Microplastic Contamination and Ecological Status of Freshwater Ecosystems: A Case Study in Two Northern Portuguese Rivers

Andreia Ribeiro, Carlos Gravato, João Cardoso, Carlos Alexandre Ribeiro, Maria Natividade Vieira and Carolina Rodrigues ()
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Andreia Ribeiro: Landscape Laboratory, Rua da Ponte Romana, Creixomil, 4835-095 Guimarães, Portugal
Carlos Gravato: Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon & Centro de Estudos de Ambiente e Mar (CESAM), University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
João Cardoso: Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Carlos Alexandre Ribeiro: Landscape Laboratory, Rua da Ponte Romana, Creixomil, 4835-095 Guimarães, Portugal
Maria Natividade Vieira: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Carolina Rodrigues: Landscape Laboratory, Rua da Ponte Romana, Creixomil, 4835-095 Guimarães, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Most European rivers have not yet achieved “good” ecological status. In addition, the presence and abundance of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater is a matter of great concern to the scientific community. Methodology: This study assesses the ecological status of four sampling sites of Selho (S1–S4) and Costa-Couros (C1–C4) rivers (Guimarães, Portugal), and the abundance of MPs in sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates (Oligochaeta) from those sites. Results: All sites of both rivers under higher pressure did not reach a “good” ecological status (S2–S3, C2–C4) based on the macroinvertebrate community. High levels of nutrients were observed at all sites in both rivers (except C2), especially phosphorus. In the Oligochaeta’s gut of Costa-Couros river, the high number of MPs seems to be associated with their weight (95.25 ± 25.61 to 1069.00 ± 385.30 MPs g/fresh weight), suggesting the existence of malnutrition and digestive disorders, whereas the highest number of MPs in gut (134.00 ± 30.36 to 558.6 ± 100.70 MPs g/fresh weight) were found for the heaviest organisms of Selho. Conclusions: Thus, sites with higher ecological status do not necessarily have lower abundance of MPs. In the sediments, urbanization seems to be the main driver for MP contamination. MP contamination is pervasive across the sediments and Oligochaeta’s gut in both rivers. Since MPs have the potential to cause harm to environmental and human health, it is essential to monitor not only the ecological status of freshwaters, but also emerging pollutants such as MPs.

Keywords: benthic macroinvertebrates; ecological status; freshwater; microplastic; sediments; aquatic organisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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