**3.12 Effects of environmental factors on interactions between MPs and physicochemical parameters**

The result of physic-chemical properties has been evaluated with a statistical test. The result computed between physicochemical properties as it affect the concentrations of different micro plastic formed in River Delimi presented in **Figures 1**–**4**. The

*Concentration of metals and nonmetals in plants irrigated with river Delimi water from the entire sampling site.*


*Micro Plastic Challenges in River Delimi Due to Its Interaction with Physicochemical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107150*

#### **Table 6.**

*Concentration of heavy metals in plants irrigated with river Delimi water from all the sampling sites.*

**Figure 10.** *Concentration of heavy metals in plants irrigated with river Delimi water from the entire sampling site.*

concentration of physical parameters were statistically tested. The result showed different environmental factors interactions between physicochemical parameters and micro plastics(MPs). This study considered the following factors:. Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) contact time, ionic strength, and particle size. As for the temperature, in this study the temperature range from 20 to 23°C (**Figure 3**), the general opinion is that high temperature will benefit the adsorption of heavy metals

#### **Figure 11.**

*Concentration of heavy metals in plants irrigated with river Delimi water from the entire sampling site.*

**Figure 12.**

*Concentration of Heavy Metals in Plants Irrigated with River Delimi Water from the Entire Sampling Site.*

on MPs [10, 38]. The possible explanation for this observation is that the adsorption process is an endothermic reaction; thus, the spontaneity of the adsorption process may increase with the increase of temperature.The pH, in the study area range from 8.2 to 9.9.The pH is greater than 7.(pH < 7) and metal ions were considered to precipitate under alkaline conditions. The pH can significantly affect the adsorption capacity of MPs to heavy metals. pH is very important for mobility because metal availability is low when pH, is around 6.5 to 7, MPs will not interact with heavy metals. Generally, increased pH level results in increased adsorption capacity for heavy metals. The absorbed heavy metals released with the change of pH in water (see **Tables 1** and **2**).

### **3.13 Challenge of Microplastis to human health**

The increasing amount of heavy metals has caused an imbalance in aquatic ecosystems and the biota growing under such habitats accumulate high amounts of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Ni ) which are being assimilated and transferred within food chains by the process of magnification. Many researchers tried to use different


*Micro Plastic Challenges in River Delimi Due to Its Interaction with Physicochemical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107150*

**Table 7.**

*Concentration of heavy metals in plants irrigated with river Delimi water from all the sampling sites.*

test methods or models to assess the potential human health risks of MPs. The results showed that physicochemical parameters concentration in River Delimi undergo changes due to micro plastics concentration.

River Delimi water has moderately interacted with microplastics. Physicochemical parameters especially heavy metals,bond to the microplastic. Emphasis should be placed on protection of river Delimi considering its sensitive nature of its use for irrigation and addition of value to food chain, toward reducing micro plastic interaction with physicochemical parameters.
