Microplastics in Sediments of River Yongfeng from Maanshan City, Anhui Province, China

This study was performed to evaluate the microplastics (MPs) pollution of sediments from River Yongfeng. It was observed that the MPs in sediments were present with contents of 0.5-16.75 mg/kg and abundances of 5-72 items/kg, coupled by variation coefficients of 109% and 91%, respectively, indicating that the distribution of MPs had high spatial variation. The land-based source of business zone is thought to be the significant contributor to accumulation of MPs in those sites with high quantity of MPs. Film was the predominant shape of MPs in river sediments followed by the line and fragment ones. Meanwhile, the MPs detected were mainly composed by four types including Polypropylene (24%), Polyethylene (61%), Polyethylene Terephthalate (8%) and Polystyrene (7%) based on number fraction, respectively, which indicates that Polypropylene and Polyethylene were the major types of MPs in the sediments. Size fraction performance suggests that those MPs < 1000 μm were of ubiquitous presence. The weathering of fringes was universally observed regardless of varying surface among MPs. Despite digestion with oxidative acid solution and subsequent washing by distilled water unexpected elements can still be detected, which should be considered as determining the materials associated.