Mass concentrations, compositions and burial fluxes of nano- and micro-plastics in a multi-species saltmarsh

Yan Zhang; Yanting Wang; Peiyuan Zhu; Siyuan Jing; Jiana Li; Thomas Cherico Wanger; Weiping Liu; Kai Liu; Xiaogang Chen; Ling Li

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125181

Mass concentrations, compositions and burial fluxes of nano- and micro-plastics in a multi-species saltmarsh

Environ Pollut. 2024 Oct 22;363(Pt 1):125181. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125181. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yan Zhang¹, Yanting Wang², Peiyuan Zhu³, Siyuan Jing⁴, Jiana Li⁵, Thomas Cherico Wanger⁴, Weiping Liu⁶, Kai Liu³, Xiaogang Chen⁷, Ling Li⁸

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
² MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China; Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
⁵ Ningbo Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, 315000, Ningbo, China.
⁶ MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 312028, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39447630
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125181

Abstract

Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems; yet quantifying the mass concentrations of nano- and microplastics (NMPs) in saltmarsh sediments at the ocean-land interface remains a critical research gap. Here, the study employed reliable and efficient analytical techniques, namely pressurized liquid extraction and the double-shot model of thermal desorption/pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, to quantify six different types of NMPs in the sediment of a multi-species saltmarsh, providing the first comprehensive assessment of NMP mass concentration and burial in this saltmarsh environment. The results demonstrate that polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene dominated the NMP composition in sediments, constituting 72.6%, 17.3%, and 4.5% of the total NMPs, respectively. The measured NMPs represent an anthropogenic intrusion, constituting 0.10%-0.23% of the carbon storage in the saltmarsh. By examining the vertical concentration profiles, this study unveiled the influence of saltmarsh vegetation on NMP deposition in sediments, establishing a connection with local sedimentation patterns and the historical zonation of plant species such as Scirpus mariqueter, Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora. These findings underscore the crucial role of saltmarsh vegetation in facilitating NMP settling and retention, highlighting the necessity of considering vegetation dynamics in examining the emerging NMP pollution in coastal wetlands.

Keywords: Blue carbon; Human activities; Plastic burial; Py-GC/MS; Sediment contamination; Spartina alterniflora; Vegetation distribution.