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Rainfall is a significant environmental factor of microplastic pollution in inland waters
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Researchers investigated the role of rainfall as a driver of microplastic pollution in inland waters, a factor that had been largely overlooked in previous studies focused on human activities. The study found that rainfall is a significant environmental factor influencing microplastic distribution in freshwater systems, suggesting that non-anthropogenic processes play an important role in how microplastics move through watersheds.
Worldwide, increasing attention is being paid to the issue of microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems, yet there is a relative lack of knowledge concerning the pollution of microplastic in inland water systems, although these microplastics are major sources of ocean pollution. In aquatic environments, previous efforts have mainly been devoted to exploring the impact of human-related activities on microplastic pollution, but little is known about non-anthropogenic effects on microplastic distribution. In this paper, the relationship between rainfall and the microplastic concentration of surface water was studied for the first time. The investigation was conducted in Lake Donghu (the largest urban lake in China) from July 23 to September 1, 2019. The abundance of microplastics in the lake water ranged from 7.4 to 29.6 items/L. The dominant size of the collected microplastics was less than 2 mm, with a dominant fiber shape and a dominant transparent color. Our results demonstrated that microplastic concentration was significantly related to rainfall. Therefore, high frequency sampling and rainfall data are needed to accurately evaluate microplastic pollution as well as its consequences.
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Effects of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the distribution and abundance of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems
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Researchers reviewed nearly 6,500 articles to identify the environmental and human factors driving microplastic distribution in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. They found that both natural factors like water flow and temperature, and human activities like urbanization and agriculture, significantly influence where microplastics accumulate in rivers and lakes. The study provides a framework for predicting microplastic pollution hotspots and prioritizing monitoring efforts in freshwater systems.
The atmospheric microplastics deposition contributes to microplastic pollution in urban waters
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Researchers investigated how atmospheric deposition contributes to microplastic pollution in urban waters. The study found that microplastic deposition fluxes were higher during wet weather than dry weather and showed moderate to strong correlations with atmospheric conditions, demonstrating that airborne microplastic fallout is a meaningful source of contamination in urban water environments.
Microplastic pollution of the Tamsui River and its tributaries in northern Taiwan: Spatial heterogeneity and correlation with precipitation
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Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in the Tamsui River and its tributaries in northern Taiwan, collecting samples over three months. They found microplastics in every sample, with concentrations varying widely between rivers, from 2.5 to 83.7 particles per cubic meter. The study found a positive correlation between rainfall and microplastic abundance, suggesting that precipitation washes plastic debris from land into waterways.
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This review examines how natural factors like rainfall, wind, sunlight, aquatic organisms, and water geography affect where microplastics end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Understanding these movement patterns is important for predicting which water sources are most contaminated and where human exposure through drinking water or seafood is likely highest.
Behavior of macro and microplastics in surface waters in response to extreme meteorological events: a case study on a typical Mediterranean watershed.
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Researchers measured macro- and microplastic concentrations in Mediterranean freshwaters during dry and wet weather periods, finding that rainfall events dramatically increased plastic loads in urban waterways. More urbanized catchments showed higher plastic concentrations during storm events, confirming that urban stormwater runoff is a major driver of microplastic input to rivers. The study highlights the importance of monitoring during and after rain events to capture the full scale of plastic pollution in urban rivers.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.