Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea
Plastic pollution is one of the growing environmental problems in the world currently. The situation of microplastics (MPs) in the South China Sea (SCS) is not yet fully understood. This study investigated the spatial distribution, morphological characterization, and chemical composition of MPs in s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.830318/full |
| _version_ | 1818282333124427776 |
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| author | Jun Yu Jun Yu Jun Yu Danling Tang Danling Tang Danling Tang Sufen Wang Sufen Wang Lei He Lei He Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage |
| author_facet | Jun Yu Jun Yu Jun Yu Danling Tang Danling Tang Danling Tang Sufen Wang Sufen Wang Lei He Lei He Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage |
| author_sort | Jun Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plastic pollution is one of the growing environmental problems in the world currently. The situation of microplastics (MPs) in the South China Sea (SCS) is not yet fully understood. This study investigated the spatial distribution, morphological characterization, and chemical composition of MPs in surface seawater in the southwestern SCS, based on cruise data in 2018. Our analysis shows that the average abundance of surface MPs in seawater was 0.072 ± 0.053 particles/m3 and 88.4% of MPs were <2 mm. 97.3% of MPs were fibers and fragments. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and cellophane were predominant polymer components of surface MPs. Higher MPs abundance (0.083 ± 0.063 particles/m3) and bigger MPs sizes were found at surface water in Nansha Islands than in Xisha Islands (0.032 ± 0.01 particles/m3). In addition, more polymer types of MPs were found in Nansha Islands, while more MPs films were found in Xisha Islands. PET and cellophane dominated in Nansha Islands, while PVC dominated in Xisha Islands with no cellophane detected. The surface MPs were low in abundance and diverse in polymers in the southwestern SCS with apparent differences between islands and between onshore and offshore, owing to plastics wastes from vessel traffics and some inhabited islands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:19:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98beaac9a7e548abb2007be31d4173fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:19:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-98beaac9a7e548abb2007be31d4173fc2022-12-22T00:05:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-02-01910.3389/fmars.2022.830318830318Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China SeaJun Yu0Jun Yu1Jun Yu2Danling Tang3Danling Tang4Danling Tang5Sufen Wang6Sufen Wang7Lei He8Lei He9Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage10Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage11Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage12State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ocean Remote Sensing, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaSouthern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaSouthern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ocean Remote Sensing, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ocean Remote Sensing, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaSouthern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Marine Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Guangzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ocean Remote Sensing, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaSouthern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaPlastic pollution is one of the growing environmental problems in the world currently. The situation of microplastics (MPs) in the South China Sea (SCS) is not yet fully understood. This study investigated the spatial distribution, morphological characterization, and chemical composition of MPs in surface seawater in the southwestern SCS, based on cruise data in 2018. Our analysis shows that the average abundance of surface MPs in seawater was 0.072 ± 0.053 particles/m3 and 88.4% of MPs were <2 mm. 97.3% of MPs were fibers and fragments. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and cellophane were predominant polymer components of surface MPs. Higher MPs abundance (0.083 ± 0.063 particles/m3) and bigger MPs sizes were found at surface water in Nansha Islands than in Xisha Islands (0.032 ± 0.01 particles/m3). In addition, more polymer types of MPs were found in Nansha Islands, while more MPs films were found in Xisha Islands. PET and cellophane dominated in Nansha Islands, while PVC dominated in Xisha Islands with no cellophane detected. The surface MPs were low in abundance and diverse in polymers in the southwestern SCS with apparent differences between islands and between onshore and offshore, owing to plastics wastes from vessel traffics and some inhabited islands.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.830318/fullmicroplasticsspatial distributionmorphological characterizationchemical compositionthe South China Sea |
| spellingShingle | Jun Yu Jun Yu Jun Yu Danling Tang Danling Tang Danling Tang Sufen Wang Sufen Wang Lei He Lei He Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Kalani Randima Lakshani Pathira Arachchilage Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea Frontiers in Marine Science microplastics spatial distribution morphological characterization chemical composition the South China Sea |
| title | Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea |
| title_full | Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea |
| title_short | Spatial Distribution and Composition of Surface Microplastics in the Southwestern South China Sea |
| title_sort | spatial distribution and composition of surface microplastics in the southwestern south china sea |
| topic | microplastics spatial distribution morphological characterization chemical composition the South China Sea |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.830318/full |
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