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The hydro-fluctuation belt of the Three Gorges Reservoir: Source or sink of microplastics in the water?

Environmental Pollution 2019 62 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 35 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xianchuan Chen, Yuefei Ruan, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xianchuan Chen, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xianchuan Chen, Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xianchuan Chen, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xianchuan Chen, Kai Zhang, Xianchuan Chen, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Chenxi Wu Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Xianchuan Chen, Yuefei Ruan, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Chenxi Wu Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Xiong Xiong, Kai Zhang, Yuefei Ruan, Hane Zhou, Hane Zhou, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Paul K.S. Lam, Hane Zhou, Hane Zhou, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Xiong Xiong, Xiong Xiong, Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Paul K.S. Lam, Kai Zhang, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xiong Xiong, Yuefei Ruan, Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Chenxi Wu Paul K.S. Lam, Kai Zhang, Chenxi Wu Yuefei Ruan, Chenxi Wu Paul K.S. Lam, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Kai Zhang, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Paul K.S. Lam, Kai Zhang, Paul K.S. Lam, Chenxi Wu

Summary

The water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China was found to be both a source and sink for microplastics depending on season, with high concentrations of plastic particles in the sediment. This large reservoir acts as an accumulation point for microplastics from upstream rivers.

Study Type Environmental

Reservoirs can be an important environmental compartment for microplastic pollution. Previous investigations have found that surface waters and sediments in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) have had high microplastic abundance, and the Xiangxi River, which is one of the largest primary tributaries of the TGR, has had much higher microplastic abundance than several marine and freshwater systems in China. A strip of land on the bank of the reservoir area, which is called the hydro-fluctuation belt (HFB), is periodically exposed due to the special hydrodynamic conditions in the TGR. The HFB may be an important source and/or sink of microplastics in TGR. In this study, microplastic occurrence in sediments from the Xiangxi River HFB was investigated to reflect the local microplastic pollution status and to evaluate its potential to serve as a source/sink of microplastics in the TGR. Seven sampling sites were selected, and sediments within the HFB and above the belt were collected in summer when the water level was low. The results showed that the microplastic abundance ranged from 0.55 ± 0.12 × 10 to 14.58 ± 5.67 × 10 particles m, which was one to two orders of magnitude higher than that in sediments from the Xiangxi River in our previous study (80-846 particles m). Statistical analysis revealed that the microplastic abundance within the HFB was significantly higher than that of the area above the HFB. The results indicate that the HFB can be an important microplastic sink when the water level is low, and the belt can turn into a potential source when the water level is high. Cluster analysis was applied to reveal the characteristics of the microplastics collected at different sites, and the results suggest that the cluster analysis may be a useful tool in elucidating the source and fate of microplastics.

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