Microplastics pollution in the soil mulched by dust-proof nets: A case study in Beijing, China

Chen, Yixiang; Wu, Yihang; Ma, Jin; An, Yanfei; Liu, Qiyuan; Shi, Yang; Qu, Yi; Chen, Haiyan; Zhao, Wenhao; Tian, Yuxin

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116600

Cited by 43 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In general, there were relatively lower abundances of MPs in Qinghai Province compared with those found by other studies in other areas. The maximum MPs abundance of 1329 items/kg identified in the present study was far lower than that found in Wuhan (6.9 × 10 5 items/kg), Beijing (13,752 items/kg), and Shaanxi (3410 items/kg) [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. This may be because Qinghai Province is a relatively remote region and the sampling sites are located in grasslands, which experience relatively low intensities of human activities.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 85%

Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Xue

et al. 2023

Toxics

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Microplastics (MPs) are plastic fragments with particle sizes smaller than 5 mm that have potentially harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. The soil environment is not only the source but also the sink of MPs. Thus, it is necessary to fully understand the pollution and distribution of MPs in soils. In this study, Qinghai Province, northeast of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, was selected as the research area, and 22 soil samples were collected and analyzed to study the levels and distribution characteristics of MPs in grassland soils. MPs were obtained from the soils by using density separation, and a laser confocal micro Raman spectrometer was used for MP identification. The results showed that MPs were detected in all of the soil samples. The total abundances of MPs ranged from 1125 to 1329 items/kg, with a mean abundance of 1202 items/kg. Various types, shapes, sizes, and colors of MPs were observed. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the dominant polymer in all the grassland soil samples. The size range of 10–50 μm accounted for 50% of all identified MPs. Pellets were the dominant MP shape, and colored MPs accounted for 64% of all MPs. The results revealed the presence of large quantities of MPs in the grassland soils of remote areas as well. This study can act as a reference for further studies of MPs in terrestrial systems. At the end of the paper, the prospects and suggestions for pollution control by soil MPs are given.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 85%

Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Xue

et al. 2023

Toxics

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“…Plastic woven bags without proper treatment and the widely-used plastic sand barriers for sand-fixing projects along the Taklamakan Desert highways might be the potential sources of flaky MPs. The fibers were mainly derived from the degradation of plastic carpets outside the city business districts, dust screens in peri-urban areas and plastic fiber sand barriers in the desert areas [ 24 ]. Most of the fragments and rubbers originated from household products and discarded broken car tires [ 25 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic Contamination in Urban, Farmland and Desert Environments along a Highway in Southern Xinjiang, China

Wang

Wufuer

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The different types of microplastics (MPs), including debris, fibers, particles, foams, films and others, have become a global environmental problem. However, there is still a lack of research and understanding of the pollution characteristics and main causes of MPs in the arid region of Xinjiang, China. In this survey, we focused on the occurrence and distribution of MPs in urban, farmland and desert areas along a highway in the survey area. Our results showed that the main types of MPs were polypropylene (PP) flakes, polyethylene (PE) films and both PE and PP fragments and fibers. The abundance levels of MPs in street dust of Korla, Alar and Hotan districts equaled 804, 307 and 1526 particles kg−1, respectively, and were positively correlated with the urban population. In farmland areas, there were only two types of MPs (films and fibers), of which the film particles dominated and accounted for 91% of the total on the average. The highest abundance rate of MPs reached 7292 particles kg−1 in the desert area along the highway. The minimum microplastic particle sizes were 51.8 ± 2.2 μm in urban street dust samples, 54.2 ± 5.3 μm in farmland soil samples and 67.8 ± 8.4 μm in samples from along the desert highway. Particle sizes < 500 μm were most common and accounted for 48–91% of the total in our survey. The abundance and shape distribution of the MPs were closely related to the different types of human activities.

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“…Discarded plastics are degraded to a size of less than 5 mm, called microplastics, via weathering and ultraviolet rays [ 48 ]. Their small size allows microplastics to move easily to contaminate soil, lakes, rivers, and seas [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. In particular, many reports indicate that marine life accumulates microplastics on gills during oxygen exchange or plastics are ingested when mistaken for food [ 17 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Vivo Toxicity and Pharmacokinetics of Polytetrafluoroethylene Microplastics in ICR Mice

et al. 2022

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The increased use of plastics has led to severe environmental pollution, particularly by microplastics—plastic particles 5 mm or less in diameter. These particles are formed by environmental factors such as weathering and ultraviolet irradiation, thereby making environmental pollution worse. This environmental pollution intensifies human exposure to microplastics via food chains. Despite potential negative effects, few toxicity assessments on microplastics are available. In this study, two sizes of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microplastics, approximately 5 μm and 10–50 μm, were manufactured and used for single and four-week repeated toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies. Toxicological effects were comprehensively evaluated with clinical signs, body weight, food and water consumption, necropsy findings, and histopathological and clinical-pathological examinations. Blood collected at 15, 30 60, and 120 min after a single administration of microplastics were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. In the toxicity evaluation of single and four-week repeated oral administration of PTFE microplastics, no toxic changes were observed. Therefore, the lethal dose 50 (LD50) and no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of PTFE microplastics in ICR mice were established as 2000 mg/kg or more. PTFE microplastics were not detected in blood, so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be calculated. This study provides new insight into the long-term toxicity and pharmacokinetics of PTFE microplastics.

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Microplastics pollution in the soil mulched by dust-proof nets: A case study in Beijing, China

Cited by 43 publications

References 49 publications

Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

Microplastic Contamination in Urban, Farmland and Desert Environments along a Highway in Southern Xinjiang, China

In Vivo Toxicity and Pharmacokinetics of Polytetrafluoroethylene Microplastics in ICR Mice

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