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Occurrence and distribution of micro- and mesoplastics in the high-latitude nature reserve, northern China

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Abstract

Microplastics pollution has received growing attention worldwide in recent years. However, data on microplastics in the freshwater environment are still limited, especially in high-latitude nature reserves in Northern China. The first study on microplastic pollution in the Liaohe River Reserve in Northern China is reported here, and mesoplastics were also incorporated. Surface water and sediment samples were collected from 32 sites along the nature reserve. The abundance, type, shape, color, and size of micro- and mesoplastics were measured using density extraction, optical microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The data showed that diverse micro- and mesoplastics were found widespread in the 32 sites, and the average abundance of these plastics was 0.11±0.04 10−2 items/L in surface water and 62.29±54.30 items/kg in sediment. Moreover, 70% and 66% were smaller than 2000 µm in surface water and sediment, respectively. Fiber accounted for 91.86% in surface water and 43.48% in sediment, indicating that the major source of micro- and mesoplastics in the Liaohe River Reserve may be domestic sewage and aquaculture. A total of 16 and 27 polymers were identified in surface water and sediment, respectively, and mostly consisted of rayon, polyester, polystyrene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate). Moreover, both the risk index and the pollution load index demonstrated a low risk of micro- and mesoplastics in surface water and sediment in the Liaohe River Reserve.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Capacity-building Projects by the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (KJCX20190405 and KJCX20210430; KJCX20200422), and Beijing Outstanding Talents Cultivation Youth Backbone Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, 100097, China

    Wenwen Gong, Yu Xing, Lihua Han, Anxiang Lu & Li Xu

  2. Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Agriculture Environment Monitoring, Beijing, 100097, China

    Wenwen Gong, Yu Xing, Lihua Han, Anxiang Lu & Li Xu

  3. Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA

    Han Qu

Authors
  1. Wenwen Gong
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  2. Yu Xing
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  3. Lihua Han
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  4. Anxiang Lu
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  5. Han Qu
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  6. Li Xu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li Xu.

Additional information

Highlights

• The first study on micro(meso)plastics (MMPs) in the Liaohe River Reserve is reported.

• Diverse MMP were detected in surface water and sediment at all 32 sites.

• The abundance of MMPs decreased in the course of the river.

• The MMPs abundance in water is significant association with the county population.

Special Issue—Microplastic and Nanoplastic Pollution: Characterization, Transport, Fate, and Remediation Strategies (Responsible Editors: Wen Zhang, Melissa Pasquinelli & Yang Li)

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Gong, W., Xing, Y., Han, L. et al. Occurrence and distribution of micro- and mesoplastics in the high-latitude nature reserve, northern China. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 16, 113 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-022-1534-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-022-1534-7

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