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Integrating species sensitivity distributions and toxicity thresholds: A probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics in Yazhou Bay, South China Sea
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Researchers assessed microplastic abundance and ecological risk in Yazhou Bay, South China Sea, finding surface water concentrations of 3,437 n/m³ with a modeled estimate reaching 241,000 n/m³ when accounting for smaller particle sizes. Species sensitivity distribution analysis identified significant ecological risk to marine organisms at detected concentrations.
This study systematically assessed microplastics (MPs) pollution status and ecological risk in Yazhou Bay, South China Sea. The results revealed that the abundance of MPs in the surface water of Yazhou Bay was 3,436.67 ± 1,581.37 n/m 3 , while the abundance estimated based on a power-law distribution reached as high as 2.41 × 10 5 n/m 3 . Within biota, the abundance of MPs ranged from 0 to 0.40 ± 0.52 n/Ind, predominantly consisting of transparent polyester fibers (1∼2 mm), indicating a relatively low contamination level. Characterization of MPs showed significant differences in particle size, color, and type between those in water and biota, reflecting selectivity in biological ingestion. To evaluate the ecological risk of MPs, species sensitivity distribution (SSD) was constructed using antioxidant enzyme activities as toxicity endpoints, combined with risk quotient (RQ) and joint probability curve (JPC) methods. The results indicated that although RQ values exceeded 1 at some sampling sites, suggesting potential threats, the JPC analysis revealed that the overall ecological risk in Yazhou Bay waters was low, with insignificant oxidative stress impacts on local biota. The innovation of this study lies in being the first to construct an SSD model using a single oxidative stress indicator, integrating literature data with laboratory results. This approach provides more precise toxicity data for MPs ecological risk assessment and explores the potential application of key biomarkers in risk evaluation. This methodology offers a new perspective and reference for future research. Future studies should investigate the sources of fiber pollution, while policymakers could prioritize reducing polyesters in wastewater treatment to mitigate MPs pollution. • SSD was constructed using the same toxicity endpoints for consistency. • SSD results varied across different toxicity endpoints. • MPs abundance in Yazhou Bay was 3,436.67±1,581.37 n/m 3 . • Most MPs were transparent polyester fibers (1∼2 mm). • RQ and JPC results indicated low ecological risk in Yazhou Bay.
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