Avaliação da poluição por microplásticos nas águas de afluentes do lago da UHE Luís Eduardo Magalhães, no ambiente urbano de Palmas -TO

Abstract

Plastics exposed to chemical or physical processes tend to deteriorate into smaller particles, from 0,1mm to 5,0mm, best known as microplastics (MP). Studies indicate that MP can affect the functions of organisms, causing impacts on the health of living beings. The objective of the present work is to investigate and quatificate the MP in certain points that affluents rivers located in the city of Palmas, meets the lake of hydroelectrical powerplant Luis Eduardo Magalhaes, in dry and rainy seasons. The work is guided by a method proposed by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called Marine Debris Program developed in 2015. Through the analyses, the presence of PM was found in 58.33% and 66.77% of the samples from the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. This reinforces the need for more research evolving studies about MP in the aquatic biomes across the Brazilian state of Tocantins, as well as the importance of the society awareness of the impacts caused by plastic debris.