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Occurrence of microplastics in the headwaters of Yellow River on the Tibetan Plateau: Source analysis and ecological risk assessment

Journal of Hazardous Materials 2024 12 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Sansan Feng, H B Li, H B Li, H B Li, H B Li, H B Li, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Yuxuan Xue, H B Li, H B Li, H B Li, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Xiaohan Zhang, Hongwei Lu, Hongwei Lu, Hongwei Lu, Hongwei Lu, Hongwei Lu, Sansan Feng, Yuxuan Xue, Sansan Feng, Yuxuan Xue, Yunlong Liu, Yuxuan Xue, Yuxuan Xue, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, Sansan Feng, H B Li, Sansan Feng, Pengdong Yan Yunlong Liu, Yuxuan Xue, Yuxuan Xue, Yuxuan Xue, Yuxuan Xue, Yunlong Liu, H B Li, Xiaohan Zhang, H B Li, Xiaohan Zhang, Xiaohan Zhang, Pengdong Yan H B Li, Chaodong Zhou, Chaodong Zhou, Yuxuan Xue, H B Li, H B Li, Pengdong Yan Xiaohan Zhang, Xiaohan Zhang, Xiaohan Zhang, H B Li, H B Li, Xiaohan Zhang, Xiaohan Zhang, Xiaohan Zhang, Pengdong Yan Pengdong Yan

Summary

Researchers documented microplastic contamination in the headwaters of the Yellow River on the Tibetan Plateau, a remote area often considered pristine. They found polypropylene and polyester particles to be the most common types, with sources linked to both local human activities and atmospheric transport. The study suggests that even remote high-altitude ecosystems are not immune to microplastic pollution and face associated ecological risks.

Polymers

Study Type Environmental

The widespread occurrence of Microplastics (MPs) has aroused increasing concerns. However, the fate of MPs in remote areas remains poorly understood. Here, the spatial distribution, potential sources, and environmental risks of MPs were analyzed in the headstream of the Yellow River on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The average MP abundances are (464.3 ± 200.9) items /m and (63.6 ± 34.7) items /kg in the water and sediment, respectively, with both majority polymer is polypropylene (PP) (water: 28.7 %; sediment: 25.2 %). The structural equation modeling and conditional fragmentation model were used in this study to analyze the source and impact factors of riverine MPs. According to the models, MPs were influenced by water quality parameters and anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, the source analysis through MP characteristics and statistical analysis showed that the main sources of MPs include domestic sewage, plastic waste disposal, and the use of agricultural plastic film. Moreover, the differences in MP sources along the river were distinguished by the conditional fragmentation model. The potential ecological risks of MPs were evaluated, resulting in relatively medium-to-low levels. Our findings will serve as important references for improving the understanding of the plateau environmental impacts of MP distribution in the headwaters of large rivers.

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