article · Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
An investigation of the Osun River in Nigeria reveals severe microplastic contamination across water, sediments, and local fish species. River water samples contained up to 22,079 particles per litre, representing the highest concentration reported in river water globally. Spectroscopy identified seven polymer types, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and ethylene vinyl acetate, which are uncommonly found in freshwater environments. Gastrointestinal tracts of six examined fish species contained between 407 and 1,692 particles, with the silver catfish showing the highest concentration. These burdens exceed levels reported in fish from Asia and Europe, while matching other African pollution hotspots. The accumulation is linked to the indiscriminate disposal of single-use plastics, indicating a need for regulatory prohibitions to safeguard a waterway essential for drinking, domestic use, and sacred rites.
The Osun River is a UNESCO world heritage centre that supplies domestic, drinking, and ceremonial water to regional communities. Detecting record-breaking microplastic concentrations in the water and substantial ingestion by local fish species highlights severe environmental contamination. This evidence demonstrates how inadequate plastic waste disposal jeopardises essential freshwater resources, aquatic ecosystems, and human communities relying on them.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The Osun River serves as a source of drinking and domestic water for some communities in Osun State Nigeria, in addition to providing a source of “healing water” for the worshippers of the Osun goddess. The sacred river has earned the status of a UNESCO world heritage centre for the worldwide attention it receives, as a result of the yearly Osun-Oshogbo worship festival. In this study, an initial investigation of microplastic pollution of the river water, sediments and fish species was conducted. Abundance of microplastics in the river water samples, at a maximum of 22,079 ± 134 particles/litre, represents the highest reported so far for a river water globally. FTIR analyses revealed seven polymer materials, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), that have not been commonly reported for river environments. Microplastics ranged from 407 ± 244 to 1691.7 ± 443 particles in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of six fish species analysed, with silver catfish (Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus) having the highest concentration. Levels in the fishes are higher than those reported for fishes in Asia and Europe, but similar to some other plastic pollution hotspots in Africa. This study recognizes the uncontrolled and indiscriminate disposal of single-use plastics as a key factor in the level of microplastic pollution of the Osun river. We emphasize the need by Nigerian government to ban certain single-use plastics, as a step towards reducing plastic pollution of Nigerian rivers, that shelter important fish species and provide water for religious and domestic purposes.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100409
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
