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The Interaction of Microplastics and Heavy Metals Under Different Hydrological Regulation in the Typical Urban–Rural River Sediment
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Scientists studying rivers that flow through both cities and farmland found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can act like magnets for toxic heavy metals like chromium and cadmium, with the amount of metal buildup changing depending on the season and weather patterns. This matters because these plastic-metal combos can travel through waterways into the food chain and drinking water, potentially delivering a "double dose" of contamination that's more harmful than either plastic or metal pollution alone.
Co-contamination by microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals (HMs) in aquatic sediment has become an increasing environmental concern, yet their coupled distribution patterns and interaction mechanisms in urban–rural river sediment remain insufficiently understood. In this study, sediment samples were collected from typical urban–rural rivers upstream of Hongze Lake during the dry and wet seasons. MPs were identified using μ-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy according to particle size, HMs were quantified by ICP-MS, and the driving factors of HM adsorption onto MPs were explored using structural equation modeling (SEM). The abundance of MPs exhibited significant seasonal variation, with overall higher levels in the dry season. In addition, particles, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the transparent color were the predominant form and composition of MPs in both seasons. HMs showed clear selective partitioning between sediment and MPs. Cr was preferentially enriched on MPs (Ksed-MP = 0.0248), whereas Cd was mainly retained in sediment (Ksed-MP = 172) during both seasons. From the dry season to the wet season, HMs generally exhibited an enhanced tendency to loading on MPs. SEM revealed that hydrological seasonality (β = 0.731) and polymer type (β = 0.436) were the key drivers of HM adsorption onto MPs by direct and indirect pathways. Within the study-specific relative screening framework, the calculated index values were generally higher during the dry season and were primarily influenced by Cd and polymers assigned high hazard scores. These findings provide new insight into the co-contamination mechanisms of MPs and HMs and support targeted management of sediment pollution in other typical urban–rural river networks in the world.
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