College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Haikou, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Dec;209(Pt A):117086. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117086. Epub 2024 Oct 14.
Understanding marine pollution in the South China Sea is crucial for preserving marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Despite extensive research on pollutants, there is a significant gap in knowledge about microplastics (MPs) in the archipelago region. This study focused on four typical islands, examining MPs in seawater and sediments, their distribution, and environmental risks. Most MPs (>90 %) were smaller than 2.5 mm, with black fiber-shaped polyethylene terephthalate MPs being predominant. MPs in seawater had lower abundance (5-12 items/L) compared to sediment (100-2600 items/kg) but showed richer polymer composition. Pollution load index (PLI) and risk index analysis indicated all regions were contaminated (PLI > 1), with the Zhongsha islands being the most polluted. Correlation analysis highlighted black, fibrous PET-like polymers with large particle sizes (>0.5 mm) as major contributors. This study could help to understand the MPs distribution and pollution in the archipelago region of the South China Sea.
了解南海的海洋污染对于保护海洋生态系统和生物多样性至关重要。尽管已经对污染物进行了广泛的研究，但对于群岛区域的微塑料（MPs），我们的认识仍存在显著差距。本研究集中于四个典型岛屿，调查了海水中和沉积物中的 MPs，以及它们的分布和环境风险。大多数 MPs（>90%）小于 2.5 毫米，以黑色纤维状聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 MPs 为主。海水中的 MPs 丰度较低（5-12 项/L），而沉积物中则较高（100-2600 项/kg），但聚合物组成更为丰富。污染负荷指数（PLI）和风险指数分析表明，所有区域都受到了污染（PLI>1），其中中沙群岛污染最严重。相关分析突出了黑色、纤维状、类似 PET 的聚合物与较大粒径（>0.5 毫米）的聚合物是主要贡献者。本研究有助于了解南海群岛区域 MPs 的分布和污染情况。
