Microplastic variability: consecutive surface water microplastic replicate samples collection

Microplastic (MP) abundance in surface water is influenced by both environmental factors and MP properties such as density, size, hydrophobicity, and interactions with aquatic biota. As a result, even samples collected simultaneously using the same method can show considerable variation. To obtain a surface water MP sample that accurately reflects pollution levels with minimal variability, increasing the sample size is recommended. This can be achieved either by collecting larger volumes of water or by taking multiple replicate samples. However, collecting larger volumes is often limited by net clogging when suspended material is present in the water. A practical solution to this challenge is the use of replicate samples. In this study, we collected 15 consecutive replicate samples from four different water bodies to determine the optimal number of replicates needed for reliable assessment of surface water microplastic pollution. The dataset contains information on each sample volume, as well as number and characteristics of identified microplastic particles.