), plastic bags (n = 66), food wrappers (n = 48) and cups/plates (n = 23). All are formed with commonly used polymers, such as polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene. Microplastic particles (0.29 - 0.61 mm) and fibres (0.87 – 6.23 mm) were also found. The most common microplastics were particles (34%), black (24%) and blue (19%) fibres and their distribution has a high correlation with population density and water flow direction: Santa Marianita 5.55 g-1, Pueblo Nuevo 7.39 g-1, Los Tintos 8.17g-1.
Conclusiones
This study shows the contamination of rivers in the lower basins of Guayas and near population centers. Microplastics were the most abundant plastics in the study sites, which increased with anthropogenic activity and the direction of water flow. Significant differences were recorded between the litter types, whereby plastics were the most abundant. The most polluted river was the Vinces river in the town of Pueblo Nuevo, it presented a great variety of plastics such as: tyres, boots, clothing and sandbags. The plastic spatial distribution revealed major plastic pollution on areas closest to towns, especially in areas where recreational and tourism activities (beach and restaurants) have been developed. The implementation of future monitoring programs like this one will provide evidence for government agencies to introduce a legal framework to control, regulate and mitigate the generation of plastics in water bodies.
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