Issue 9, 2023

Microplastic pollution in typical seasonal rivers in northern China: temporal variation and risk assessment

Abstract

Rivers are important channels for the transport of microplastics (MPs) from land to sea. In this work, the temporal variation and risk assessment of MP pollution in the surface water of the Wei River, a typical seasonal river in northern China, were quantified. The number abundance of MPs in the dry season was significantly higher than that in the wet season (p < 0.05). Fiber was the most abundant type of MP in both dry and wet seasons. Infrared spectrometer and Raman spectroscopy identification showed that polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were the major polymers found in both dry and wet seasons, and the mixture of different MP polymers was more diverse in the dry season. The risk assessment showed that the average pollution load index (PLI) and risk quotient (RQ) were 2.10 and 1.19 in the dry season, which significantly decreased to 1.25 and 0.74, respectively, in the wet season (p < 0.05). In total, the results from this study highlight the characteristics of seasonal rivers that influence the temporal distribution and risk assessment of microplastics, providing scientific reference for policymakers and river managers to effectively deal with MP pollution.

Graphical abstract: Microplastic pollution in typical seasonal rivers in northern China: temporal variation and risk assessment

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Jul 2023
Accepted
31 Jul 2023
First published
03 Aug 2023

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023,25, 1479-1490

Microplastic pollution in typical seasonal rivers in northern China: temporal variation and risk assessment

M. Gan, Y. Zhang, P. Shi, L. Cui and H. Sun, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2023, 25, 1479 DOI: 10.1039/D3EM00281K

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