Microplastics profile along the Rhine River

Microplastics result from fragmentation of plastic debris or are released to the environment as pre-production pellets or components of consumer and industrial products. In the oceans, they contribute to the 'great garbage patches'. They are ingested by many organisms, from protozoa to baleen whales, and pose a threat to the aquatic fauna. Although as much as 80% of marine debris originates from land, little attention was given to the role of rivers as debris pathways to the sea. Worldwide, not a single great river has yet been studied for the surface microplastics load over its length. We report the abundance and composition of microplastics at the surface of the Rhine, one of the largest European rivers.…

• UB
  Universität Basel
• ÉP
  École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
• UW
  Universität Wien
• BF
  Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau
• R
  Rijkswaterstaat