Microplastic distribution and migration in soil, water and sediments in Caohai Lake under the different hydrological periods, Southwest China

An increasing number of researchers have focused on microplastics (MPs) pollution in inland freshwater lakes due to its ecotoxicity, while little is known about the effects of hydrological periods on MPs distribution. Therefore, this study aims to investigate MPs distribution, morphological characteristics and physicochemical indices in various environments in dry and wet periods in Caohai Lake. The results exhibited that cultivated soil, water, and sediment in Caohai Lake have been polluted by MPs in dry and wet periods. There were pellets, fragments, film, and fibers of MPs in both dry and wet periods, and MP foam was additionally found in the wet period. MPs with 0 to 0.5 mm possessed the largest proportion in the five environments in dry and wet periods, followed by MPs with 0.5 to 1 mm and 1 to 5 mm. In Caohai Lake, the black, white, green, red, and transparent MPs in dry period, and black, colourful, grey, red and transparent MPs in wet period were found. The developed structural equation model confirmed that MPs in sediment were probably mainly from soil. There are negative effects of the relative abundance of MPs from cultivated soil to lake water in the dry period, whereas the opposite is true in the wet period. Interestingly, the complex and fast water velocity in the estuary in the wet period led to a lower relative abundance of MPs in its sediment in comparison with the dry period. The distribution model of MPs in estuary and lake water in dry and wet periods is not inconsistent. Our results suggest that the related government department should take measures to reduce the MPs pollution in Caohai Lake, especially from the source.