Compositions and sources of plastic debris and microplastics in different sizes from the Sanggou bay beaches, Yellow Sea, China

海岸带潮滩中微塑料来源复杂,大块塑料在物理、化学、生物等作用下的破碎是潮滩微塑料的主要来源之一。本研究调查了黄海桑沟湾7个潮滩中不同尺寸塑料垃圾的组成、丰度以及微塑料的形状、颜色、成分等,并通过定性和定量的方式研究塑料垃圾破碎与微塑料的关系以识别微塑料来源。结果表明,聚苯乙烯泡沫在5 mm~2.5 cm、1~5 mm与 2.5 cm的塑料样品中,与养殖相关的塑料占76%;塑料垃圾和微塑料的总体丰度随着尺寸的减小而增加2~4个数量级。1~5 mm的微塑料丰度与5 mm~2.5 cm的塑料垃圾丰度具有显著相关性。通过对比不同尺寸塑料垃圾与微塑料的形态和成分特征,识别出潮滩中的微塑料主要是由聚苯乙烯泡沫、聚乙烯浮子、黄色海绵、纤维渔绳以及聚丙烯绳等破碎形成,表明养殖活动是桑沟湾潮滩塑料垃圾及微塑料的重要来源。未来需进一步探索微塑料来源的鉴别方法,寻找识别微塑料来源的新证据

Surface properties and changes in morphology of microplastics exposed in-situ to Chinese coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are key areas of accumulation of microplastics. However, until now only a few studies have focused on the surface properties and morphological changes in microplastics in the real coastal wetland environment. Here, two typical biogeographic coastal soils, the Yellow River Estuary salt marsh wetland in the temperate zone and the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland in the subtropical zone, were selected for study. Polystyrene foams and polyethylene films were used and exposed within two coastal wetlands sites through in situ soil burial (underground exposure) and surface placement (above-ground exposure). The samples were sampled after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of exposure to reveal the characteristics of the surface properties and morphological changes in microplastics in typical wetlands from the southern and northern biogeographic coastal zones. The surface morphology, microstructures and attached materials were observed using scanning electron microscopy using an energy dispersive spectrometer. Surface properties of the microplastics, i.e. the surface roughness, specific surface area, pore size distribution, functional groups and hydrophobicity, were analyzed by using atomic force microscopy, a surface area analyzer, a mercury porosimeter, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and a contact angle meter. The surface morphology of the polystyrene foams in the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland exhibited more pits and holes than those in the Yellow River Estuary salt marsh wetland. The polystyrene foams exposed aboveground in the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland showed embrittlement and exfoliation after 18 months, while those exposed underground did not show such features. The specific surface areas of the polystyrene foams and the polyethylene films in the Yellow River Estuary salt marsh wetland were higher than those in the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland. The pore distributions on the surfaces of the two microplastic types mainly comprised macropores and mesopores. However, the porosity of the polyethylene film in the Yellow River Estuary salt marsh wetland was slightly higher than in the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland. The porosities in both regions were higher than in the original control samples. In terms of carbonyl index, rates of change in the Yellow River Estuary salt marsh wetland were higher than those in the Beibu Bay mangrove wetland. The surface hydrophobicity of the polyethylene film in the two regions declined with increasing exposure time. The changes in surface morphology of the polystyrene foams were more rapid than those in the polyethylene films, but the degree of change in specific surface area of the polyethylene films was greater than in the case of the polystyrene foams. It can be concluded that the surface properties and changes in morphology of microplastics in the coastal soil environment are related to multiple factors including the types and conditions of the wetlands, types of microplastics, exposure mode and exposure time. However, the specific mechanisms of these surface changes require further study. In summary, this study provides a scientific basis for research on the chemical processes of the micro-interfaces on the microplastic surfaces and environmental behavior and risk assessment of microplastics in the Chinese coastal zone