Microplastic pollution in African countries' water systems: a review on findings, applied methods, characteristics, impacts, and managements

An investigation into the stability and degradation of plastics in aquatic environments using a large-scale field-deployment study

The fragmentation of plastic debris is a key pathway to the formation of microplastic pollution. These disintegration processes depend on the materials' physical and chemical characteristics, but insight into these interrelationships is still limited, especially under natural conditions. Five plastics of known polymer/additive compositions and processing histories were deployed in aquatic environments and recovered after six and twelve months. The polymer types used were linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), oxo-degradable LLDPE (oxoLLDPE), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyamide-6 (PA6), and poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Four geographically distinct locations across Aotearoa/New Zealand were chosen: three marine sites and a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Accelerated UV-weathering under controlled laboratory conditions was also carried out to evaluate artificial ageing as a model for plastic degradation in the natural environment. The samples' physical characteristics and surface microstructures were studied for each deployment location and exposure time. The strongest effects were found for oxoLLDPE upon artificial ageing, with increased crystallinity, intense surface cracking, and substantial deterioration of its mechanical properties. However, no changes to the same extent were found after recovery of the deployed material. In the deployment environments, the chemical nature of the plastics was the most relevant factor determining their behaviours. Few significant differences between the four aquatic locations were identified, except for PA6, where indications for biological surface degradation were found only in seawater, not the WWTP. In some cases, artificial ageing reasonably mimicked the changes which some plastic properties underwent in aquatic environments, but generally, it was no reliable model for natural degradation processes. The findings from this study have implications for the understanding of the initial phases of plastic degradation in aquatic environments, eventually leading to microplastics formation. They can also guide the interpretation of accelerated laboratory ageing for the fate of aquatic plastic pollution, and for the testing of aged plastic samples.

Synergistic and additive effects of microplastic, nickel and pyrene on survival, reproduction, and egestion of a tropical copepod

Coastal tropical ecosystems provide livelihood for millions of people but are at the same time exposed to an increasing intensity of diverse anthropogenic stressors, including pollution. Nevertheless, the combined effects of pollutants on marine ecosystems are poorly understood, particularly regarding lower trophic levels (plankton) and tropical ocean. We exposed the tropical copepod Centropages velificatus to 4-5 concentrations of a heavy metal (nickel), an oil compound (pyrene) and microplastic (PET), either alone or in combination, and measured their egestion, reproduction, and mortality rates. Microplastic alone did not have any effect on pellet or egg production of copepods, whereas nickel reduced egg production rate at concentrations ≥1 µg L-1 and pyrene reduced both egg and pellet production rates at concentrations ≥1 nM. The addition of nickel and pyrene to PET - microplastic resulted in a reduction similar to one caused by nickel or pyrene alone, suggesting an additive effect. In contrast, a combination of nickel and pyrene had a synergistic effect, with a strong reduction in survival, egg and pellet production. Our results suggest that combinations of contaminants that are commonly found in tropical coastal waters have detrimental effects on copepods-the crucial link in the pelagic food web-at lower concentrations than suggested by single stressor studies. This can have an influence on the food web productivity - the basis of fisheries that local communities rely on.

Sustainable management of drinking plastic straws is required to reduce plastic pollution: Are we using them more during COVID-19?

Nowadays, single-use plastic pollution attracts the attention of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. In addition to personal protective equipment (PPEs) waste during the COVID-19 pandemic, other unpreceded plastic wastes such as packaging from online shopping and food delivery, viruses confirmatory testing, and drinking straws also contributed to pollution and worsened around the globe. This perspective aimed to provide insights into drinking plastic straws as an important source of plastic pollution. Literature searches confirmed that drinking plastic straws, unlike PPEs, have not been researched whether it is an important contributor to pollution or not during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, research on the pollution level of this plastic waste and its association with COVID-19 is required. Drinking straw producers and users require adequate strategies and management of this plastic pollution and more widespread rules and regulations to prevent environmental implications and health risks. This study can usefully give highlights for environmentalists, solid waste management experts, policymakers, and governments by describing the environmental impact and raising health risks of drinking plastic straw pollution.

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in a freshwater river in northwestern Himalayas, India - Scenario of riverbank solid waste disposal sites

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the challenging and established contaminants that have adverse implications on human health. The focus of this study was to quantify and analyze the contribution of unscientific municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites to the MPs in the Jhelum River and the risk associated with it. Quantitative analysis of our study showed a mean MP concentration of 1474 ± 1026 particles/m3 for the entire stretch of the river. All the sites confirmed the presence of MPs with the concentration ranging from 600 particles/m3 to 2500 particles/m3. The size distribution of MPs suggested that 34 % of the microplastics ranged between 300 μm to 75 μm while 66 % of the particles varied between 300 μm to 5 mm. The concentrations of MPs downstream of unscientific disposal sites were found to increase threefold to that of upstream. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the presence of polyethylene (PE) in the majority followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP). The flakes were dominant throughout the river followed by filaments, fragments, and spherules. Count based Pollution level indexing (PLI) estimated 3-14 times MP contamination in the river with respect to contamination in glacial runoffs. The risk assessment study of the MPs indicated an increase of around 10.2 % in ingestion rates of MPs due to the unscientific disposal of MSW on the banks of the freshwater body. The values of polymer hazard index (PHI) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were in the extreme case of pollution (PHI>1000 and PERI>1200). This study manifests the adversities of unscientific municipal solid waste disposal for timely waste management.

Microplastic accumulation in endorheic river basins - The example of the Okavango Panhandle (Botswana)

The Okavango Panhandle is the main influent watercourse of the Okavango Delta, an inland sink of the entire sediment load of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB). The sources of pollution in the CORB, and other endorheic basins, are largely understudied when compared to exorheic systems and the world's oceans. We present the first study of the distribution of microplastic (MP) pollution in surface sediments of the Okavango Panhandle in Northern Botswana. MP concentrations (64 μm-5 mm size range) in sediment samples from the Panhandle range between 56.7 and 399.5 particles kg^-1 (dry weight) when analysed with fluorescence microscopy. The concentrations of MP in the 20 μm to 5 mm grain size range (analysed with Raman spectroscopy) range between 1075.7 and 1756.3 particles kg^-1. One shallow core (15 cm long) from an oxbow lake suggests that MP size decreases with depth while MP concentration increases downcore. Raman Spectroscopy revealed that the compositions of the MP are dominated by polyethene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). From this novel data set it was possible to estimate that 10.9-336.2 billion particles could be transported into the Okavango Delta annually, indicating that the region represents a significant sink for MP, raising concerns for the unique wetland ecosystem.

Wind erosion induced low-density microplastics migration at landscape scale in a semi-arid region of northern China

Microplastics (MPs) have been extensively investigated in terrestrial environments, while the occurrence and movement of MPs at the landscape scale in semi-arid regions with serious wind erosion are less well studied. Here, we sampled film mulching farmland and downwind nearby grassland surface soils in a semi-arid region of northern China to explore the distribution of MPs at different downwind distances and the potential environmental risk to the local landscapes. The results revealed that the MP abundances presented a decreasing trend with increasing downwind distance (Mann-Kendall test, P < 0.01). The MP size distributions at different distances showed similar sigmoid trends described by logistic models. MP fiber size (500-2000 μm) abundance in the farmland was higher than that of the grassland. By contrast, MP non-fiber size (<1000 μm) abundance of farmlands was less than that of the grassland. The abundances of fibers larger than 500 μm and non-fibers larger than 1000 μm in size decreased exponentially with increasing downwind distance. The size of transported MPs at the landscape scale was larger than that of long-distance dispersal. The migration of MPs from farmlands can pose a potential threat to the downwind landscape, leading the downwind grassland to be a potential MP emission source. This study presents the first insights into the MPs distribution among different downwind distances at the landscape scale. Future research is required to deploy aeolian sediment sampling devices and establish the connection between the field data and the MP emission models.

Distribution, characteristics, and risk assessments analysis of microplastics in shore sediments and surface water of Moheshkhali channel of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Microplastic pollution in various ecosystems has gained significant attention across the globe. Due to ubiquitous abundance, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at regional scales are polluted via uncontrolled anthropogenic actions. Therefore, this study investigates microplastic pollution and distribution in sediments and surface water of the Moheshkhali channel of Bangladesh, Bay of Bengal, along with their shape, size, color, and polymeric analysis. It has been observed that both sediments and surface water are significantly contaminated with microplastics at 14 sediments and 12 surface water sampling sites. 291 particles of microplastic were observed in two quadrants, separated 10-m away from each other, across 14 sediment sampling sites, with average concentrations registered in the range of 6.66 to 138.33 particles/m². At the same time, 163 particles were observed across 12 sampling sites in the surface water, ranging from 0 to ~0.1 particles/m³. Various shapes, like films, fragments, fiber/lines, foams, and pellets (resins), were observed extensively in the Moheshkhali channel. Besides, various risk assessments, like contamination factors, polymeric risk assessment, pollution risk index, and pollution load index, were analyzed for each sampling site across the channel. Pollution load index (PLI) of shore sediments and surface water were 2.51 and 1.67, respectively, indicating significant pollution in the Moheshkhali channel. This research investigation provides insight into anthropogenic activities and baseline microplastic pollution in the Moheshkhali channel of Bangladesh, which helps to prepare robust strategies for conservation and management to deal with such environmental issues.

Particulate plastics in drinking water and potential human health effects: Current knowledge for management of freshwater plastic materials in Africa

Plastic materials have contributed to the release of environmentally relevant particulate plastics which can be found almost everywhere and may be present in drinking water. Human exposure to these materials is diverse and our understanding of their internalization in the human body is incipient. This review discusses the state of knowledge of particulate plastics exposure in drinking water and the potential risks of adverse health in the human body. Particulate plastics have problematized water systems worldwide, and about 4,000,000 fine plastics may be ingested from drinking water annually by an individual. Testing methods for these materials in environmental media are presently inconsistent and standard protocols do not exist. Their potential ecotoxicological consequences are recognised to be linked to their physicochemical diversity, biological transpositions, and cytological tolerance in living organisms. It is observed that toxicological endpoints are varied and lack properly defined modes of action. In particular, fine particulate plastics have been observed to translocate into body tissues and cells where they are capable of provoking endocrine disruption, genetic mutations, and cancer responses. We propose a reclassification of particulate plastics to cater for their biological deposition and attributable risks of adverse health. Environmental management of particulate plastics in many developing countries is weak and their potential releases into drinking water have received limited research. Given that large populations are exposed to fresh surface water and plastic packaged drinking water worldwide, and that the risk assessment pathways are unvalidated at the moment, we argue for developing countries to increase their capacity for the environmental monitoring and circular management of plastic materials. Large-scale epidemiological cohort studies and surrogate assessment pathways are also recommended to provide a better understanding of the hazard characterization of particulate plastics exposure.

Overviewing the Ground Reality of Microplastic Effects on Seafoods, Including Fish, Shrimps and Crabs: Future Research Directions

While plastics are already notorious for their accumulation in the environment, which poses environmental challenges, invisible microplastics (MPS) are an even greater challenge. This review focuses on consolidating the reports available on MP accumulation in edible marine and freshwater fishes, shrimps, and crabs. The reality as to whether MPs in these edible aquatic organisms are really a cause of high concern is questioned and discussed. While the entrails of aquatic organisms are reported to contain high levels of MPs, because these products are consumed after the removal of the entrails and gut area in the majority of cases, the MP threat is questionable. The existence of MPs in these aquatic sources is validated but their potency in harming humans, aquatic organisms, and other interlinked species is unassessed. To overcome the difficulty in tracing the movement of MPs in a bigger ecosystem, this review proposes laboratory-based pilot studies mimicking real-world conditions, which will help us to understand the kinetics of MPs in the food chain. The effects of MPs on human welfare and health are yet to be assessed, and this is another gap that needs attention.

Comparative Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Waters and Sediments of the Vaal River, South Africa: Abundance, Composition, and Sources

We extracted microplastics from surface water and sediment samples from the Vaal River in Johannesburg, South Africa. Average abundances of 0.61 ± 0.57 particles/ m 3 and 4.6 × 10²  ± 2.8 × 10²  particles/kg dry weight were recorded for water and sediment samples, respectively. In both sediment and water samples, more than 80% of microplastics were fragments and fibers of smaller than 2 mm. High-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene were the dominant polymers identified in both sample types. In addition, polyethylene co-vinyl acetate, polyester, polyurethane, and polyethylene/hexene-1-copolymer were also detected in sediment samples. Colored microplastics were the most commonly observed in both sample types; pigment yellow 83 was detected in surface water, and carbon black was detected in both sediment and water samples during Raman analysis. Taking into consideration the physical and chemical characteristics of the detected microplastics, their potential sources include inflow from tributaries, surface run-off from urban city centers, recreational activities, and wastewater effluent from industries and households. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:3029-3040. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Human exposure to microplastics from urban decentralized pay-to-fetch drinking-water refill kiosks

Microplastics in the human diet have become a worldwide concern. To date, microplastics in urban drinking water supplies, such as decentralized drinking-water refill kiosks, have not been studied and are a pressing concern since they are so closely tied to human life and have a significant influence on health. This study evaluated the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in 63 drinking water samples collected from decentralized refill kiosks in the Mexico City metropolitan area. All of the sampled drinking water contained microplastics in concentrations ranging from 11 to 860 microplastics L^-1. The detected microplastics were mostly fiber (65 %), followed by fragment (28 %), and film (7 %). They were mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate, polyamides, vinyl polymers, polyacetal, and cellophane in sizes ranging from 20 μm to 5 mm, with 75 % of them accounting for sizes <300 μm. SEM-EDX analysis revealed weathered microplastics, biota adherence, and the presence of inorganic elements on the surface of microplastics. We estimate that Mexico City residents inadvertently ingest 42 microplastics L^-1, with an annual exposure of around 1.47 × 10⁴ microplastics per adult and 6.73 × 10³ microplastics per child. Therefore, future research is needed to strengthen drinking water refill kiosk guidelines and standards for better microplastic management. This study serves as a wake-up call to many developing countries that use similar urban water systems, drawing their attention to global microplastic contamination of drinking water.

Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics from Nepal's Second Largest Lake

Due to its harmful impact on biota, microplastic pollution is the top priority research in many countries. However, there is hardly any research on microplastic pollution in Nepal's freshwater. Therefore, the present research was accomplished in Phewa Lake to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of microplastic contamination in shoreline sediments. The average abundance of microplastic varied from 55 to 122.5 items/kg dry weight (dw). The highest value appeared on densely populated eastern side of the lake and the western region reported the lowest concentration of microplastic. With regard to the shape, fibers dominated the sediments of Phewa Lake accounting for 62.03%. The dominant color was transparent (23.53%) followed by blue (21.39%). The size category 0.2-1 mm recorded the highest abundance of microplastic. Similarly, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveal the dominant polymer type as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). The outcome of this result adds a step toward filling the existing knowledge gap and providing a database on microplastic pollution in Nepal's freshwater.

Microplastic removal from urban stormwater: Current treatments and research gaps

Stormwater is a major contributor to microplastic (MP) pollution in the aquatic environment. Although MPs are associated with many toxicological effects, their levels in stormwater are not regulated. This review compared the effectiveness of different MP removal technologies from stormwater runoff and examined the performance of typical stormwater treatment systems for MP removal to assess possible MP pollution control via stormwater management. Bioretention and filtration systems performed similarly with 84-96% MP removal efficiencies. Despite the limited number of studies that focused on wetlands and retention ponds, preliminary data suggested potential for MP removal with efficiencies of 28-55% and 85-99%, respectively. Despite the higher efficiency of bioretention and filtration systems, their removal efficiency of fibrous MPs was not optimal. Furthermore, wetlands were less effective in removing MPs than retention ponds, although the limited data might lead to an inaccurate representation of typical performances. Therefore, more research is required to arrive at definitive conclusions and to investigate alternative treatment options, such as ballasted sand flocculation, flotation, and biological degradation, and evaluate the effectiveness of bioretention and filtration for MPs <100 μm.

Wastewater treatment plant effluent and microfiber pollution: focus on industry-specific wastewater

The production, use, and disposal of synthetic textiles potentially release a significant amount of microfibers into the environment. Studies performed on municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent reported a higher presence of microfibers due to the mix of domestic laundry effluent through sewage. As municipal WWTPs receive influents from households and industries, it serves as a sink for the microfibers. However, research on textile industry WWTPs that primarily treat the textile fabric processing wastewater was not explored with the concern of microfibers. Hence, the review aims to analyze the existing literature and enlighten the impact of WWTPs on microplastic emission into the environment by specifically addressing textile industry WWTPs. The results of the review confirmed that even after 95-99% removal, municipal WWTPs can emit around 160 million microplastics per day into the environment. Microfiber was the dominant shape identified by the review. The average microfiber contamination in the WWTP sludge was estimated as 200 microfibers per gram of sludge. As far as the industry-specific effluents are analyzed, textile wet processing industries effluents contained > 1000 times higher microfibers than municipal WWTP. Despite few existing studies on textile industry effluent, the review demonstrates that, so far, no studies were performed on the sludge obtained from WWTPs that handle textile industry effluents alone. Review results pointed out that more attention should be needed to the textile wastewater research which is addressing the textile wet processing industry WWTPs. Moreover, the sludge released from these WWTPs should be considered as an important source of microfiber as they contain more quantity of microfibers than the effluent, and also, their routes to the environment are huge and easy.

Are we underestimating floating microplastic pollution? A quantitative analysis of two sampling methodologies

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in the water column of several aquatic ecosystems. Thus, the sampling methodology is considered as a basic factor influencing MPs abundance. In this baseline, a total of 67 investigations were chosen to conduct a quantitative analysis between two sampling methods: Trawl and bulk. The aim is to report a general overview of the MPs abundance and characteristic differences based on the sampling procedures and provide methodological recommendations. MPs abundance reported by bulk studies is 3500 higher than trawl studies. Furthermore, the morphological types and polymers abundances were statistically affected by the type of sampling tool. Conversely, MPs size ranges were significantly different between sampling procedures, suggesting that trawling underestimates the smaller MPs fractions. The analysis confirms that the sampling methods should be selected based on the research objectives. In this sense, it is recommended to combine both types of sampling procedures to obtain comprehensive data.

Release kinetics of microplastics from disposable face masks into the aqueous environment

Disposable face masks are widely used as primary personal protective equipment to control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Disposable face masks have been identified as a source of microplastics and a new threat to the environment when improperly handled. To understand the release of microplastics from discarded masks into water, the release quantities of microplastics from three types of disposable face masks (N95, medical surgical, and normal medical masks) were measured within 24 h and their release kinetics were analyzed over seven days. Results showed that polypropylene microplastics fibers and debris of various colors were released. N95 masks released 801 ± 71-2667 ± 97 microplastic particles/(piece·d), medical surgical masks released 1136 ± 87-2343 ± 168 microplastic particles/(piece·d), and normal medical masks released 1034 ± 119-2547 ± 185 microplastic particles/(piece·d), irrespective of the price, weight, or type of mask. The microplastics were first released fast and then slow. The Elovich equation described the release kinetics (R² > 0.990), and the release rate did not differ with the type of mask. Microplastics of 100-500 μm and of <100 μm were released in large quantities and at rapid rates. Fiber and transparent microplastics accounted for a large proportion of those released, and their daily release proportion increased with time. Fiber microplastics <500 μm in length were predominant in the microplastics released from disposable face masks, indicating that disposable face masks could be a critical source of these in the aqueous environment. There is an urgent need to take action to implement a waste management system limiting the number of masks entering the environment.

Evaluating Canada's single-use plastic mitigation policies via brand audit and beach cleanup data to reduce plastic pollution

Single-use plastics (SUPs) represent a major threat to marine environments and require proactive policies to reduce consumption and mismanagement. Many SUP management strategies exist to reduce SUP use and mitigate environmental impacts, including extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit-return schemes, SUP bans or taxes, and public outreach and education. This study analyzed brand audit and beach cleanup data in four densely populated Canadian cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Halifax) and a remote island (Sable Island) to determine efficacy of ongoing SUP mitigation measures. Cities were found to have similar litter type proportions, and six brands were found to disproportionally contribute to Canadian SUP litter, comprising 39% of branded litter collected. Results confirm that current Canadian SUP management appears to be insufficient to address leakage of SUPs into the environment. Recommendations to strengthen SUP management strategies and mitigate plastic pollution are recommended to improve future Canadian SUP reduction policies.

Degradation of plastics associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented form of plastic pollution: personal protective equipment (PPE). Numerous studies have reported the occurrence of PPE in the marine environment. However, their degradation in the environment and consequences are poorly understood. Studies have reported that face masks, the most abundant type of PPE, are significant sources of microplastics due to their fibrous microstructure. The fibrous material (mostly consisting of polypropylene) exhibits physical changes in the environment, leading to its fracture and detachment of microfibers. Most studies have evaluated PPE degradation under controlled laboratory conditions. However, in situ degradation experiments, including the colonization of PPE, are largely lacking. Although ecotoxicological studies are largely lacking, the first attempts to understand the impact of MPs released from face masks showed various types of impacts, such as fertility and reproduction deficiencies in both aquatic and terrestrial organisms.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution associated with the COVID-19 pandemic along the coastline of Agadir, Morocco

The increasing use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as a sanitary measure against the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has become a significant source of many environmental risks. The majority of the governments enforce the use of PPE in public areas, such as beaches. Thus, the use and disposal of PPE have compromised most solid waste management strategies, ultimately leading to the occurrence of PPE polluting the marine environment. The present study aimed to monitor the PPE pollution associated with COVID-19 along the coastline of Agadir, Morocco. In parallel, the influence of the activities carried out in each sampled beach before and after the lockdown break was reported. Overall, a total number of 689 PPE items were identified, with a mean density of 1.13 × 10^-5 PPE m^-2 (0-1.21 × 10^-4 PPE m^-2). The majority of the PPE items found were face masks (96.81%), out of which 98.4% were surgical masks and 1.6% were reusable cloth masks. The most polluted sites were the beaches with recreational activities, followed by surfing, and fishing as the main activity. Importantly, PPE density increased significantly after lockdown measures. Additionally, the discarded PPE sampled in the supralittoral zone was higher than PPE recorded in the intertidal zone. This confirms that PPE items are driven by the beachgoers during their visit. PPE items are a source of microplastic and chemical pollutants, a substrate to invasive species colonization, and a potential threat of entanglement, ingestion, and/or infection among apex predators. In the specific case of Agadir beaches, significant efforts are required to work on the lack of environmental awareness and education. It is recommended to improve beach cleaning strategies and to penalize incorrect PPE disposal. Additional alternatives may be adopted, as the involvement of biodegradable materials in PPE manufacturing, recycling through pyrolysis, and encouraging reusable and washable masks.

The macro-debris pollution in the shorelines of Lake Tana: First report on abundance, assessment, constituents, and potential sources

Macro-debris monitoring in the shores of freshwater systems is critical to estimate the macro-and micro-plastic pollution levels for the subsequent investigation of ecological pollution. The study aims to report the composition of macro debris and their distribution on the shore of Lake Tana, Ethiopia, as a first baseline document. The distribution of litter surveys was conducted at seven different town/village shorelines of Lake Tana. The debris was categorized, and its constituent, abundance, and accumulation rates were computed. The findings showed that the mean accumulation rates of Lake Tana debris ranged between 4.9 ± 3.9 and 30.5 ± 20.2 items m^-1 day^-1 in counts and between 0.32 ± 0.21 and 0.04 ± 0.09 ± 0.03 g m^-1 day^-1 in mean weight. Also, the plastic polymers were identified as PET, PE, and HDPE. The litter categories abundance is different in different sampling locations. Plastics as packaging materials were extensively distributed in surveyed areas. A significant quantity of litter are local products and a locally feasible solid waste management system can be used to eradicate outflow into Lake Tana and can reduce pollution.