Microplastic footprints in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their implications to the Yangtze River Basin

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive in the environment and have posed growing threat to ecosystems and human health. This study investigated MP abundances in surface water (fresh and salt lakes, urban and rural rivers, etc.) from 28 stations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. MPs were detected in 25 out of 28 water samples with relatively low abundance (average 584.82 particles m−3). Fibers were the most frequently observed shape, particle sizes mostly ranged from 100 to 500 µm, and the greatest number of MPs was polypropylene. Source analysis identified the major sources of domestic wastewater and tourism in some areas. The concentration and proportion of small MPs (20–100 µm) in salty water were apparently greater than that in fresh water, indicating Salt intrusion accelerated MPs fragmentation. As the study area is the origin of the Yangtze River, we further compared the MP distribution throughout the watershed. Nearly two orders of magnitude in MP concentrations were increased associated with urban agglomeration in the middle and downstream areas, but the highest level was marked around the Yichang City (location of the Three Gorges Reservoir) due to interception associated with sedimentation and precipitation. This study provides data and theoretical bases for analyzing MPs migration and degradation processes in high altitudes.