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Microplastic in tropical island estuaries in China: Source identification and management framework development
Marine Environmental Research2025
Score: 38
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Bin Chen,
Yang Zhou,
Minggang Cai
Bin Chen,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Bin Chen,
Yang Zhou,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Bin Chen,
Yang Zhou,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Bin Chen,
Minggang Cai
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Bin Chen,
Bin Chen,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Bin Chen,
Yang Zhou,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Hengxiang Li,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Hengxiang Li,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Hengxiang Li,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Hengxiang Li,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Yang Zhou,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Yang Zhou,
Bin Chen,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Yi-Xin Chen,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Bin Chen,
Yang Zhou,
Bin Chen,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Kazi Belayet Hossain,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Hengxiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Bin Chen,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Bin Chen,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Bin Chen,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Hengxiang Li,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Bin Chen,
Minggang Cai
Bin Chen,
Xiaoshan Zhu,
Minggang Cai
Hengxiang Li,
Minggang Cai
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Minggang Cai
Summary
Researchers found surprisingly higher microplastic concentrations in the less-urbanized Wanquan River Estuary compared to the Nandu River Estuary in Hainan Island, China, suggesting that tourism and agricultural activities may contribute more significantly to microplastic pollution than urbanization alone.
This study investigates a comprehensive assessment of microplastic (MP) pollution in the contrasting estuarine systems of Hainan Island, China: the urbanized Nandu River Estuary and the less-developed Wanquan River Estuary. Analysis of surface water samples revealed an overall MP abundance ranging from 0.05 to 0.60 particles/m. A notable finding was the significantly higher concentration in the Wanquan Estuary (0.32 ± 0.13 particles/m) compared to the Nandu Estuary (0.17 ± 0.10 particles/m), suggesting that tourism and agricultural activities may be more significant contributors than urbanisation alone in this context. Morphologically, MPs were predominantly linear and fibrous, with white and blue being the most common colors, and a size distribution concentrated in the 500-2000 μm range. Polymer composition analysis identified Polyolefins, polyester, and polyethylene as dominant, with signatures pointing to distinct anthropogenic sources for each estuary: packaging, textiles, and fisheries for the Nandu, and agricultural films and tourism-related waste for the Wanquan. Statistical correlations indicated that water temperature and pH enhanced MP suspension, while turbidity facilitated sedimentation. Source apportionment via Principal Component Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression confirmed these links, highlighting tourism (wet wipes, textiles), fisheries (abandoned gear), and inadequate waste management as primary pathways. The relatively low abundances, compared to global estuaries, potentially reflect the positive impact of Hainan's stringent plastic bans. However, the persistence of specific polymers underscores the need for continued, targeted management strategies. This research establishes a critical baseline for MP pollution in tropical estuaries and offers valuable insights for policy-making aimed at mitigating marine plastic pollution.