Monitoring of microplastics in road dust samples from Myanmar and Taiwan

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants in various environmental matrices. In this study, 82 road dust samples collected from Myanmar and Taiwan between 2014 2018 were analyzed to investigate the status of MPs pollution distribution. Myanmar, mean abundances high cities, such as Nay Pyi Taw (285 pieces/kg dry weight), Mandalay (79 pieces/kg), Yangon (63 pieces/kg). Alternatively, no found rural areas, Wundwin Bagan. The MP abundance was 555 Taiwan, which two nine times that Myanmar. Polyethylene polypropylene dominant polymers detected whereas polyvinyl chloride a major component Taiwan. These results suggest differences economic industrial activities population densities related profiles dust. plastic additives butylated hydroxytoluene, diethyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate identified originate products environment lead extensive with hazardous chemicals. To our knowledge, is first study report occurrence