Riverbank macro-litters monitoring in downstream of Saigon river, Ho Chi Minh City

Riverine litters can negatively impact human livelihood and aquatic life especially macroplastics, which could injure animal and plant species, harm to hydraulic systems and vessels, and increase urban flooding due to clogging. There are many studies on floating macroplastics in this river, especially in Saigon river in which is recognized as one of the most polluted rivers in Vietnam and globally to date; however, studies on riverbank macroplastic pollution are still lacking so far. In the study, riverbank surveys were carried out in downstream of Saigon river nearby Thu Thiem 1 bridge between January and June 2022. The aim of this study was to quantify the abundance of macro-litters in the downstream of Saigon river. Plastic fraction and non-plastic fraction were classified according to river-OSPAR guideline, and then counted and weighted. As a result, plastics was the most abundance type of litter in term of amount, accounted for 86.54% with a total of 617 items and weight witha total of 11,490.5g). Styrofoam fragments in range of 2.5–50 cm, plastic bags and plastic cups accounted for the major parts of sampled plastic items in the meanwhile LDPE, Other, and PS were found in highest proportion in terms of standard plastic classification. Additionally, top 5 brands comprising 43% of branded litters collected in the Saigon river during the study period were PepsiCo, Acecook, Masan, Vinacafe Bien Hoa, and Nestle. This study showed the need for enhancing waste management and reducing single-use plastics to tackle plastic pollution in the Saigon river.