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Contributions from typical sources to microplastics in surface water of a semiarid urban river
Summary
Researchers quantified the contributions of typical sources to microplastic pollution in the Yellow River's Lanzhou section. The study found that wastewater treatment plant effluent and urban tributaries were the dominant sources, with fibers and fragments composed mainly of polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide, highlighting the role of urban areas in river microplastic contamination.
Urban regions are suggested to be the main source of microplastic pollution in rivers. Thus, we investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics in the surface water of the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River in a semiarid region and the contributions of typical sources. The average concentration of microplastics in the surface water of the river was 0.98 particles (p) L. The daily quantity flux and mass flux were 3.63 × 10 p d and 95.38 kg d, respectively. Most of the microplastics in the river were fibers and fragments, composed of polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polypropylene and polyethylene. A large quantity and mass of microplastics were found in the high-flow period of the river. The hotspots of microplastic pollution were residential and tourist reaches. The spatial distribution of microplastics was influenced by anthropogenic factors. However, the main factor influencing the temporal distribution of microplastics was precipitation seasonality. Most of the microplastics in the surface water originated from drainage ditches. The direct contribution of microplastics from atmospheric deposition was also considerable. Our results suggest that the contribution of microplastics from atmospheric deposition to urban rivers is worthy of attention.
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