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Impact of land cover on microplastics accumulation in freshwater sediments
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Researchers tracked microplastic accumulation in freshwater sediments across sites with different land cover types, examining temporal trends to understand how land use affects plastic discharge into waterways. Land cover type was a significant predictor of sediment microplastic concentration, with urbanized and agricultural catchments showing higher accumulation.
The fate and transport of microplastic pollution in freshwater environments is a concern because of the transport of large masses of plastic to marine environments and the potential for exposure of living organisms, including humans. However, limited studies have described the temporal accumulation of plastic in freshwater sediments that may help to describe any changes in microplastic discharges over time. Here, we aimed to explore microplastic distribution in freshwater sediments and the impact of land cover type on microplastics within watersheds. Four sediment cores were collected from depositional environments in four different watersheds in Pennsylvania, United States, representing a range of land uses. We also collected synoptic surficial grab sediment samples along a 30 km stretch of one watershed both upstream and downstream of a sediment core to observe longitudinal microplastic distribution. Sediment cores were sectioned and measured radioisotope dating to establish an age model. Microplastics were then extracted, quantified, and identified based on morphology under a stereomicroscope. Microplastics were categorized as four different morphological types including fiber, fragment, film, and pellet. ArcGIS was used to determine land cover and population density within the watershed. Temporal microplastic distribution showed varying patterns in terms of concentration and morphology versus sediment depth (and age) among the locations. Interestingly, microplastic concentrations in these sediment cores were not correlated to the percentage of urban areas and population density within the watershed. Instead, the highest microplastic contamination was found in the watershed with the highest open water land cover, indicating the potential for atmospheric transport of microplastics. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559029/document
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Impact of land cover on microplastics accumulation in freshwater sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected sediment cores from four Pennsylvania watersheds with different land uses to examine how land cover influences microplastic accumulation in freshwater sediments over time. Urban and agricultural watersheds showed higher microplastic concentrations than forested watersheds, with fibers being the most common morphotype.
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Researchers analyzed decadal trends in microplastic accumulation using freshwater sediment cores, examining how land use, hydrological factors, and global plastic production influenced deposition over time. Microplastic concentrations increased consistently across cores, with local factors modulating the rate of accumulation at individual sites.
Spatio and temporal dynamics of microplastic fluxes within the watercourses of a peri-urban watershed
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Researchers tracked the spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastic fluxes within a river catchment over time, linking plastic transport patterns to land use activities. The study found that land use type is a key driver of when and how much microplastic enters and moves through watercourses.
Associations between microplastic pollution and land use in urban wetland sediments
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This study examined microplastic pollution in urban wetlands and found that land use patterns -- particularly the proportion of impervious surfaces and proximity to urban infrastructure -- strongly predicted microplastic concentrations in wetland sediments.
Microplastic Pollution in Freshwater Sediments: Spatial–Temporal Patterns
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This global review of freshwater sediment studies finds that human activities, stormwater runoff, water flow, and sediment grain size all shape where microplastics accumulate in rivers and lakes, but most data come from Asia with limited coverage elsewhere. Filling these geographic and temporal gaps is essential for understanding the long-term fate of microplastics in freshwater systems that supply drinking water worldwide.
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