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Distribution pattern and influencing factors for the microplastics in continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea surface sediments from the South China Sea

Environmental Pollution 2022 63 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Ying Wang, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Hongyu Chen, Ying Wang, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Qihang Liao, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Qihang Liao, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Wenwen Yu, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Ziyue Feng, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Ziyue Feng, Qihang Liao, Wenwen Yu, Yongcheng Ding, Qihang Liao, Yongcheng Ding, Ying Wang, Yongcheng Ding, Qihang Liao, Yongcheng Ding, Guanghe Fu, Qihang Liao, Wenwen Yu, Yongcheng Ding, Qihang Liao, Qihang Liao, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Wenwen Yu, Wenwen Yu, Ziyue Feng, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Ziyue Feng, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qihang Liao, Guanghe Fu, Hongyu Chen, Qihang Liao, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Wenwen Yu, Wenwen Yu, Wenwen Yu, Wenwen Yu, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Qinya Fan, Hongyu Chen, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Qinya Fan, Guanghe Fu, Qinya Fan, Ziyue Feng, Ziyue Feng, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Guanghe Fu, Ziyue Feng, Ziyue Feng, Wenwen Yu, Ying Wang, Wenwen Yu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Wenwen Yu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Wenwen Yu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou

Summary

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in surface sediments across the continental shelf, slope, and deep-sea floor of the northern South China Sea. The study found an average abundance of about 131 particles per kilogram, with distribution patterns influenced by ocean currents, water depth, and proximity to river inputs.

Study Type Environmental

Marine microplastic pollution has become a major global concern in recent years and the fate of microplastics in the ocean is a hot issue of research. We investigated microplastic pollution in surface sediments in the northern South China Sea to explore its distribution characteristics and influencing factors across the continental shelf, continental slope, and deep-sea environments. It was found that the microplastic abundance of surface sediments was 130.56 ± 40.48 items/kg. The average abundance of microplastics in all three topographic areas gradually decreased with increasing distance offshore. However, the differences in microplastic diversity indices between the three areas were not significant and were higher than those in other seas of the world, indicating that the waters of the northern South China Sea are rich in microplastics from complex sources, with more pollution input channels. In the continental shelf, fibrous and low density microplastics accounted for the largest amount, with a low degree of microplastic aging, and were mostly transported by suspended-load. These microplastics were mainly influenced by human activities. In the deep sea, microplastics with higher density were the most abundant and the number of fibrous microplastics was fewer, while the average size was larger, mainly influenced by the bottom currents. These microplastics underwent long-term bedload transport. In the continental slope, the main factors affecting the distribution of microplastics were more complex. In addition to pollution by human activities, the slope also receives microplastic materials carried by bottom currents; therefore, the composition of microplastics in the slope combines those characteristics of microplastics in both the continental shelf and deep-sea areas. The findings of this study indicate that the South China Sea is affected by complex pollution sources under the dual effects of human activities and natural conditions; in particular, the pollution situation in the deep-sea area needs extensive attention.

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