Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Process and Environmental Change, Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China; Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 1;954:176620. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176620. Epub 2024 Oct 1.
Microplastics have emerged as a pervasive pollutant across various environmental media. Nevertheless, our understanding of their occurrence, sources, and drivers in global lakes still needs to be completed due to limited data. This study compiled data from 117 studies (2016-May 2024) on microplastic contamination in lake surface water and sediment, encompassing surface water samples in 351 lakes and lake sediment samples in 200 lakes across 43 countries. Using meta-analysis and statistical methods, the study reveals significant regional variability in microplastic pollution, with concentrations ranging from 0.09 to 130,000 items/m in surface water and from 5.41 to 18,100 items/kg in sediment. Most microplastics were under 1 mm in particle size, accounting for approximately 79 % of lake surface water and 76 % of sediment. Transparent and blue microplastics were the most common, constituting 34 % and 21 % of lake surface water and 28 % and 18 % of sediment, respectively. Fibers were the dominant shape, representing 47 % of lake surface water and 48 % of sediment. The primary identified polymer types were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Countries like India, Pakistan, and China had higher contamination levels. Positive correlations were found between microplastic abundance in surface water and factors like human footprint index (r = 0.29, p < 0.01), precipitation (r = 0.21, p < 0.05), and net surface solar radiation (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). In contrast, negative correlations were observed with the human development index (r = -0.61, p < 0.01) and wind speed (r = -0.42, p < 0.001). In sediment, microplastics abundance correlated positively with the human footprint index (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). This study underscores the variability in microplastic pollution in global lakes and the role of human activities and environmental factors, offering a valuable reference for future research.
微塑料已成为各种环境介质中普遍存在的污染物。然而，由于数据有限，我们对其在全球湖泊中的存在、来源和驱动因素的了解仍需完善。本研究汇编了 117 项研究（2016 年-2024 年 5 月）中有关湖泊地表水和沉积物中微塑料污染的数据，涵盖了 43 个国家 351 个湖泊的地表水样本和 200 个湖泊的沉积物样本。该研究采用元分析和统计方法，揭示了微塑料污染在区域上存在显著差异，地表水的浓度范围为 0.09 至 130,000 个/立方米，沉积物的浓度范围为 5.41 至 18,100 个/千克。大多数微塑料的粒径小于 1 毫米，约占湖泊地表水的 79%和沉积物的 76%。透明和蓝色微塑料最为常见，分别占湖泊地表水的 34%和沉积物的 21%。纤维是主要的形状，占湖泊地表水的 47%和沉积物的 48%。主要鉴定的聚合物类型为聚乙烯（PE）、聚丙烯（PP）和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）。印度、巴基斯坦和中国等国家的污染水平较高。在地表水的微塑料丰度与人类足迹指数（r=0.29，p<0.01）、降水（r=0.21，p<0.05）和净表面太阳辐射（r=0.43，p<0.001）等因素之间发现了正相关关系。相反，与人类发展指数（r=-0.61，p<0.01）和风速（r=-0.42，p<0.001）之间存在负相关关系。在沉积物中，微塑料丰度与人类足迹指数呈正相关（r=0.45，p<0.001）。本研究强调了全球湖泊中微塑料污染的变异性以及人类活动和环境因素的作用，为未来的研究提供了有价值的参考。
