Abstract

• In many nations, the widespread use of plastics represents an important environmental risk. The pollution caused by microplastics (MP) in soil settings is not well understood, yet. In this work, MP quantity and polymer type in roadside soil from Mawlamyine, Mudon, and Kyaikmaraw in Mon State were characterized. Soil samples were also separated by using density separation and the floating portions were collected. Under a microscope, the extracted microscopic fragments from the soil samples were analyzed, and then they were identified using FT IR. The concentrations of MP in roadside soils collected from Mawlamyine, Mudon, and Kyaikmaraw were 238 pieces/kg (dry weight) (n = 143), 147 pieces/kg (n = 47), and 150 pieces/kg (n = 42), respectively. Significant relationships between the total amount of MP in roadside soils and daily vehicle traffic were found in Mudon and Kyaikmaraw. The higher concentrations of MP in Mawlamyine compared to other collected areas may be due to the city's high population and traffic density. The analysis of soil samples showed that polyethylene and polypropylene were dominant, all of which are commonly used plastics. These findings indicate a relationship between MP profiles in roadside soil and differences in economics and populations.