Determinación de Microplásticos en Sedimentos del Río Mashcón, Cajamarca - Perú 2023

The fundamental purpose of this research is to evaluate the amount of microplastics found in the sediments of the Mashcón River. For this, a methodology based on the difference in densities was implemented using calcium chloride solution (CaCl2) as a microplastic separation agent., for this, 13 sampling stations were identified (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12 and E13), for physical analysis, resulting in the stations with the greatest amount of microplastics E6 with 23MPs, E7 with 23MPs, E8 with 29MPs and E12 with 23MP, finding a total of 216 microplastics in the 13 m^2 * 20 cm depth of the study area, according to standardized procedures and the predominant color applied found was blue and transparent, according to its size classification 1mm-5mm. Based on the findings and analyzes carried out, it can be concluded that the Mashcón River is contaminated by microplastics. This presence represents a silent threat to the life of this important river, highlighting the urgent need to address and mitigate the effects of microplastic pollution in this aquatic ecosystem.