We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics in China Sea: Analysis, status, source, and fate
Summary
This comprehensive review of microplastic research in China Seas compiled data from coastal and offshore studies, finding widespread contamination in seawater, sediment, and biota, with major sources including riverine runoff from densely populated river basins and fishing activities, and highlighting gaps in deep-sea and tidal flat monitoring.
Microplastics (MPs) in marine environments have raised increasing concerns worldwide in recent years. China is one of the largest plastic producers in the world. In this review, available information on MPs in China Sea was reviewed, including studies on seawater, sediment, and biota. The status and limits of sampling methods of MPs were summarized, such as sampling tools, sampling volume, and depth of sampling. The analytical methods of MPs were outlined, such as sieving, density separation, purification, filtration, and visual sorting. The characteristics of MPs, such as abundances, sizes, shapes, polymer types, sources, and fates were analyzed. The abundances of MPs in China Sea varied from 0.1 to 27,840.0 items m in seawater, and from 13.0 to 14,712.0 items kg d.w. in sediments. Furthermore, MPs were mainly featured with sizes ranging from 0.001 to 0.5 mm, with colors of transparent and black, and polymer types of polypropylene and polyethylene. To promote research on MPs in China Sea, the sampling and analytical methods were insufficiently standardized and should be improved. As for microplastic (MP) pollution in China Sea, laws and regulations have already been established to manage and control plastic waste. Furthermore, several suggestions to control plastic pollution were as follows: (1) control marine plastic pollution at the source; (2) strengthen technological innovations; (3) urge people to minimize disposable plastic products in their daily lives; (4) strengthen international cooperation in the treatment of marine plastic waste.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
A review of microplastic pollution in seawater, sediments and organisms of the Chinese coastal and marginal seas
This review compiled microplastic abundance and characteristics data from seawater, sediments, and marine organisms across China's coastal and marginal seas, finding widespread contamination linked to China's extensive plastic production and mismanaged waste streams.
Pollution status of microplastics in the freshwater environment of China: a mini review
This review assessed microplastic pollution in China's freshwater environments including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, finding widespread contamination in surface waters, sediments, and biota with variations linked to population density and industrial activity.
Research Progress of Microplastics in Freshwater Sediments in China
This review synthesizes Chinese research on microplastic pollution in freshwater sediments, covering detection methods, contamination levels across river systems, sources, and the potential ecological and human health implications.
Microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems: A review of findings, methods, characteristics, effects, and management
This review synthesized findings on microplastic pollution across China's inland water systems — rivers, lakes, and reservoirs — documenting widespread contamination and identifying gaps in monitoring methods and research coverage.
The contamination of microplastics in China's aquatic environment: Occurrence, detection and implications for ecological risk
This review summarized microplastic contamination across marine environments, freshwater systems, and wastewater treatment plants in China, one of the world's top plastic-producing countries. The study highlights that research on how microplastics transfer between connected water environments remains lacking, and the microscale toxicity of microplastics is still poorly understood.