how did microplastics get in the rivers in the first place?

Question: how did microplastics get in the rivers in the first place?
- Keywords:
  environment,
  microplastic,
  river
Asked by cero536huge74 to Louise T on 12 Jan 2026.
- Louise Thurston answered on 12 Jan 2026:
  
  Microplastics can get into our rivers in a variety of ways!
  
  The most common are from wastewater treatment discharge (sewage treatment), stormwater run off (i.e. tires wearing down and particles being washed into rivers) and the breaking down of larger pieces of plastic litter.
  
  Basically there are lots of different ways which is why it is so hard to stop it happening!

Question: how did microplastics get in the rivers in the first place?