Accumulation of floating microplastics behind the Three Gorges Dam.
We investigated the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface water from the Three Gorges Reservoir. Nine samples were collected via trawl sampling with a 112 μmmesh net. The abundances of microplastics were from 3407.7 × 10(3) to 13,617.5 × 10(3) items per square kilometer in the main stream of the Yangtze River and from 192.5 × 10(3) to 11,889.7 × 10(3) items per square kilometer in the estuarine areas of four tributaries. The abundance of microplastics in the main stream of the Yangtze River generally increased as moving closer to the Three Gorges Dam. The microplastics are made exclusively of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Together with microplastics, high abundance of coal/fly ash was also observed in the surface water samples. Comparing with previously reported data, microplastics in the TGR were approximately one to three orders of magnitudes greater, suggesting reservoirs as potential hot spot for microplastic pollution.
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Graduate University Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
Kai
K
Zhang
School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
Wen
W
Gong
Department of Criminal Investigation, Hubei Public Security Bureau, Wuhan 430070, China.
Jizhong
J
Lv
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Xiong
X
Xiong
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. Electronic address: chenxi.wu@ihb.ac.cn.
Chenxi
C
Wu
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D010969:Plastics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Accumulation; Dam; Distribution; Microplastics; Reservoir