Environmental fate of microplastics in an urban river: Spatial distribution and seasonal variation

Rivers are recognized as an important pathway for transport of microplastics (MPs) from land to sea, but limited information is available on the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of riverine MPs from upper reaches to estuaries. Such information is critical for source apportionment and development of effective management measures for riverine MPs. To fill the knowledge gap, we investigated the occurrence of MPs in surface water along an urban river in Guangzhou, southern China in wet and dry seasons. The abundances of MPs from 16 sampling sites in the wet and dry seasons varied from 0.123 to 1.84 particles m(-3) and from 0.046 to 4.21 particles m(-3), respectively. The spatial distribution of MP abundances showed an increasing trend from upstream to midstream and a decreasing trend from midstream to downstream and estuaries. The abundances of MPs peaked at the midstream, which is surrounded by a highly urbanized region with high population density (similar to 2530 persons per km(2)). The large surface water runoff during the wet season elevated the MP abundance in riverine water, except for that flowing through the central urban area where the abundance of MPs collected in the dry season was higher than that in the wet season. This was mainly ascribed to the large input from extensive anthropogenic activities and slow water flow rate in urban areas. The estimated monthly riverine MP fluxes from Humen, Hongqili, and Jiaomen were 7.42, 2.38, and 2.3 billion particles, respectively, in the wet season, and 0.86, 0.71, and 0.19 billion particles, respectively, in the dry season. An increase of riverine MP fluxes from Humen, Hongqili, and Jiaomen in the past three years was evident. The results from the present study provide valuable information for source apportionment of riverine MPs and support the initialization of possible MPs controlling measures.

Automated summary

This study investigated the occurrence of microplastics in surface water along an urban river in Guangzhou, China during wet and dry seasons. The abundances of microplastics showed an increasing trend from upstream to midstream and a decreasing trend from midstream to downstream and estuaries. The study also found that the abundance of microplastics was higher in the dry season in the central urban area. The results provide valuable information for source apportionment and development of measures to control microplastics pollution.