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Microplastics in offshore sediment in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, China

Environmental Pollution 2018 312 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.

Yaozong Cui, Dongdong Zhang, Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Yaozong Cui, Dongdong Zhang, Hanghai Zhou, Dongdong Zhang, Hanghai Zhou, Hanghai Zhou, Hanghai Zhou, Hanghai Zhou, Yaozong Cui, Yaozong Cui, Chunsheng Wang, Chunfang Zhang Chunsheng Wang, Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Yaozong Cui, Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunsheng Wang, Hanghai Zhou, Yanhong Li, Yaozong Cui, Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Yanhong Li, Yanhong Li, Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Dongdong Zhang, Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Yaozong Cui, Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Dongdong Zhang, Chunfang Zhang

Summary

Microplastics were found in offshore sediment samples from the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting both local and distant anthropogenic sources. The study expands the known distribution of seafloor microplastic contamination in China's coastal seas and identifies fishing activities as a likely contributor.

Polymers

PE PET

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic particles are a global concern due to their widespread and growing threat to marine and coastal environments. To improve knowledge of microplastic pollution in China, we investigated 25 sediment samples collected with a box corer in the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea off the coast of China. The microplastics were extracted from sediments via density separation, after which they were observed under a microscope and characterized according to shape, color, and size, while polymer type identification was performed using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The abundance of microplastics in the offshore region of the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea was mapped. The mean concentration of microplastics at the 25 sites was 13.4 ± 0.6 particles 100 g dry weight (range: 6.0-24.0 particles 100 g dry weight). Based on the categorization according to shape, color, and size, fiber (77%) was the most abundant shape, while blue (35%) and transparent (29%) were the most prevalent colors. In addition, the dominant size of microplastics was smaller than 1000 μm which accounted for 89%. Finally, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic, polyester, cellulose, and cellophane were the most abundant types of microplastics identified. Our result highlighted the presence of microplastics in offshore sediments from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, and provided useful information for evaluating the environmental risks posed by microplastics in China.

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