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Microplastic Pollution and Its Ecological Risks in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea
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Researchers assessed microplastic pollution across sediments, soil, water, fish, and seabirds at the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, finding contamination in all environmental media. Soil samples showed the highest concentrations at nearly 93 items per kilogram, while the overall pollution load was classified as slightly polluted with a high polymer hazard index. The study provides a comprehensive baseline for understanding microplastic ecological risks in this remote island chain.
China is facing increasing marine microplastic pollution. Despite the fact that the South China Sea is the largest marine area in China, the ecological danger and present state of microplastic contamination in this region have not been systematically and comprehensively investigated. This study analyzed the abundance, distribution, and characteristics of microplastics in different environmental media and biological samples from the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, and then the ecological risk assessment of microplastic pollution in this area was conducted. The findings indicated that the quantities of sediments, soil, water, fish, and birds were 41.56 ± 19.12 items/kg, 92.94 ± 111.05 items/kg, 2.89 ± 1.92 items/L, 2.57 ± 2.12 items/ind, and 1.702 ± 1.50 items/ind, respectively. By evaluating the pollution load index (PLI), polymer hazard index (PHI), and potential ecological risk index (PERI), the PLI of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea as a whole indicated that the hazard level was slightly polluted, the PHI was at a high-risk level, and the PERI samples were at no risk, except for the soil and seawater, which were at a medium-risk level.
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