ZENGYifan,QIUJiekai,WANG Jing,et al.Occurrence Levels and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Different Water Sources in a City of East China[J].China Water & Wastewater,2026,42(5):26-34.
Occurrence Levels and Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Different Water Sources in a City of East China
China Water & Wastewater[ISSN:1000-4062/CN:12-1073/TU]
volume:
第42卷
Number:
第5期
Page:
26-34
Column:
Date of publication:
2026-03-01
- Keywords:
- water source; microplastics; micro-FTIR; occurrence characteristics
- Abstract:
- As an emerging contaminant, the presence of microplastics in drinking water has garnered increasing attention. The concentration of microplastics in the finished water of water supply plants is influenced by the levels present in the source water. Using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR), this study investigated the occurrence levels and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of microplastics in various source waters, including reservoirs A, B, C, and water supply plant L, in a city of East China. The results indicated that the microplastic concentrations in reservoirs A, B, C, and water supply plant L were (8.89±2.78) n/L, (6.81±2.64) n/L, (12.50±4.17) n/L, and (10.14±4.31) n/L, respectively, with higher concentrations observed in winter compared to summer. Microplastics in the reservoirs were primarily granular, predominantly composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), while microplastics in the influent of water supply plant L were mainly fibrous, composed primarily of polystyrene (PS) and PET. In all source waters, the microplastics were predominantly white and transparent, with particles smaller than 1 000 μm making up the largest proportion. Notably, the polymer types and color diversity of microplastics in the influent of water supply plant L were more varied than those in the reservoir waters. Ecological risk assessments indicated that the source waters exhibited a higher ecological risk from microplastics during winter, with reservoir C showing the highest potential ecological risk, followed by reservoir A, water supply plant L, and reservoir B. These findings provide valuable insights into microplastic pollution and contribute to the development of management strategies for water source protection and pollution mitigation.
Last Update:
2026-03-01