Potential Impact of Urban Land Use on Microplastic Atmospheric Deposition: A Case Study in Pristina City, Kosovo

Arlinda Cakaj (), Marta Lisiak-Zielińska, Kinga Drzewiecka, Anna Budka, Klaudia Borowiak, Maria Drapikowska, Arbnore Cakaj, Erjon Qorri and Piotr Szkudlarz
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Arlinda Cakaj: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Marta Lisiak-Zielińska: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Kinga Drzewiecka: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 75, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Anna Budka: Department of Construction and Geoengineering, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Klaudia Borowiak: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Maria Drapikowska: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Arbnore Cakaj: Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 75, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Erjon Qorri: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94C, 60-649 Poznań, Poland
Piotr Szkudlarz: Department of Plant Taxonomy, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Microplastics (MPs) pervade various ecosystems, including urban landscapes. The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of MPs in atmospheric deposition samples is related to land use. For this purpose, atmospheric deposition was collected from 15 to 25 March 2021 at seven research sites in the city of Pristina (Kosovo). Each research site was characterized by different land use. Collected atmospheric deposition samples were analyzed in the laboratory, and then the filtered samples were assessed using a light microscope. The type and size of microplastics in the samples were defined and statistically analyzed. The highest number of total MPs was noted on the highway, while the lowest one was near to the park. A positive relationship was observed between the number of total MPs and the proportion of areas classified as “roads and associated areas” in the land use of the analyzed research sites. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between the number of total MPs and the proportion of areas classified as “green urban areas”. Based on our preliminary research, it can be observed that the type of land use may have a key role in MPs’ atmospheric deposition.

Keywords: atmospheric deposition; urban land; fragments; fibers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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