A critical review of microplastic pollution in urban freshwater environments and legislative progress in China: Recommendations and insights

Abstract

A critical review of microplastic pollution in urban freshwater environments and legislative progress in China: recommendations and insightsFreshwater systems are vitally important, supporting diversity and providing a range of ecosystem services. In China, rapid urbanization (over 800 million urban population) has led to multiple anthropogenic pressures that threaten urban freshwater environments.Microplastics (<5 mm) result from intensive production and use of plastic materials, but their effects in urban freshwater environments remain poorly understood. Rising concerns over the ecological effects of microplastics have resulted in increased attention being given to this contaminant in Chinese freshwater systems. Some studies provide quantitative data on contamination loads, but in general relevant knowledge in freshwater environment remains narrow in China, and lacking adequate understanding of threshold levels for detrimental effects. Notably, non-standardized sample collection and processing techniques for point and non-point sources have hindered comparisons of contamination loads and associated risk. Meanwhile, legislative frameworks for managing microplastics in China remain in their infancy. This manuscript critically reviews what is known of the nature and magnitude of microplastic pollution in Chinese freshwater environments, and summarises relevant Chinese legislation. It provides recommendations for improving the legislative framework in China and identifies research gaps that need to be addressed to improve management and regulatory strategies for dealing with microplastic pollution in Chinese urban freshwater environments.

Does marine environmental research meet the challenges of marine pollution induced by the COVID-19 pandemic? Comparison analysis before and during the pandemic based on bibliometrics

“…Strady et al assessed baselines of microplastic concentrations in selected marine and freshwater environments ( Strady et al, 2021 ). Xu et al reviewed microplastic pollution in urban freshwater watersheds in China and identified key knowledge and policy gaps that need to be filled to improve understanding of the environmental risks of microplastics ( Xu et al, 2021a ). Ding, et al reviewed the source, fate and toxicity of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems ( Ding et al, 2021 ).…”

Occurrence of Microplastic Pollution in the Beibu Gulf, the Northern South China Sea

“…However, Tang et al (2018) and Chen H. et al (2020) reported a positive correlation between microplastic abundance and population number (not population density), and Tang et al (2018) reported a poor negative correlation between microplastic abundance and per capita GDP, which were contrary to the results of this study. These findings would play important roles in the first step of developing policy and regulations to mitigate the microplastic pollution risk (Xu et al, 2020).…”

Microplastic Extraction from the Sediment Using Potassium Formate Water Solution (H2O/KCOOH)

“…Research on microplastic pollution has been conducted simultaneously by a vast number of research teams [21][22][23]. It is also a popular subject of citizen science [24][25][26].…”