Heavy rainfall drives microplastic pollution in rivers

A new study in Science estimates rivers delivered 263,000 tons of microplastics to the ocean in 2022, with 96% originating in the Global South and Southeast and East Asia alone accounting for more than half.

Researchers developed a new modeling framework accounting for sampling inconsistencies and found human activity, plastic use, and inadequate waste management, drove regional differences more than weather did.

Heavy rainfall can trigger short bursts of concentrated pollution flushed into waterways, an effect researchers warn could intensify as climate change makes extreme rain more frequent.

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