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