Preliminary assessment on the microplastic contamination in the atmospheric fallout in the Phuoc Hiep landfill, Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh city

Abstract

Microplastic pollution has become a global issue in recent years. Since the early 2000s, scientists have investigated the occurrence of microplastics (MiPs) in the environment. While research on marine MiPs is more advanced at present, there are immense gaps of knowledge regarding continental MiPs. Airborne MiPs are one source of MiPs in the aquatic environment. In the scientific literature, there have been only three publications on presence of MiPs in atmospheric fallout. In developing countries, where plastic waste management is weak, studies on the presence of MiPs in this area are limited. This current study presents a preliminary assessment of the presence of MiPs in atmospheric fallout sampled from the Phuoc Hiep landfill, Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC). The results of this work show that MiP concentrations vary between 1,801 items m^-2d^-1 and 913 items m^-2d^-1 in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively.