Distribution characteristics of microplastics and macroplastics in surface seawater across seasonal fluctuations: A case study in the Bohai Bay, China

IF 2.6 3区地球科学 Q1 MARINE & FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-28 DOI:10.1016/j.ecss.2026.109735

Dai Jia , Jinfei Guo , Ruihan Wang, Xianbin Liu

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Abstract

Microplastics and macroplastics are pervasive in global marine environment. Coastal bays—particularly semi-enclosed, anthropogenically stressed systems like the Bohai Bay—are potential hotspots for plastic accumulation due to intense terrestrial inputs, dense coastal populations and complex hydrodynamics. This study aims to elucidate the spatiotemporal distribution and key controlling factors of microplastics and macroplastics in its surface waters. Seawater samples were collected from 12 stations across three seasons (spring: 14–19 April; summer: 22–27 July; autumn: 13–18 October 2018) using a water sampler, with triplicates at each station. Filtered and separated microplastics and macroplastics were quantified by stereomicroscopy, and their polymer types identified via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (spectral match threshold >70 %). The results showed a high average microplastics abundance of 9.29 ± 0.93 items L⁻¹, exceeding levels typically found in open seas and coastal waters. Microplastics abundance exhibited distinct seasonal variability (autumn: 118, spring: 108, summer: 99 items in total), likely driven by seasonal differences in rainfall and wind speed. Microplastics abundance were elevated at estuarine stations (26.93 items L⁻¹) compared to non-estuarine stations (25.78 items L⁻¹), highlighting riverine input. Microplastics were predominantly transparent, fibrous, and composed mainly of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene. Both the abundance and size distribution of microplastics displayed a unimodal seasonal pattern. However, macroplastics were detected at fewer stations than microplastics, with the lowest occurrence in summer. These findings provide a scientific basis for targeted, seasonally tailored bay policies, highlighting terrestrial plastic discharge control and estuarine microplastics hotspots to support precise marine pollution management.

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表层海水中微塑料和宏观塑料的季节性分布特征——以渤海湾为例

微塑料和宏观塑料在全球海洋环境中普遍存在。由于强烈的陆地输入、密集的沿海人口和复杂的水动力，沿海海湾——尤其是像渤海湾这样的半封闭、人为压力大的系统——是塑料堆积的潜在热点。本研究旨在阐明其地表水中微塑料和宏观塑料的时空分布及其关键控制因素。在三个季节（春季：4月14日至19日；夏季：7月22日至27日；秋季：2018年10月13日至18日）使用水采样器从12个站点采集海水样本，每个站点采集三份。通过体视显微镜对过滤后和分离后的微塑料和宏观塑料进行定量，并通过傅里叶变换红外光谱（光谱匹配阈值>；70 %）鉴定其聚合物类型。结果显示，平均微塑料丰度为9.29 ± 0.93项L−1，超过了公海和沿海水域的典型水平。微塑料丰度表现出明显的季节性变化（秋季：118，春季：108，夏季：99），可能是由降雨和风速的季节性差异造成的。河口站的微塑料丰度（26.93项L−1）高于非河口站（25.78项L−1），突出了河流的输入。微塑料主要是透明的、纤维状的，主要由聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯和聚乙烯组成。微塑料的丰度和大小分布均呈单峰季节性。然而，在较少的站点检测到宏观塑料比微塑料，在夏季出现最低。这些发现为有针对性的、季节性的海湾政策提供了科学依据，突出了陆地塑料排放控制和河口微塑料热点，以支持精确的海洋污染管理。

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来源期刊

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 地学-海洋学

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

7.10%

发文量

374

审稿时长

9 months

期刊介绍： Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science is an international multidisciplinary journal devoted to the analysis of saline water phenomena ranging from the outer edge of the continental shelf to the upper limits of the tidal zone. The journal provides a unique forum, unifying the multidisciplinary approaches to the study of the oceanography of estuaries, coastal zones, and continental shelf seas. It features original research papers, review papers and short communications treating such disciplines as zoology, botany, geology, sedimentology, physical oceanography.