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Sequestration and export of microplastics in urban river sediments

Environment International 2023 46 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.

Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Feiyang Xia, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Feiyang Xia, Yanpeng Cai Haiguang Qin, Feiyang Xia, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Haiguang Qin, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Jun Zhang, Jun Zhang, Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Jun Zhang, Jun Zhang, Jun Zhang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Jun Zhang, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Dunqiu Wang, Qian Tan, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Jun Zhang, Yanpeng Cai Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Dunqiu Wang, Yanpeng Cai Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Dunqiu Wang, Dunqiu Wang, Qian Tan, Qian Tan, Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai Yanpeng Cai

Summary

Researchers quantified how urban riverbeds sequester microplastics during low-flow conditions and release them during seasonal rainfall events. They found that rainfall exported approximately 35% of stored microplastic pollution from the riverbed, with wider riverbeds forming greater accumulation hotspots. The study also found that rainfall-driven scouring particularly mobilized the smallest microplastics under 100 micrometers, offering a possible explanation for why these tiny particles are often underrepresented in river surveys.

Study Type Environmental

In rivers, riverbeds are considered to have dual properties as a short-term sink and a source of further mobilization for microplastics. To better understand the sources, storage, and fate of microplastics in river systems, this study quantified the formation of microplastic hotspots in riverbeds and seasonal variations in microplastic inventories in riverbeds, especially for small-sized microplastics (<330 µm), with a fluorescence-based protocol. This study provides first-hand measured evidence for the sequestration of microplastics in the riverbed under low-flow conditions and its export from the riverbed under high-flow conditions. The results show that riverbeds in urban areas are still hotspots for microplastic pollution and that high inputs of urban microplastics control microplastic load in its downstream areas. Seasonal rainfall exported 34.86 % (equivalent to 4.34 × 10 items/8.57 t) of microplastic pollution from the riverbed, and its removal capacity may be related to the rainfall intensity. Wider riverbeds are conducive to the formation of microplastic hotspots due to the flow slow down. Most importantly, rainfall-driven scouring of the riverbed can enhance the pollution of small-sized microplastics in the riverbed, especially the smallest-size microplastics (<100 µm). Therefore, this study not only contributes reliable information about the sequestration and export of microplastics in the riverbed, but also provides a possible mechanism to explain the lack of small-sized microplastics (<330 µm) in the ocean.

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