ABSTRACT:

FTIR imaging was conducted on the water of two important rivers of Sindh, Pakistan, namely Malir and Thatta. The study aims to evaluate the presence of polymer microplastics (MPs) on the surface of the water in these rivers of Sindh. The collected water was transported to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Karachi for analysis of microplastics using the oxidation method and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. The results of FTIR spectroscopy, an analytical technique frequently used to detect microplastics, confirm their presence. Results showed dissimilar characteristics for both rivers, except for the 1635–1650 (amide I) and ~1530–1550 (amide II) regions, which are characteristic of polyamides (Nylon), were common. The bands at 2924 & 1460 cm⁻¹, which are associated with the intense aliphatic C–H stretch and CH₂ scissoring, are commonly observed in many plastics, including PP, PE, PA, PVC, and PVDF. Analysis revealed that PEHD and PTFE were the primary microplastics reported in the rivers, characterized by peaks at 2924 cm^-1 (PEHD) and 605 cm^-1 (PTFE). It was suggested that rivers contain MPs that require attention to prevent the dumping of various types of waste into river water.

Keywords: River water, FTIR, Microplastic, Nylon

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