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Investigation on microplastic pollution of Dongting Lake and its affiliated rivers
Summary
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in Dongting Lake and its affiliated rivers in China, collecting 15 surface water and 15 sediment samples from across the lake district and finding microplastic abundances of 0.62-4.31 items/m3 in water and 21-52 items/100 g dry weight in sediments. Fibers dominated and the results indicate the lake system is a significant microplastic sink fed by surrounding river networks.
At present, the occurrence and pollution of microplastics have caused widespread concern, but there are still few studies on inland lake and its affiliated rivers. In this study, we monitored the existence and characteristics of microplastics in Dongting Lake and its affiliated rivers. Our sampling site covers almost the entire lake district. A total of 15 surface water samples and 15 sediment samples were collected. The abundance of microplastics achieved 0.62-4.31 items/m in plankton net samples, with 21-52 items/100 g dw in sediments. The microplastics were dominated by fiber, 0.9-0.333 mm of surface water and ˂0.1 mm of sediments in size. The color of transparent occupied the majority in all microplastics samples. There was no significant difference in the average concentration of microplastics between the four river mouths and the whole lake and the rivers may have important potential contribution to the microplastics pollution in the lake.