Water (Apr 2024)

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics and Potential Sources of Microplastic Pollution in China’s Freshwater Environments

  • Hualong He,
  • Sulin Cai,
  • Siyuan Chen,
  • Qiang Li,
  • Pengwei Wan,
  • Rumeng Ye,
  • Xiaoyi Zeng,
  • Bei Yao,
  • Yanli Ji,
  • Tingting Cao,
  • Yunchao Luo,
  • Han Jiang,
  • Run Liu,
  • Qi Chen,
  • You Fang,
  • Lu Pang,
  • Yunru Chen,
  • Weihua He,
  • Yueting Pan,
  • Gaozhong Pu,
  • Jiaqin Zeng,
  • Xingjun Tian

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/w16091270
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 9
p. 1270

Abstract

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Microplastic pollution is a research hotspot around the world. This study investigated the characteristics of microplastic pollution in the freshwater environments of 21 major cities across China. Through indoor and outdoor experimental analysis, we have identified the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of microplastic pollution in China’s freshwater environments. Our findings indicate that the average concentration of microplastics in China’s freshwater environments is 3502.6 n/m3. The majority of these microplastics are fibrous (42.5%), predominantly smaller than 3 mm (28.1%), and mostly colored (64.7%). The primary chemical components of these microplastics are polyethylene (PE, 33.6%), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 21.5%), polypropylene (PP, 16.8%), and polystyrene (PS, 15.6%). The abundance of microplastics in China’s freshwater environments generally tends to increase from west to east and from south to north, with the lowest concentration found in Xining, Qinghai (1737.5 n/m3), and the highest in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang (5650.0 n/m3). The distribution characteristics of microplastics are directly related to land use types, primarily concentrated in areas of intense human activity, including agricultural, transport, and urban land. Seasonal changes affect the abundance of microplastics, peaking in summer, followed by spring and autumn, mainly due to variations in rainfall, showing a positive correlation.

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