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Spatial-temporal distribution of microplastics in surface water and sediments of Maozhou River within Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The Science of The Total Environment 2019 270 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Siqing Wang, Zongwei Cai Siqing Wang, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Miao Dang, Hangbiao Jin, Yuanyuan Tang, Chunmiao Zheng, Miao Dang, Chunmiao Zheng, Yuanyuan Tang, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Yuanyuan Tang, Pengfei Wu, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Pengfei Wu, Siqing Wang, Siqing Wang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yunsong Liu, Zongwei Cai Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Yuanyuan Tang, Hangbiao Jin, Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Pengfei Wu, Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Pengfei Wu, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Yunsong Liu, Pengfei Wu, Hangbiao Jin, Hangbiao Jin, Zongwei Cai Hangbiao Jin, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Hao Jing, Pengfei Wu, Pengfei Wu, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Yuanyuan Tang, Hao Jing, Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Pengfei Wu, Chunmiao Zheng, Chunmiao Zheng, Zongwei Cai Chunmiao Zheng, Yuanyuan Tang, Hangbiao Jin, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Chunmiao Zheng, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Shuping Yi, Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai Chunmiao Zheng, Zongwei Cai Yuanyuan Tang, Zongwei Cai Zongwei Cai

Summary

Researchers mapped the spatial and seasonal distribution of microplastics along the Maozhou River in China's Greater Bay Area. They found that microplastic concentrations were highest near industrial areas and downstream sites, with dry season levels significantly exceeding wet season levels. The dominant polymer types were polyethylene and polystyrene, and metals were detected on the surfaces of recovered microplastic particles.

Polymers

PE PP PS PVC

Study Type Environmental

Concerns over the negative impacts of microplastics on human health have led to growing attention on the occurrence of microplastics in aquatic environment. Recent studies have extended their focus from marine to inland waters, especially on the spatial-temporal distribution of the microplastics in urban rivers. In this study, Maozhou River, the largest river in Shenzhen, a tributary of the Pearl River, was selected as a representative inland waterway of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The spatial-temporal investigation was performed on microplastics in the surface water and sediments of 17 sites along the mainstream of the Maozhou River. Results show that microplastics were widely and unevenly distributed along the river and reached the high abundances on the site most intensively surrounded by industries as well as the sites downstream. The abundances in dry season ranged from 4.0 ± 1.0 to 25.5 ± 3.5 items·L in water and 35 ± 15 to 560 ± 70 item·kg in sediments, which were relatively higher than those observed in the wet season (water: 3.5 ± 1.0 to 10.5 ± 2.5 items·L; sediments: 25 ± 5 to 360 ± 90 item·kg; p value < 0.05). The dominant types of the microplastics were identified as: PE Polyethylene (PE, water: 45.0%, sediments: 42.0%), polypropylene (PP, water and sediments: 12.5%), polystyrene (PS, water: 34.5%; sediments 14.5%) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC, water: 2.0%; sediments: 15%). Moreover, metals like Al, Si, Ca were discovered on the rough surface of the microplastics, indicating the interactions between the microplastics and the aquatic environment. Through a comprehensive comparison with other major inland waters in China, this work provides valuable data on the microplastics pollution of a representative inland water in the Greater Bay Area, and will further contribute to a better understanding on the land-based input of microplastics from the intensively affected inland waters.

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