Microplastics in surface waters of Dongting Lake and Hong Lake, China,

Science of The Total Environment,
Volume 633,
2018,
Pages 539-545,
ISSN 0048-9697,

Abstract:

Microplastics pollution is an environmental issue of
increasing concern. Much work has been done on the microplastics
pollution in the marine environments. Although freshwaters are potential
sources and transport pathways of plastic debris to the oceans, there is
a lack of knowledge regarding the presence of microplastics in
freshwater systems, especially in China, the world’s largest producer of
plastics. This study investigated the occurrence and properties of
microplastics in surface waters of two important lakes in the middle
reaches of the Yangtze River. The concentration ranges of microplastics
in Dongting Lake and Hong Lake were 900–2800 and 1250–4650n/m3,
respectively. Fiber was the dominant shape. Colored items occupied the
majority. Particles with a size of <330μm comprised >20% of total
microplastics collected in both lakes. Most of the selected particles
were identified as plastics, with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene
(PP) being the major components. This study can provide valuable
reference for better understanding the microplastics pollution in inland
freshwater ecosystems.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ktnqBMVIrr6nBH0Lis6vUtsav4Jy1g6c
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.211.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718309707)

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