Open AccessPlastic transport in a complex confluence of the Mekong River in Cambodia
Author(s) -
Charlotte J. Haberstroh,
Mauricio E. Arias,
Zhewen Yin,
Ty Sok,
Michael Cai Wang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
environmental research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.37
H-Index - 124
ISSN - 1748-9326
DOI - 10.1088/1748-9326/ac2198
Subject(s) - plastic pollution , environmental science , livelihood , plastic waste , monsoon , hydrology (agriculture) , mekong river , acoustic doppler current profiler , current (fluid) , oceanography , geography , microplastics , agriculture , structural basin , geology , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , engineering , waste management
Field data on plastic pollution is extremely limited in Southeast Asian rivers. Here we present the first field measurements of plastic transport in the Mekong, based on a comprehensive monitoring campaign during the monsoon season in the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers around Cambodia’s capital (Phnom Penh). For improved accuracy in the estimation of plastic loads and distribution, we combined Neuston net multipoint cross-sectional water sampling with acoustic Doppler current profiler high resolution measurements. During the wet season, around 2.03 × 10 5 kg d −1 of plastic were released from Phnom Penh into the Mekong, equivalent to 89 g d −1 capita −1 , or 42% of all plastic waste generated in the city. Most plastic mass moved downstream at the surface. A smaller portion of plastics is mixed deep into the water column, potentially retained in the rivers, breaking down and resuspending over time. Overall, plastic waste from Phnom Penh and transported by the Mekong is a significant contribution to Southeast Asia’s plastic release into the ocean. This pollution represents a crucial risk to people in the region, as their livelihoods depend on fisheries from these water bodies.