Journal of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination

Characterization of Microplastics by Size, Shape, and Color in Freshwater Sources of Punjab

Hamza Khalil

Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

Keywords: microplastics, freshwater pollution, particle size, particle shape, particle colour, microfibres, microbeads, Punjab

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Abstract

Microplastic contamination has become an important environmental concern because these persistent particles can accumulate in freshwater ecosystems and enter aquatic food webs. This study characterized suspected microplastics according to their size, shape, and colour in selected freshwater sources of Tehsil Pattoki, Punjab, Pakistan. The investigation was based on data generated during the author’s undergraduate thesis. Twelve one-litre water samples were collected from different sources, including running canal water, standing surface water, swamp water, groundwater, tap water, filtration plants, a swimming pool, a pond, and null water. Samples were processed through stacked sieves of ≥2.0 mm, ≥0.5 mm, ≥0.35 mm, and 0.5 µm. The retained material was dried, treated with 5M sodium chloride solution, density-separated, filtered, and examined under a stereomicroscope at 40× magnification. Suspected particles were characterized according to visible size, shape, and colour. Microfibres, microbeads, and microfragments were the major morphological forms identified. Microplastics were detected in four of the twelve samples at concentrations of 6, 10, 12, and 15 particles per litre. The remaining eight samples contained no visually detected particles. Overall, 43 particles were recorded, producing a mean concentration of 3.583 particles per litre and a standard deviation of 5.407. The highest concentration occurred in standing swamp water. The thesis confirmed variation in particle size and colour but did not provide separate numerical frequencies for these categories. The findings provide baseline evidence of microplastic contamination in selected freshwater sources of Punjab and highlight the need for larger-scale monitoring and spectroscopic polymer identification.

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