Microplastic contamination across trophic levels in a lowland spring watercourse of Northwestern Italy: New insights and biomonitoring implications

IF 4.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Journal of contaminant hydrology Pub Date : 2025-09-10 DOI:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2025.104726

Marco Bertoli , Paolo Pastorino , Serena Anselmi , Tecla Bentivoglio , Giuseppe Esposito , Giorgia Goriup , Antonia Concetta Elia , Marino Prearo , Monia Renzi , Elisabetta Pizzul

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging environmental threat, with freshwater ecosystems acting as both transport pathways and accumulation zones for these synthetic particles. Despite growing research, data on MP contamination in small, lowland spring watercourses remain scarce. This study investigates MP distribution in the Sacchetti Ditch, a lowland spring-fed stream in Northwestern Italy, through by-monthly sampling over one year, leading to insights about seasonal trends. MP occurrence was analyzed in water, sediment, and biotic compartments, including fish, macroinvertebrates, and bivalves. MP concentrations in water ranged from 27.2 ± 47.1 MP L⁻¹ (March) to 61.2 ± 20.4 MP L⁻¹ (May), while sediment levels peaked at 358.6 ± 224.1 MP kg⁻¹ in January. Fragments and fibers dominated across matrices, with black, red, and blue as the most common colors. Statistical analyses revealed no significant temporal trends, suggesting continuous MP inputs from untreated wastewater discharge, urban runoff, and industrial effluents. Biotic samples confirmed MP ingestion across trophic levels. Gambusia affinis and Gammarus fossarum exhibited the highest MP burdens in winter, while Unio elongatulus showed a strong correlation with waterborne MPs. Polymer analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyamide (PA), with PP showing significant selective ingestion by U. elongatulus. Non-Metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis of seasonal MP content in both biotic and abiotic samples indicated no clear seasonal patterns across trophic levels, reinforcing the role of the ditch as a long-term MPs reservoir. These findings highlight the need for urgent mitigation measures to reduce persistent MP pollution in small freshwater ecosystems.

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微塑料污染跨越营养水平在意大利西北部的低地泉水水道：新的见解和生物监测的意义

微塑料污染是一种新兴的环境威胁，淡水生态系统既是这些合成颗粒的运输途径，也是它们的积累区。尽管有越来越多的研究，关于小的、低地的泉水河道中多氯甲烷污染的数据仍然很少。这项研究调查了MP在Sacchetti沟的分布，这是意大利西北部的一条低地泉水流，通过一年多的每月抽样，得出了关于季节性趋势的见解。分析了MP在水、沉积物和生物隔间（包括鱼类、大型无脊椎动物和双壳类动物）中的发生情况。水中的MP浓度范围为27.2±47.1 MP L - 1（3月）至61.2±20.4 MP L - 1（5月），而沉积物水平在1月达到峰值358.6±224.1 MP kg - 1。碎片和纤维在基质中占主导地位，黑色、红色和蓝色是最常见的颜色。统计分析没有显示出明显的时间趋势，这表明未经处理的废水排放、城市径流和工业废水持续输入了多聚磷。生物样本证实了跨营养水平的MP摄入。甘竹（Gambusia affinis）和甘竹（Gammarus fossarum）在冬季的MP负荷最高，而长尾柳（Unio elongatulus）与水生MP的相关性较强。聚合物分析鉴定出了聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）、聚丙烯（PP）、聚乙烯（PE）和聚酰胺（PA），其中PP被长叶藻选择性摄入。对生物和非生物样品中季节性MP含量的非度量多维尺度（NMDS）分析表明，在营养水平上没有明确的季节性模式，这加强了沟渠作为MPs长期储存库的作用。这些发现强调需要采取紧急缓解措施，以减少小型淡水生态系统中持续存在的多聚磷污染。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of contaminant hydrology 环境科学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

2.80%

发文量

129

审稿时长

68 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Contaminant Hydrology is an international journal publishing scientific articles pertaining to the contamination of subsurface water resources. Emphasis is placed on investigations of the physical, chemical, and biological processes influencing the behavior and fate of organic and inorganic contaminants in the unsaturated (vadose) and saturated (groundwater) zones, as well as at groundwater-surface water interfaces. The ecological impacts of contaminants transported both from and to aquifers are of interest. Articles on contamination of surface water only, without a link to groundwater, are out of the scope. Broad latitude is allowed in identifying contaminants of interest, and include legacy and emerging pollutants, nutrients, nanoparticles, pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, viruses, protozoa), microplastics, and various constituents associated with energy production (e.g., methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide). The journal''s scope embraces a wide range of topics including: experimental investigations of contaminant sorption, diffusion, transformation, volatilization and transport in the surface and subsurface; characterization of soil and aquifer properties only as they influence contaminant behavior; development and testing of mathematical models of contaminant behaviour; innovative techniques for restoration of contaminated sites; development of new tools or techniques for monitoring the extent of soil and groundwater contamination; transformation of contaminants in the hyporheic zone; effects of contaminants traversing the hyporheic zone on surface water and groundwater ecosystems; subsurface carbon sequestration and/or turnover; and migration of fluids associated with energy production into groundwater.