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Distribution and possible sources of atmospheric microplastic deposition in a valley basin city (Lanzhou, China)
Summary
Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition in Lanzhou, a valley basin city in China, during the COVID-19 pandemic period from February to August 2020. They found an average deposition rate of about 354 particles per square meter per day, predominantly small PET fragments and fibers, with local human activity identified as the main source. The study suggests that human activity patterns and rainfall are the dominant factors influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of airborne microplastics in urban environments.
The deposition is an important process of microplastics transporting from atmosphere to water and soil. But the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in urban atmospheric deposition and its influencing factors are poorly understood. The current study investigated the possible sources, spatial and temporal distribution, and potential ecological risk of microplastics in deposition from the valley basin of Lanzhou city during the COVID-19 pandemic (from February to August, 2020). The deposition flux of microplastics was 353.83 n m d. Most plastic samples were small sized (50～500 µm) and transparent. The dominant chemical composition and shapes were PET, fragments and fibers, respectively. A modified method was conducted to identify the sources of microplastics, and the local sources were suggested as the main possible sources. The distribution of microplastics investigated through the inverse distance weight interpolation showed spatial variation and temporal differentiation which was dominated by the human activity. The rainfall also affected the temporal distribution. The preliminary assessment indicated higher potential ecological risk of microplastics in deposition. This study suggested the dominant effect of human activity on the source and distribution of atmospheric microplastic deposition in city.
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