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Occurrence and Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics in Surface Water of China: a Review
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Researchers synthesized the literature on microplastic occurrence and distribution in Chinese surface waters, finding mean river concentrations ranging from 0.57 to 930 particles per liter, with fibers and sub-millimeter particles predominating and polypropylene and polyethylene as the most common polymers. As Chinese cities increasingly rely on surface water as drinking water sources, the high and variable microplastic loads documented across river and lake systems represent a direct human exposure pathway demanding stronger pollution monitoring and control.
As an emerging contaminant, microplastics (MPs) have caused global environmental pollution and become the focus of current research. This research presents a comprehensive literature review on the occurrence and distribution characteristics of MPs in surface water within China. The findings demonstrate that stainless steel barrels currently serve as the predominant tool for water sampling, whereas Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer and Raman spectrometer are extensively employed for the detection of MPs. The mean abundance of MPs in rivers ranges from 0.57 to 930.00 n/L, while in lakes and reservoirs, it varies between 1.30 and 27.50 n/L. The size of MPs in surface waters is mainly less than 1 mm, with the transparent or white fibrous forms being the most frequently observed morphology, and polypropylene and polyethylene emerge as the primary polymer types. Additionally, the investigation of MPs in lakes and reservoirs in Northeast China and South China remains unexplored. Currently, an increasing number of Chinese cities are opting for surface water as their water source, so more studies should focus on enhancing the accumulation of research data on MPs in surface water to provide substantial support for the development of pollution control measures in the future.
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