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Microplastic contamination in freshwater: first observation in Lake Ulansuhai, Yellow River Basin, China
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Researchers detected microplastics in Lake Ulansuhai in northern China at concentrations up to 10,120 particles per cubic meter, with higher levels near drainage canals and metallic elements like iron, calcium, and zinc adsorbed onto particle surfaces. The presence of metal-laden microplastics in this freshwater lake raises compound pollution concerns for downstream ecosystems and communities relying on the Yellow River basin.
Microplastic pollution has been widely studied in the marine environment, but is much less explored in terrestrial waters, notably in China. Therefore, we studied the degree of microplastic pollution in surface waters of Lake Ulansuhai, a major freshwater lake in the Yellow River basin of northern China. Results show microplastic concentrations ranging from 1760 ± 710 to 10,120 ± 4090 n/m3. The microplastic spatial distribution is heterogeneous, with higher levels near the drainage canal entrance of Lake Ulansuhai, and a downward trend from north to south in the lake. The main type of microplastics is colored particles, including fibers as the most abundant. More than 80% of microplastics were smaller than 2 mm. FTIR analysis results show that the main plastics were polyethylene, polystyrene and polybutylene terephthalate. There were also some metallic elements adsorbed on the surface of microplastics, such as Fe, Ca and Zn, detected by energy-dispersive spectrometry. The presence of metallic elements may worsen water pollution.
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