Characteristics and ecological risks of microplastic pollution in a tropical drinking water source reservoir in Hainan province, China

• Published in: Environmental science--processes & impacts Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 451 - 46
• Main Authors: Mo, Ling, Fu, Hongyu, Lu, Qiyuan, Chen, Sifan, Liu, Ruijuan, Xiang, Jun, Xing, Qiao, Wang, Licheng, Sun, Kexin, Li, Bowen, Zheng, Jing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 21.02.2024
• Subjects: Agricultural wastes; China; Drinking water; Drinking Water - analysis; Ecological risk assessment; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental perception; Environmental risk; Fibers; Household wastes; Low level; Microplastics; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics - analysis; Pollution control; Pollution index; Pollution load; Polypropylene; Polyvinyl chloride; Rayon; Reservoirs; Risk assessment; Sediment load; Sediments; Sewage; Surface water; Water - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; China
• ISSN: 2050-7887; 2050-7895
• DOI: 10.1039/d3em00528c

Microplastic (<5 mm) pollution has become a pressing environmental concern in recent years. The present study investigated the occurrence characteristics and assessed the ecological risk of microplastics in the surface water and sediment of the Chitian Reservoir, a drinking water source in Hainan province (China). The results indicated that microplastics were detected in the surface water and sediment of the Chitian Reservoir and its surrounding areas. The overall abundance of microplastics in the water was 3.05 ± 1.16 items per L and in the sediment was 0.15 ± 0.06 items per g dry weight, which is relatively low compared to other reservoirs in China. The dominant components of microplastics detected in the Chitian Reservoir were polypropylene (PP), rayon, and polyester. Physical morphology analysis of microplastics showed that fibers with small particle sizes (<1 mm) and white color were the predominant characteristics in both the surface water and sediment. The domestic sewage from surrounding residents and agricultural wastewater may be the primary sources of microplastics in the reservoir. Ecological risk assessment revealed that the overall pollution load index (PLI) in the surface water (0.65) and sediment (0.51) of the Chitian Reservoir and its surrounding area is at a low level. The potential ecological hazards (RI) of microplastics (0.13 to 336.78 in water; 0.23 to 465.93 in sediment) in most sites fall within the scope of level I, but those in a few sites are at level II due to the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This study enriches the data on microplastic pollution in inland reservoir systems, providing fundamental reference information for future ecotoxicological studies and the management of microplastic pollution control. The overall abundance of microplastics in water was 3.05 ± 1.16 items per L and in sediment was 0.15 ± 0.06 items per g dw. The pollution load index and the potential ecological hazards of microplastics in most sites are at a low level.