Plastic microfibers found in high numbers around Kantamanto, the world’s largest secondhand textile market in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

AbstractLocated in Accra (Ghana), Kantamanto is the world’s largest secondhand textile market where tons of garments are exported every week by Global North countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK, the EU27, China and South Korea. We looked at the abundance of microfibers from textiles in this very dynamic environment. Continuous monitoring of air quality using PurpleAir sensors showed large numbers of airborne particles around the market, which were shown to drop with rain events. Rainwater was collected and shown to contain dozens to hundreds of microfibers and microplastics, depending on the intensity of the rain and on whether dry weather preceded the rain. The first hour of rain seemed to bring down the larger numbers of airborne microfibers, especially if it had not rained for 3-4 days. Microfiber and microplastics counts from airborne samples showed numbers about >20x to >100x greater than those reported from other mega-cities, respectively. Comparison of these counts from water of the adjacent Korle Lagoon was similarly striking, with about >100x more microfibers and >200x more microplastics than reported for coastal waters around the world. The impacts of garments were also demonstrated beyond the microscale, with a strong similarity of global brand assemblages in the textile waste found in the market and on the nearby beaches.