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Environmental fate of microplastics in the world's third-largest river: Basin-wide investigation and microplastic community analysis
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Researchers conducted a basin-wide investigation of microplastics throughout the entire Yangtze River system, sampling water, sediment, and soil. The study found microplastics in all samples with abundance increasing from upstream to downstream, driven by both geographical and human factors, with major cities at the middle and lower reaches identified as key pollution nodes.
Rivers have been recognized as major transport pathways for microplastics into the sea but large-scale quantitative data on the environmental fate of riverine microplastics remains limited, hindering proper risk assessment and development of regulatory measures. Microplastics in the whole Yangtze River Basin of China were systematically investigated by sampling the water, sediment, and soil. Microplastics were detected in all samples, with an average abundance of 1.27 items/L, 286.20 items/kg, and 338.09 items/kg for water, sediments, and soils, respectively, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most abundant polymers. A generally increasing trend of microplastic abundance from upstream to downstream was identified, which were co-attributed by geographical and anthropogenic factors including elevation, longitude, distance from the nearest city, population density, urbanization rate, and land use. Microplastics in the sediments showed more prominent vertical migration than those in the soils, and the density and size of microplastics may be the key factors governing the migration of microplastics across different compartments. Community analysis showed that microplastics in different compartments were significantly different and highly correlated with geographical distance. Major cities at the middle and lower reaches were considered pivotal nodes of microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River Basin. Policy recommendations were also proposed towards better remediation of microplastic pollution involving riverine systems.
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Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in sediments along 54 sites spanning the Yangtze River system in China, from the upper reaches to the estuary. Microplastics were found throughout, with higher concentrations near urban and industrial areas, showing how large rivers distribute plastic pollution across vast distances.
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