The study was carried out by 19 research centers and more than 40 chemists. The waters of the Seine, the Thames and the Elbe, among many others, were also analyzed.
European scientists have confirmed a constant and worrying presence of microplastics in some of the continent’s most important rivers. These include the Ebro, the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, where particularly high concentrations have been detected.
The research, published in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research, has been carried out over a period of five years with the participation of 19 research centres and more than 40 specialists in chemistry, physics and biology. The study included the analysis of nine major European rivers: Elbe, Ebro, Garonne, Loire, Rhone, Rhine, Seine, Thames and Tiber.
A type of pollution that is difficult to detect
Experts have identified an average of three plastic particles per cubic meter of water in all the rivers analyzed. Although this figure is much lower than that of the ten most polluted rivers on the planet, including the Ganges and the Mekong, the flow of the Ebro multiplies the total volume of waste transported.
In the case of the Rhône, 3,000 particles per second were counted, while in the Seine the figure reached 900. “The mass of microplastics invisible to the human eye is more significant than that of the visible ones,” explained Jean-François Ghiglione, study coordinator and head of research at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
The Ebro and the footprint of industrial plastics
In the Ebro, the analyses have revealed a wide variety of plastic waste: fibers from washing clothes, particles released by tire wear, remains of packaging and bottle caps, as well as virgin plastic granules (popularly known as mermaid tears). The latter are industrial waste that does not reach the consumer, but still ends up in the aquatic environment.
A quarter of the samples contained these microbeads used in the manufacture of plastic products. “What we see is that the pollution is widespread and established, and comes from everywhere,” added Ghiglione. The finding raises doubts about the effectiveness of controls in the production and distribution chains of plastic materials.
▶️ 'Alarming' microplastic pollution in Europe's great rivers https://t.co/5xsRsE4WGH pic.twitter.com/eqNEgWUNBz
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The particles detected are less than five millimeters in size and many are imperceptible. “Many microplastics are smaller than a grain of rice,” said Alexandra Ter Halle, a CNRS researcher in Toulouse. These particles do not always float on the surface, but are dispersed throughout the water column and can be ingested by fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms.
The study highlights that the problem is not limited to visible waste. In fact, the proportion of microscopic particles turns out to be much higher, which aggravates their impact on ecosystems and poses risks as yet unknown to human health.
