Determination of microplastic pollution in surface water of the Orontes river

Today, marine garbage has become a serious problem all over the world. Litter drifted or intentionally dumped from terrestrial areas has accumulated in our wetlands and seas for decades and can be found in the entire water column, including the surface and sediment. Plastics constitute the majority of this garbage. Plastics break down in nature with mechanical and chemical changes and turn into micro plastics, and spread of plastics that shrink in size accelerates. Plastic garbage, which threatens wildlife, is transported through the food web and reaches humans. In this study, seasonal (August 2020, November 2020, February 2021, April 2021) sampling was carried out at 6 stations to determine the amount and composition of microplastics for the first time in the surface waters of the Orontes River flowing into the eastern Mediterranean. While the amount of MP detected varied between 0,03-0,48 items/m², the average microplastic (MP) abundance in the Orontes River was determined as 0,13 items/m³. When comparing between stations and seasons according to the mean of MP abundance; the mean was found as IIKeyword: Asi Nehri = Asi River ; Doğu Akdeniz = East Mediterranean ; Mikroplastik = Mikroplastic ; Su kirliliği = Water pollution