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Quantifying Microplastic Loads from Urban Stormwater Runoff Using Pyrolysis-GC/MS: Insights from a Coastal Creek in South Korea

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Youna Cho, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Sung Yong Ha, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Youna Cho, Sung Yong Ha, Gi Myung Han Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sung Yong Ha, Sung Yong Ha, Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sung Yong Ha, Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Youna Cho, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Sung Yong Ha, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han Sung Yong Ha, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sung Yong Ha, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Youna Cho, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Sung Yong Ha, Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Sang Hee Hong, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han Youna Cho, Youna Cho, Gi Myung Han Gi Myung Han

Summary

Scientists found that when it rains in cities, huge amounts of tiny plastic particles wash into waterways - with most of the pollution happening in the first few hours of a storm. During just one small rainstorm in South Korea, over 100 grams of microplastics (including pieces from car tires) flowed into a bay that connects to the ocean. This matters because these microscopic plastic bits can end up in our drinking water and food chain, potentially affecting human health.

Microplastics (MPs) are widely recognized as emerging contaminants that threaten aquatic ecosystems and human health. Stormwater runoff serves as a major transport pathway, mobilizing MPs accumulated on urban surfaces into receiving waters; however, quantitative information on rainfall-driven MP mobilization remains limited.This study quantified the emission characteristics and loads of MPs discharged during a 14-mm rainfall event at Samhocheon, a coastal urban creek connected to Masan Bay, South Korea.Time-weighted stormwater sampling was conducted, and mass-based MP concentrations were determined using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) following organic matter removal and density separation. The baseline MP concentration prior to rainfall was 6.13 μg/L. Concentrations increased sharply during the initial runoff phase, peaking approximately 1.5 hours after runoff onset, and gradually declined with decreasing rainfall intensity. The event mean concentration (EMC) was 11.93 μg/L. Polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride were the dominant polymers, accounting for 60–80% of MPs.Tire wear particles (TWPs), quantified using styrene–butadiene rubber as a proxy, contributed 20–68% of the total MP load. The total MP (>20 μm) load discharged to Masan Bay during the event was 100.3 g based on Py-GC/MS data, with 84% (84.5 g) mobilized during the first 20% of the runoff duration. This estimate was comparable to the FTIR-based load (62.32 g) calculated from particle dimensions.Overall, the findings demonstrate the utility of Py-GC/MS as a complementary technique to FTIR for MP monitoring and highlight early-stage stormwater runoff as a critical period for MP mobilization. These results emphasize the need for targeted urban watershed management strategies to reduce MP emissions to aquatic environments.

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