Anàlisi de la contaminació per residus plàstics del sistema fluvial del riu Brugent a Les Planes d’Hostoles

Abstract

Pollution by plastic waste has become an environmental problem of great concern. Anthropogenic

waste that accumulates in river systems causes a change in aquatic ecosystems. Over time, macroplastics are fragmented into mesoplastics and then into microplastics, so that the smaller they are, the more easily they enter the food chain of living organisms. Due to the lack of knowledge about the presence of anthropogenic waste in mountain river systems, the general objective of this study was to evaluate the state of the Brugent river that crosses the municipality of Les Planes d'Hostoles in relation to pollution for plastic waste and determine its possible origin. To carry out the data processing, correlation matrices and a PCA were carried out. The analyzes have shown us that macroplastics in the Brugent river of the Plaines d'Hostoles are found in high abundances in the BRU4 and BRU6 sections of the study area. With respect to mesoplastics, we

find a greater amount in BRU1. As for the type of waste, disinfecting wipes, fragments of fabric and

ropes predominate. Landfills, the remains of industrial activity and the treatment plant are the most

important sources of plastic pollution in addition to urban activity, agricultural activities and tourist

activities. The composition with the most predominance of plastic waste was nylon present in

clothing items, followed by polyethylene present in plastic items. Here lies the importance we have

to change our habits and implement measures to avoid the pollution of plastic waste in mountain

river ecosystems