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Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in the Haihe River: An investigation of a seagoing river flowing through a megacity in northern China

Environmental Pollution 2020 171 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Shu Tao, Liyuan Chen, Liyuan Chen, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, ChuanYang Cai, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, ChuanYang Cai, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, JiaoDi Zhang, Shu Tao, Shu Tao, Liyuan Chen, Liyuan Chen, Liyuan Chen, Yong He, Yong He, Yong He, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, JiaoDi Zhang, Yang Liu, Shu Tao, Liyuan Chen, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, Xiong Xiong, JiaoDi Zhang, Yang Liu, Yong He, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, JiaoDi Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Shu Tao, Xiong Xiong, Shu Tao, Yang Liu, Shu Tao, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Wenxin Liu Shu Tao, Shu Tao, Yang Liu, Xiong Xiong, Yang Liu, Yang Liu, Huijing Huang, Wenxin Liu Shu Tao, Shu Tao, Wenxin Liu

Summary

Microplastics were found throughout the Haihe River in northern China at concentrations of 0.69 to 74.95 items per square meter, with fibers dominant and polyethylene and polypropylene the most common polymers. Weathering features including scratches and micropores on particle surfaces confirmed long-term environmental exposure before collection.

Polymers

PE PP

Study Type Environmental

Freshwater systems serve as important sources and transportation routes for marine microplastic pollution, and inadequate attention has been paid to this situation. Data on microplastic pollution of typical seagoing rivers in northern China are lacking. In the current study, we investigated the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the main stream of the Haihe River, which flows through a metropolis with a high population density and level of industrialization and then flows into the Bohai Sea. The microplastic samples were collected by manta trawls with pore sizes of 333 μm, and the microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.69 to 74.95 items/m. Fibers dominated in the surface water of the Haihe River; their shapes that were categorized as fibers, film, foam, fragments, and spheres, and contributed 17.4-86.7% of the total microplastics studied. The size distribution of the microplastics was concentrated in a range of 100-1000 μm, with 54.7% of the total sizes corresponding to the 333-μm trawl. Micro-Fourier transform infrared (μ-FT-IR) spectra showed that the main components were polyethylene, poly(ethylene-propylene) copolymer, and polypropylene. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) measurements revealed scratches, micropores, and cracks on the surfaces of the microplastics due to mechanical friction, chemical oxidation and degradation processes. The results of this study confirmed the high abundance and high diversity of microplastics in an urban river and indicated appreciable impacts from point-source inputs on the microplastic pollution, such as effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

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