Centennial Records of Microplastics in Lake Cores in Huguangyan Maar Lake, China

TY - JOUR

T1 - Centennial Records of Microplastics in Lake Cores in Huguangyan Maar Lake, China

AU - Ji, Qingsong

AU - Zhang, Yanxia

AU - Xia, Yubao

AU - Wang, Xinkai

AU - He, Maoyong

AU - Yang, Yi

AU - Sabel, Clive E

AU - Huang, Bin

AU - Zhu, Fengxiao

AU - Shao, Min

AU - Xie, Enze

AU - Yan, Guojing

AU - Li, Guonai

AU - Zhou, Aoyu

AU - He, Huan

AU - Zhang, Limin

AU - Jin, Zhangdong

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - Microplastic records from lake cores can reconstruct the plastic pollution history. However, the associations between anthropogenic activities and microplastic accumulation are not well understood. Huguangyan Maar Lake (HML) is a deep-enclosed lake without inlets and outlets, where the sedimentary environment is ideal for preserving a stable and historical microplastic record. Microplastic (size: 10-500 μm) characteristics in the HML core were identified using the Laser Direct Infrared Imaging system. The earliest detectable microplastics appeared unit in 1955 (1.1 items g -1). The microplastic abundance ranged from n.d. to 615.2 items g -1 in 1955-2019 with an average of 134.9 items g -1. The abundance declined slightly during the 1970s and then increased rapidly after China's Reform and Opening Up in 1978. Sixteen polymer types were detectable, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating, accounting for 23.5 and 23.3% of the total abundance, and the size at 10-100 μm accounted for 80%. Socioeconomic factors dominated the microplastic accumulation based on the random forest modeling, and the contributions of GDP per capita, plastic-related industry yield, and total crop yield were, respectively, 13.9, 35.1, and 9.3% between 1955-2019. The total crop yield contribution further increased by 1.7% after 1978. Coarse sediment particles increased with soil erosion exacerbated microplastics discharging into the sediment.

AB - Microplastic records from lake cores can reconstruct the plastic pollution history. However, the associations between anthropogenic activities and microplastic accumulation are not well understood. Huguangyan Maar Lake (HML) is a deep-enclosed lake without inlets and outlets, where the sedimentary environment is ideal for preserving a stable and historical microplastic record. Microplastic (size: 10-500 μm) characteristics in the HML core were identified using the Laser Direct Infrared Imaging system. The earliest detectable microplastics appeared unit in 1955 (1.1 items g -1). The microplastic abundance ranged from n.d. to 615.2 items g -1 in 1955-2019 with an average of 134.9 items g -1. The abundance declined slightly during the 1970s and then increased rapidly after China's Reform and Opening Up in 1978. Sixteen polymer types were detectable, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating, accounting for 23.5 and 23.3% of the total abundance, and the size at 10-100 μm accounted for 80%. Socioeconomic factors dominated the microplastic accumulation based on the random forest modeling, and the contributions of GDP per capita, plastic-related industry yield, and total crop yield were, respectively, 13.9, 35.1, and 9.3% between 1955-2019. The total crop yield contribution further increased by 1.7% after 1978. Coarse sediment particles increased with soil erosion exacerbated microplastics discharging into the sediment.

KW - anthropogenic activities

KW - lake sediment cores

KW - microplastic records

KW - random forest models

KW - stratigraphic markers

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196040104&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.4c01970

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.4c01970

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38867458

SN - 0013-936X

VL - 58

SP - 11140

EP - 11151

JO - Environmental Science & Technology

JF - Environmental Science & Technology

IS - 25

ER -