Progress and Prospect on the Study of the Ecological Risk of Microplastics in the Ocean

Microplastics in the ocean are the plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, which enter into the ocean through a variety of ways. In the past 60 years, the global plastic production increased by 560 times, and the accumulation of microplastics in the marine environment is increasing. Microplastics suspend in seawater, or deposit to the bottom sediments. The potential risks of microplastics to marine ecosystems cause widespread concern. This paper summarized the research progress of the ecological risks of microplastics in the ocean, including the distribution and concentration of marine microplastics in coastal waters, sediment and open ocean, the ingestion of microplastics by different species of marine organisms, the ecotoxicology of microplastics, the plastics additives and the absorbed pollutants. The research directions were proposed for the future, including the optimization of microplastics sampling and measuring methods, microplastics observation in different marine habitats, the eco-toxicological effects of microplastics and food chain bioaccumulation effect, the methodology of microplastics ecological risk assessment. It is expected to provide evidence for the risk assessment of microplastics on Chinese coastal ecosystems.     

Current status and cause analysis of microplastic pollution in sea areas in China

As a new type of pollutants in the marine environment,microplastics have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and environmental protection workers in China and abroad.However,for the microplastic pollution in sea areas in China,there are a very limited number of studies on its current status and few reviews of research on the microplastics.This paper reviews the surveys and researches of microplastics in the Bohai Sea,the Yellow Sea,the East China Sea,the South China Sea,and main estuaries in China carried out in recent years and proposes an outlook for future work,aiming to provide research suggestions and solutions for ecological protection against microplastic pollution in sea areas in China.Previous studies have shown that microplastics are widely distributed in water bodies and sediments in sea areas and major estuaries in China.The Pearl River Estuary,in the South China Sea suffers the most serious microplastic pollution,followed by the Bohai Sea.In contrast,the microplastic pollution in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is comparatively slight.Microplastics in sea areas in China are mainly fibrous and are concentrated in offshore areas with developed industry and a dense population(especially around estuaries and bays).In addition,they are widely affected by human activities,such as shipping,aquaculture,industry,and sewage discharge.Here the authors suggest unifying measurement units and research methods and developing related standard systems to carry out researches related to microplastics.Furthermore,this paper also suggests further deepening researches on both the source-sink process of microplastics and nanoscale microplastics while enhancing the development and implementation of related policies,aiming to promote researches and control of microplastics in sea areas in China.     

Characteristics and sources of microplastic pollution in the water and sediments of the Jinjiang River Basin,Fujian Province,China

Microplastic pollution is widely distributed from surface water to sediments to groundwater vertically and from land to the ocean horizontally. This study collected samples from surface water, groundwater, and sediments from upper to lower reaches and then to the estuary in 16 typical areas in the Jinjiang River Basin, Fujian Province, China. Afterward, it determined the components and abundance of the microplastics and analyzed the possible microplastic sources through principal component analysis (PCA). As a result, seven main components of microplastics were detected, i.e., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyformaldehyde (POM), nylon 6 (PA6), and polystyrene (PS). Among them, PE and PP were found to have the highest proportion in the surface water and sediments and in the groundwater, respectively. The surface water, groundwater, and sediments had average microplastic abundance of 1.6 n/L, 2.7 n/L and 33.8 n/kg, respectively. The microplastics in the sediments had the largest particle size, while those in the groundwater had the smallest particle size. Compared with water bodies and sediments in other areas, those in the study area generally have medium-low-level microplastic abundance. Three pollution sources were determined according to PCA, i.e., the dominant agriculture-forestry-fishery source, domestic wastewater, and industrial production. This study can provide a scientific basis for the control of microplastics in rivers.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Numerical Simulation of Transportation of Marine Microplastics A Review

The temporal and spatial discontinuity of microplastic sampling data restricts the investigation on their source, sink, transport pathway and trend. Numerical simulation combined with sampling investigation can comprehensively study the effects of microplastic characteristics, meteorology and hydrodynamics on the distribution and transportation of microplastics. In this paper, the studies of microplastic numerical simulation were reviewed from the aspects of numerical simulating research and their applications in microplastic tranportation, and the results were summarized as follows: The construction of the main driving force (current); the influence of environmental factors, such as wind, waves, topography and extreme sea conditions on the properties of microplastics with different characteristics (particle size, density, shape) and their tranportation; the application of numerical simulation in the study of microplastic removal. Based on progress on the study of numerical simulation of marine microplastics, the future directions were pointed out that the further simulating studies should focuson the spatio-temporal distribution and evolvement of microplastics by combining sampling data and numerical model, the simulating research on the relationship between microplastic parameters (roughness, wind drag coefficient, settling rate, resuspension rate and biofouling rate) and (meteorological and ocean) dynamic condition. Moreover, the results of simulating sensitivity experiments should be compared with sampling and laboratory testing data to improve the empirical parameters and formulas of numerical model.     

土壤中微塑料的来源、生态环境危害及治理技术

【研究目的】近年来，由微塑料造成的生态环境污染问题引起了广泛关注。【研究方法】本文通过查阅大量土壤微塑料方向的文献，综述了国内外关于土壤中微塑料的来源、危害及检测治理技术最新研究进展。【研究结果】主要包括：（1）土壤中微塑料的主要来源是没有高效回收的农用地膜的裂解，此外还有农业生产活动中使用含有微塑料的污水污泥、空气中的微塑料沉降到地表等；（2）土壤中的微塑料能吸附重金属、抗生素等污染物，改变土壤pH、容重等理化性质，影响蚯蚓等土壤动物的发育，降低参与土壤养分循环过程中关键微生物的活性，对土壤环境造成危害；（3）目前还没有统一的微塑料分离检测技术标准，目检法、光谱法和热分析技术是微塑料主要的分析方法。【结论】土壤中的微塑料会给环境及动植物健康带来不同程度的风险，进一步通过食物链威胁人类健康。未来的研究重点包括阻隔土壤微塑料的来源、 土壤微塑料与重金属的复合污染机制和新兴的土壤微塑料检测技术。创新点：（1）目前关于土壤微塑料方面的研究刚刚起步，本文综述了土壤微塑料对农作物、土壤环境的影响及在食物链中传播的风险，对今后有关环境污染和人体健康方向的研究有一定的帮助； （2）本文较为全面地整理了以农业生产活动为主的土壤微塑料来源，由于已被微塑料污染的土壤治理难度较高，笔者提出关于土壤微塑料源的阻断建议，希望能有效降低未来土壤中微塑料的输入量。     

Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and causes

To study the current status and causes of the microplastic pollution in surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this paper compared the average microplastic abundance in sediments and surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the results are as follows. First, the average microplastic abundance in surface water of the independent rivers and the whole area is 247–2686 items/m³ and 856 items/m³, respectively. The average microplastic abundance in sediments of independent rivers or lakes and the whole area is 0–933 items/m² and 362 items/m², respectively. Meanwhile, the degree of microplastic pollution in river sediments is higher than that in lake sediments, and the rivers suffering from microplastic pollution mainly include the Brahmaputra River, Tongtian River, and Nujiang River. Second, compared with the microplastic pollution in other areas of the world, the levelof microplastic pollution in the lakes and rivers of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau is not lower than that of well-developed areas with more intensive human activities. Finally, this study suggests that relevant government departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau should strengthen waste management strategies while developing tourism and that much attention should be paid to the impacts of microplastics in the water environment.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Distribution,characteristics, and research status of microplastics in the trunk stream and main lakes of the Yangtze River: A review

Microplastic pollution has become an environmental issue of great concern owing to the persistence of microplastics and their potential adverse effects on biota.The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third-longest river in the world,and the microplastics in this river will affect the health of a large population living along with it.To ensure the survival safety of people,it is essential to plan ahead and investigate in advance in order to understand the microplastic pollution in the river and work out countermeasures.This paper reviews the literature concerning the microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River basin and analyzes the abundance,shapes,colors,and composition of microplastics in the water bodies and sediments in the trunk stream and main lakes of the Yangtze River.The results are as follows.Compared to other river basins in China and abroad,the microplastics in the Yangtze River basin have a moderate abundance and high spatial heterogeneity.Owing to the barrier effect of the Three Gorges Dam on microplastics,the abundance of microplastics in the Three Gorges Reservoir is generally an order of magnitude higher than that in other sections of the river.Most microplastics in the water bodies and sediments are less than 1 mm in size and are transparent and colorful.In terms of shapes,they are dominated by fibers,followed by fragments and films.In terms of composition,the microplastics in the source region of the Yangtze River are mainly composed of nylon and polyethylene,while the microplastics in the surface water from the lower reaches of the Jinsha River to the Yangtze River estuary are dominated by polypropylene and polyethylene.The microplastics are primarily derived from the secondary microplastics in the environment,and relatively intensive human activities increase the abundance of microplastics.These results serve as bases for understanding and preventing microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River.     

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and transfer mechanisms

This paper aims to investigate the present situation and transfer mechanisms of microplastics in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The study surveyed the average abundance of microplastics in sediments. The abundance of microplastics in sediments of lakes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is 17.22–2643.65 items/kg DW and 0–60.63 items/kg DW based on the data of the Qinghai Lake and the Siying Co Basin. The microplastic abundance in sediments from small and medium lakes is very high compared to that in other areas in the world. Like microplastics in other lakes of the world, those in the lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly include organic polymers PA, PET, PE, and PP and are primarily in the shape of fibers and fragments. The microplastic pollution of lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is affected by natural changes and by human activities, and the concentration of microplastics in lacustrine ecosystems gradually increases through food chains. Furthermore, the paper suggests the relevant administrative departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau strengthen waste management while developing tourism and pay much attention to the impacts of microplastics in water environments. This study provides a reference for preventing and controlling microplastic contamination in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.     

长江口及邻近海域悬浮颗粒重晶石特征与成因探讨

海洋环境中重晶石的形成和保存是元素Ba生物地球化学过程的重要环节,在反演海洋古生产力领域具有重要价值。但是多年来该方面的研究主要集中在深海海域,而对河口及近海海域很少涉及。本研究使用SEM和EDX等方法对长江口及邻近海域5个断面36个站位的悬浮体中的重晶石矿物进行了系统的观察,对重晶石颗粒类型、空间分布和影响因素进行了研究。结果表明:该区重晶石颗粒包含自形晶体、长条状晶体、不规则形态晶体和集合体等4种类型,含少量Sr元素,大部分重晶石颗粒表面出现溶蚀现象;重晶石颗粒粒径主要分布在0.5~3 μm。通过研究发现,长江口及邻近海域悬浮体中重晶石的形成主要受到微环境中生物作用的控制,该区初级生产力的发育状态和重晶石颗粒的沉降差异造成重晶石空间分布具有表层含量较多、由岸向外增加的现象。     

中国海域表层沉积物分布规律及沉积分异模式

中国海域拥有宽广的大陆架，同时还有陆坡和深海盆，有众多河流入海并输入巨量的陆源物质，沉积物记录了海陆变迁、环流变化、海平面升降、物质输送和气候变化等环境信息。沉积物的粒度特征可以反映沉积动力、物质来源和搬运距离等，可以通过沉积物粒度组成、参数及各种图解来研究沉积环境的变化。前人对中国海域表层沉积物的粒度分布特征展开了大量的研究，取得了丰富的研究成果，但这些研究多集中在某一海域或区域，缺乏对整个中国海域的表层沉积物类型的宏观系统认识。本文基于中国地质调查局“1：100万海洋区域地质调查项目”获取了中国海域4300个海底表层沉积物样品，通过沉积物粒度分析，结合前人已发表资料，对中国海域表层沉积物的沉积类型特征、物质来源和运移模式等开展了系统的研究。本文把浅海和半深海沉积物按照含砾石和不含砾石主要划分出5个和7个沉积物类型，深海沉积物主要划分了9个沉积类型，研究结果表明：中国海域表层沉积物沉积类型多样、来源复杂，主要受控于物质来源、水动力条件和地形地貌的变化，在东部海域总体呈现“大江大河-宽缓陆架-残留慢速沉积”的条带状沉积分异模式，而在南部海域呈现的是“短源性河流-多类型陆架-重力流快速沉积”的环带状沉积分异模式。本文的结果对研究中国海域沉积物的宏观分布规律提供了基础资料，对理解海洋沉积动力过程具有重要意义，同时沉积物粒度的特征对海底砂矿分布也具有指示意义。     

Microplastic pollution in Yellow River,China: Current status and research progress of biotoxicological effects

This study aims to comprehensively assess the environmental risks of microplastics in the Yellow River, achieving the following results through comprehensive research. The average microplastic abundances in the river waters and sediments are 5358–654000 n/m³ and 43.57–615 items/kg, respectively, and there are fewer microplastics in water samples than in sediments. Microplastics in the study area can be divided into five types according to their occurrence morphologies, namely fragments, foams, films, fibers, and particles. The most widely distributed pollution types in sediments include debris, fibers, and particles. In contrast, fibers are the dominant type in water samples, accounting for 68.18% –98.93%. The chemical components of the microplastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride. The microplastics are in four colors, with white accounting for a higher proportion. The grain size of the microplastics in tributaries or lakes of the Yellow River is less than 2 mm, which makes them liable to enter organisms for enrichment. Furthermore, the sources of the microplastics are closely related to agricultural and industrial production and biological activities in habitats and exhibit seasonal and hydrological characteristics. The microplastics in the study area show the adsorption of metals and nonmetals to different degrees, which increases the pollution risks of heavy metals combined with microplastics. In addition, microplastics can accumulate in organisms in the Yellow River and cause physical, biochemical, and other damage to aquatic organisms, thus further posing carcinogenic risks to human beings. Therefore, it is necessary to study, monitor, and control the pollution and effects of microplastics in the Yellow River, in order to provide theoretical references for the control of pollution and ecological risk of microplastics in the river.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Dispersal of river sediments in coastal seas: Six contrasting cases

The fate of sediment seaward of river mouths involves at least four stages: supply via plumes; initial deposition; resuspension and transport by marine processes; and long-term net accumulation. The processes that operate at each stage, and relative roles of each stage in governing the long-term accumulation patterns, vary appreciably with river regime and coastal ocean environment. To illustrate the diversity and illuminate the process of dispersal, information is synthesized for six systems: Amazon, Changjiang, Mississippi, Columbia, Purari, and Huanghe. These systems differ markedly in terms of water discharge, sediment discharge, and coastal energy regime and much of the diversity of dispersal patterns is attributed to these differences as well as to the temporal sequencing of river discharge relative to oceanographic transport processes. Although the sediment: water ratio of the discharge of the Mississippi River is 70 times less than that of the Huanghe, both of these systems exhibit rapid deposition and accumulation of sediments near the river mouths. In contrast, sediments dispersed by, the other four systems are transported greater distances from the mouths by oceanographic processes, and are accumulating over relatively wide areas.     

Neritic and pelagic carbonate sedimentation in the marine environment: ignorance is not bliss

Synthesis of available data allows us to define general patterns of late Quaternary carbonate production and sedimentation in the global ocean. During high stands of sea level, the neritic and pelagic environments appear to sequester approximately similar amounts of carbonate, whereas during low stands of sea level the decreased neritic zone produces and accumulates approximately an order of magnitude less carbonate. Assuming that global accumulation of deep-sea carbonates remains more or less constant during glacially induced changes in sea level, the ocean becomes depleted with respect to calcium carbonate during high stands and recharges during low stands. Before we can achieve a better understanding of the global carbonate system, however, we need a better understanding of key environments and processes: (a) production and accumulation on continental shelves both as potential sinks (accumulation) and as sources (export to the deep sea); (b) a better measure of pelagic carbonate production; and (c) late Quaternary (late Pleistocene and Holocene) mass accumulation rates in the deep sea.     

海相优质烃源岩发育的主要影响因素及沉积环境

对海洋生物、现代海洋沉积和古代海相地层中有机质含量分布特征和实验室模拟实验的结果表明,水体中高生物生产率是海相环境形成富有机质沉积的关键因素;沉积和早期成岩作用期间水体的相对还原环境是有机质富集保存的有利条件;海底深部流体的活动是造成富有机质沉积的不可忽视的因素;沉积速率是影响海相沉积有机质富集的主要因素。现有研究表明,在海相盆地中最有利形成优质烃源岩的沉积环境主要有欠补偿浅水—深水盆地、台缘斜坡、半闭塞—闭塞欠补偿海湾和蒸发潟湖。     

Barite in the ocean – occurrence,geochemistry and palaeoceanographic applications

The mineral barite (BaSO₄) can precipitate in a variety of oceanic settings: in the water column, on the sea floor and within marine sediments. The geological setting where barite forms ultimately determines the geochemistry of the precipitated mineral and its usefulness for various applications. Specifically, the isotopic and elemental composition of major and trace elements in barite carry information about the solution(s) from which it precipitated. Barite precipitated in the water column (marine or pelagic barite) can be used as a recorder of changes in sea water chemistry through time. Barite formed within sediments or at the sea floor from pore water fluids (diagenetic or cold seeps barite) can aid in understanding fluid flow and sedimentary redox processes, and barite formed in association with hydrothermal activity (hydrothermal barite) provides information about conditions of crust alteration around hydrothermal vents. The accumulation rate of marine barite in oxic‐pelagic sediments can also be used to reconstruct past changes in ocean productivity. Some key areas for future work on the occurrence and origin of barite include: fully characterizing the mechanisms of precipitation of marine barite in the water column; understanding the role and potential significance of bacteria in barite precipitation; quantifying parameters controlling barite preservation in sediments; determining the influence of diagenesis on barite geochemistry; and investigating the utility of additional trace components in barite.     

高压下深海碳循环的过程及其对生命活动的影响

目前约25％化石燃料来源的CO2被海洋吸收,缓解了人类活动对气候变化的影响.海洋通过多个概念的碳泵将大气中的CO2输送到深海.深海高压和低温的特点有利于CO2溶解,目前已经储存了相当于大气含量50倍的无机碳,另外,深海沉积物中还储存有大量甲烷水合物.认识深海中的碳循环过程,对于保护海洋固碳能力、开发固碳潜力有重要意义....     

塔里木盆地寒武系—奥陶系烃源岩发育模式及分布规律

塔里木盆地寒武系—奥陶系烃源岩主要分布于3套层系中,即中—下寒武统的碳酸盐岩烃源岩和泥质岩烃源岩,上寒武统—中、下奥陶统的泥质岩烃源岩和上奥陶统的台缘灰泥丘烃源岩。这些烃源岩在纵向演化上受海平面升降控制,即层序体系域属性不同,烃源岩发育不同;在平面分布上与古水深、沉积相密切相关。泥质类烃源岩主要形成于广海陆棚—深海盆地,深海相泥质类烃源岩的形成是由于表层水体中大量生物的死亡堆积到深水环境中,由于深水缺氧,有利于有机质保存,加上远离陆地,沉积速率低,使得有机质富集;广海陆棚相泥质类烃源岩的形成与上升洋流的作用有关。碳酸盐岩烃源岩的形成是受层序体系域和沉积相控制,分布于下斜坡的高位体系域或与膏盐岩伴生。     

The extent of oxygen isotope exchange between clay minerals and sea water

The extent of oxygen isotopic exchange between detrital clay minerals and sea water was investigated by analyzing $\text{O}{}^{18}\text{O}{}^{16}$ ratios of separated fine-grained size fractions of deep-sea sediments from three North Pacific ocean cores. Isotopic results were interpreted according to models based on the assumption that the extent of isotopic exchange should increase with decreasing particle size and increasing time of exchange between the sediment and sea water. The data indicate that information concerning the provenance and mode of formation of detrital clay minerals can be obtained from the $\text{O}{}^{18}\text{O}{}^{16}$ ratios of the coarser-than-0.1 μm fraction of deep-sea sediments younger than several million years and the finer-than-0.1 μm fraction of deep-sea sediments younger than several tens of thousands of years. Furthermore, if the extent of chemical reaction between detrital clays and sea water is similar to the extent of oxygen isotopic exchange, such reaction may be important in regulating the chemistry of sea water.     

Freshwater chlorophycean algae in recent marine sediments of the Beaufort, Laptev and Kara Seas (Arctic Ocean) as indicators of river runoff

Freshwater chlorophycean algae are characteristic organic-walled microfossils in recent coastal and shelf sediments from the Beaufort, Laptev and Kara seas (Arctic Ocean). The persistent occurrence of the chlorophycean algae Pediastrum spp. and Botryococcus cf. braunii in marine palynomorph assemblages is related to the discharge of freshwater and suspended matter from the large Siberian and North American rivers into the Arctic shelf seas. The distribution patterns of these algae in the marine environments reflect the predominant deposition of riverine sediments and organic matter along the salinity gradient from the outer estuaries and prodeltas to the shelf break. Sedimentary processes overprint the primary distribution of these algae. Resuspension of sediments by waves and bottom currents may transport sediments in the bottom nepheloid layer along the submarine channels to the shelf break. Bottom sediments and microfossils may be incorporated into sea ice during freeze-up in autumn and winter leading to an export from the shelves into the deep sea. The presence of these freshwater algae in sea-ice and bottom sediments in the central Arctic Ocean confirm that transport in sea ice is an important process which leads to a redistribution of shallow water microfossils.