Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and causes

To study the current status and causes of the microplastic pollution in surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,this paper compared the average microplastic abundance in sediments and surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the results are as follows.First,the average microplastic abundance in surface water of the independent rivers and the whole area is 247−2686 items/m^(3) and 856 items/m^(3),respectively.The average microplastic abundance in sediments of independent rivers or lakes and the whole area is 0−933 items/m^(2) and 362 items/m^(2),respectively.Meanwhile,the degree of microplastic pollution in river sediments is higher than that in lake sediments,and the rivers suffering from microplastic pollution mainly include the Brahmaputra River,Tongtian River,and Nujiang River.Second,compared with the microplastic pollution in other areas of the world,the levelof microplastic pollution in the lakes and rivers of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau is not lower than that of well-developed areas with more intensive human activities.Finally,this study suggests that relevant government departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau should strengthen waste management strategies while developing tourism and that much attention should be paid to the impacts of microplastics in the water environment.

Microplastic pollution in Yellow River,China:Current status and research progress of biotoxicological effects

This study aims to comprehensively assess the environmental risks of microplastics in the Yellow River,achieving the following results through comprehensive research.The average microplastic abundances in the river waters and sediments are 5358-654000 n/m3 and 43.57-615 items/kg,respectively,and there are fewer microplastics in water samples than in sediments.Microplastics in the study area can be divided into five types according to their occurrence morphologies,namely fragments,foams,films,fibers,and particles.The most widely distributed pollution types in sediments include debris,fibers,and particles.In contrast,fibers are the dominant type in water samples,accounting for 68.18%‒98.93%.The chemical components of the microplastics include polyethylene,polypropylene,polystyrene,polyethylene terephthalate,and polyvinyl chloride.The microplastics are in four colors,with white accounting for a higher proportion.The grain size of the microplastics in tributaries or lakes of the Yellow River is less than 2 mm,which makes them liable to enter organisms for enrichment.Furthermore,the sources of the microplastics are closely related to agricultural and industrial production and biological activities in habitats and exhibit seasonal and hydrological characteristics.The microplastics in the study area show the adsorption of metals and nonmetals to different degrees,which increases the pollution risks of heavy metals combined with microplastics.In addition,microplastics can accumulate in organisms in the Yellow River and cause physical,biochemical,and other damage to aquatic organisms,thus further posing carcinogenic risks to human beings.Therefore,it is necessary to study,monitor,and control the pollution and effects of microplastics in the Yellow River,in order to provide theoretical references for the control of pollution and ecological risk of microplastics in the river.

Review of Microplastic Pollution in the Environment and Emerging Recycling Solutions

Microplastic pollution represents a side-effect stemming from a global plastic waste mismanagement problem and includes degraded particles or mass produced plastic particles less than 5 mm in largest dimension.The small nature of microplastics gives this area of pollution different environmental concerns than general plastic waste in the environment.The biological toxicity of particles,their internal components,and their surface level changes all present opportunities for these particles to adversely affect the environment around them.Thus,it is necessary to review the current literature surrounding this topic and identify areas where the study of microplastic can be pushed forward.Here we present current methods in studying microplastics,some of the ways by which microplastics affect the environment and attempt to shed light on how this research can continue.In addition,we review current recycling methods developing for the processing of mixed-plastic waste.These methods,including hydrothermal processing and solvent extraction,provide a unique opportunity to separate plastic waste and improve the viability of the plastics recycling industry.

Occurrence of microplastics in natural and farmland soil in the Qilian Mountains of the Northern Tibetan Plateau

Microplastics(MPs)become ubiquitous in soil and are an environmental and public health concern worldwide.However,the status of MPs in natural and farmland soils in remote areas remains poorly understood.In this study,we investigated the characteristics of MPs in natural and farmland soils along two transects in the Qilian Mountains of the northern Tibetan Plateau.The average abundance of MPs in natural and farmland soils was 29,778 and 56,123 items kg^(-1),respectively,with a detection size range of 10-1000μm.MPs in the size range of 10-100μm accounted for 84.1%of particles detected.Among the 21 polymers detected,polyethylene dominated in both farmland and natural soils.The shape of MPs was dominated by fragments(95.8%),followed by fibers(3.8%)and beads(0.4%).The abundance of MPs was positively correlated with increasing altitude in natural soils.There was no significant correlation between the abundance of MPs and soil physicochemical properties due to the narrow range of values of soil physicochemical properties.With the growing concern regarding MPs pollution,research on the status of MPs in high altitude and remote areas is critical to understanding their global cycle.

Looking for a Chinese solution to global problems:The situation and countermeasures of marine plastic waste and microplastics pollution governance system in China

As one of the top ten environmental problems to be solved in the world,marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution seriously affect the health of marine ecosystems and the sustainable development of Marine economies.It is necessary to promote the establishment of a scientific and systematic Marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system and take strong measures to fundamentally curb and reverse the trend of marine pollution intensification in China.This paper first explains the practical significance of marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control from three aspects:the sustainable development of the blue economy,the structural upgrading of the pan-plastic industry,and the improvement of public health awareness.Secondly,the particularity of marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system is summarized from three aspects of formation mechanism,migration path and damage performance.Then,it identifies domestic and international governance strategies and action plans from the perspectives of mechanism,subject,object,and measures,summarizes existing problems in the existing marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system,and gives directions for future improvement.Finally,some countermeasures and suggestions are put forward to accelerate the construction of China’s marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system,including the formation of a cross sectoral integrated land and sea control system,a full life cycle waste management process,a multi-participation model for marine ecological and environmental governance,and a global marine pollution prevention and control system.

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:Current status and transfer mechanisms

This paper aims to investigate the present situation and transfer mechanisms of microplastics in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The study surveyed the average abundance of microplastics in sediments.The abundance of microplastics in sediments of lakes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is 17.22-2643.65 items/kg DW and 0-60.63 items/kg DW based on the data of the Qinghai Lake and the Siying Co Basin.The microplastic abundance in sediments from small and medium lakes is very high compared to that in other areas in the world.Like microplastics in other lakes of the world,those in the lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly include organic polymers PA,PET,PE,and PP and are primarily in the shape of fibers and fragments.The microplastic pollution of lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is affected by natural changes and by human activities,and the concentration of microplastics in lacustrine ecosystems gradually increases through food chains.Furthermore,the paper suggests the relevant administrative departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau strengthen waste management while developing tourism and pay much attention to the impacts of microplastics in water environments.This study provides a reference for preventing and controlling microplastic contamination in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Birds and plastic pollution:recent advances

Plastic waste and debris have caused substantial environmental pollution globally in the past decades,and they have been accumulated in hundreds of terrestrial and aquatic avian species.Birds are susceptible and vulnerable to external environments;therefore,they could be used to estimate the negative effects of environmental pollution.In this review,we summarize the effects of macroplastics,microplastics,and plastic-derived additives and plastic-absorbed chemicals on birds.First,macroplastics and microplastics accumulate in different tissues of various aquatic and terrestrial birds,suggesting that birds could suffer from the macroplastics and microplastics-associated contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environments.Second,the detrimental effects of macroplastics and microplastics,and their derived additives and absorbed chemicals on the individual survival,growth and development,reproductive output,and physiology,are summarized in different birds,as well as the known toxicological mechanisms of plastics in laboratory model mammals.Finally,we identify that human commensal birds,long-life-span birds,and model bird species could be utilized to different research objectives to evaluate plastic pollution burden and toxicological effects of chronic plastic exposure.

Effects of microplastic polystyrene,simulated acid rain and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Trifolium repens growth and soil microbial community composition

Microplastic pollution is a global and ubiquitous environmental problem in the oceans as well as in the terrestrial environment.We examined the fate of microplastic polystyrene(MPS)beads in experimental soil in the presence and absence of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)and simulated acid rain(SAR)to determine whether the combinations of these three factors altered the growth of white clover Trifolium repens.We found that MPS,SAR,or AMF added singly to soil did not alter T.repens growth or yields.In contrast,MPS and AMF together significantly reduced shoot biomass,while SAR and MPS together significantly reduced soil available phosphorus independent of AMF presence.Microplastic polystyrene,AMF,and SAR together significantly reduced soil NO_(3)^(-)-N.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi added singly also enriched the beneficial soil bacteria(genus Solirubrobacter),while MPS combined with AMF significantly enriched the potential plant pathogenic fungus Spiromastix.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation with MPS increased the abundance of soil hydrocarbon degraders independent of the presence of SAR.In addition,the abundance of soil nitrate reducers was increased by MPS,especially in the presence of AMF and SAR.Moreover,SAR alone increased the abundance of soil pathogens within the fungal community including antibiotic producers.These findings indicate that the coexistence of MPS,SAR,and AMF may exacerbate the adverse effects of MPS on soil and plant health.

Microplastics have light-absorbing ability to enhance cryospheric melting

Microplastics are posing the potential threats to the Earth's environment.Besides,airborne microplastics were calculated to cause positive net radiative forcing recently.Due to the light-absorbing properties,microplastics may have the effects on the snow/ice surface albedos in the cryospheric regions,which may further enhance the cryospheric melting under the rapid global warming and increasing plastic pollutants dropped into the environments.We suggested to urgently hasten the systematic studies on microplastics'effects on the radiative forcing across the cryospheric regions,and evaluated the possible impact on cryospheric melting in the future.

Tire abrasion particles negatively affect plant growth even at low concentrations and alter soil biogeochemical cycling

Tire particles(TPs)are a major source of microplastic on land,and considering their chemical composition,they represent a potential hazard for the terrestrial environment.We studied the effectsof TPs at environmentally relevant concentrations alongawide concentrationgradient(0–160 mg g^(-1))and tested the effects on plant growth,soil pH and the key ecosystem process of litter decomposition and soil respiration.The addition of TPs negatively affected shoot and root growth already at low concentrations.Tea litter decomposition slightly increased with lower additions of TPs but decreased later on.Soil pH increased until a TP concentration of 80 mg g^(-1) and leveled off afterwards.Soil respiration clearly increased with increasing concentration of added TPs.Plant growth was likely reduced with starting contamination and stopped when contamination reached a certain level in the soil.The presence of TPs altered a number of biogeochemical soil parameters that can have further effects on plant performance.Considering the quantities of yearly produced TPs,their persistence,and toxic potential,we assume that these particles will eventually have a significant impact on terrestrial ecosystems.