Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Sign in to save

Impact of persistent rain on microplastics distribution and plastisphere community: A field study in the Pearl River, China

The Science of The Total Environment 2023 45 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Leiye Sun, Quanyun Ye, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Minye Huang, Leiye Sun, Quanyun Ye, Leiye Sun, Minye Huang, Quanyun Ye, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Quanyun Ye, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Jieyu Liu, Quanyun Ye, Quanyun Ye, Quanyun Ye, Leiye Sun, Quanyun Ye, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Leiye Sun, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Quanyun Ye, Pingxiao Wu, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Tianming Wang, Jieyu Liu, Leiye Sun, Quanyun Ye, Jiayan Wu, Minye Huang, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Jiayan Wu, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Minye Huang, Minye Huang, Pingxiao Wu, Leiye Sun, Tianming Wang, Leiye Sun, Minye Huang, Minye Huang, Leiye Sun, Leiye Sun, Minye Huang, Minye Huang, Jieyu Liu, Tianming Wang, Jieyu Liu, Jiayan Wu, Minye Huang, Tianming Wang, Minye Huang, Pingxiao Wu, Jieyu Liu, Jieyu Liu, Pingxiao Wu, Minye Huang, Quanyun Ye, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Quanyun Ye, Pingxiao Wu, Jieyu Liu, Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu Quanyun Ye, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Pingxiao Wu, Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu Quanyun Ye, Quanyun Ye, Nengwu Zhu Nengwu Zhu

Summary

Researchers studied the Pearl River in China and found that persistent rain increased the amount and variety of microplastics in surface water while decreasing them in sediments. The heavy rainfall stirred up settled particles, temporarily turning river sediments from microplastic sinks into sources. The study highlights how weather events can redistribute microplastic pollution and alter the microbial communities that grow on plastic surfaces.

Polymers

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic contamination is a global problem which has been threatening human health and the environment. There is still a knowledge gap about the effect of persistent rain on microplastics distribution and plastisphere community in fluvial environments. In this study, the abundance and composition of microplastics in the sediment and surface water from the Pearl River was investigated. Thirty polymers (10-500 μm) were identified from thirty-eight samples collected at ten sites using the newly developed laser direct infrared (LDIR) technique. The average concentrations of microplastics in the sediment and surface water were 1974 particles kg and 290 particles L, respectively. Abnormally high concentrations of polyurethanes (PU) were possibly due to particulate pollution from ship antifouling. The persistent rain increased the abundance and diversity of microplastics in the surface water, whereas an opposite trend was observed in the sediment. Sediments could temporarily switch from microplastics sinks to potential sources under the effect of violent hydrodynamic disturbances. Additionally, plastisphere communities and predicted functional profiles indicated significant differences before and after the rain. Our study highlights the important impact of persistent rain on microplastic contamination in the environment.

Read via DOI PubMed

Share this paper

Post Share Share Pin Email