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Characterization of Microplastic Contamination and Risk Assessment in the Surface Waters of Rural Rivers in South China
Summary
Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in a rural Chinese river across wet and dry seasons, finding higher concentrations during the wet season and identifying agricultural plastic films as the primary source; despite lower overall abundance than urban rivers, the presence of hazardous PVC raised significant ecological risk concerns.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and may threaten the ecosystem. Currently, research on MP pollution in China has focused on urban and coastal areas. To better understand the extent of MP pollution in the surface water of rural areas, we investigated the abundance, particle size, color, shape, and polymer chemical characteristics of MPs in the Longjiang River in China during the wet season (August) and dry season (December). The results showed that MPs were detected at all 12 sampling sites in August and December, with higher mean abundances observed in August (112.60 ± 5.63 items/m3) than in December (49.34 ± 2.47 items/m3). The predominant particle sizes of the MPs ranged from 100–500 µm, transparent was the most common appearance, and debris was the most common shape. Chemical characterization revealed that polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the major polymer types. Correlation analysis indicated that agricultural film usage was the primary source of MP pollution in the Longjiang River basin. Risk assessments were conducted based on the chemical characteristics and abundances of MPs, revealing a high risk level due to the presence of hazardous PVC. However, the overall potential ecological level of MP pollution in the Longjiang River basin was lower than that observed in urban areas due to the lower abundances and pollution loads. This study provides valuable baseline data to assess the environmental risks associated with MPs and serves as a basis to formulate effective environmental policies.