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Organic pollutants in sedimentary microplastics from eastern Guangdong: Spatial distribution and source
Jingchun Shi1, Edmond Sanganyado1, Lisi Wang1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine Science, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
|February 29, 2020
Summary
Microplastics accumulate toxic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). While plastic pellets are useful for monitoring OCPs, foam microplastics may be more critical for tracking PAHs in marine environments.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Marine Pollution
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Microplastics readily adsorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs).
- The International Pellet Watch program has utilized plastic pellets since 2005 to monitor hydrophobic organic contaminants in marine ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatial distribution and sources of PAHs and OCPs on various microplastic types (pellets, fragments, foam) collected from eastern Guangdong beaches.
- To assess the feasibility of relying solely on plastic pellets for global monitoring of hydrophobic organic contaminants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 16 PAHs and 8 OCPs adsorbed onto microplastic samples.
- Comparison of contaminant concentrations and compositional profiles across different microplastic types and sampling locations.
- Statistical analysis to determine regional differences in contaminant levels.
Main Results:
- Concentrations of total PAHs (∑PAH) ranged from 11.2 to 7710 ng g⁻¹, and total OCPs (∑OCP) ranged from 2.2 to 1970 ng g⁻¹.
- Regional differences in ∑OCP concentrations were significant on pellets from estuary and distributary sites.
- PAHs with 2-4 rings were dominant, suggesting a potential risk from low molecular weight PAHs to marine life.
Conclusions:
- Plastic pellets can provide valuable data on the sources and transport of microplastic-associated OCPs.
- However, relying exclusively on pellets may lead to underestimation of PAH contamination, as other microplastic types like foam might be more significant carriers.
- Foam microplastics may represent critical, yet overlooked, vectors for PAHs in coastal environments.
