Comparison of the abundance of microplastics between rural and urban areas: A case study from East Dongting Lake.

There is a lack of research on microplastic pollution in freshwater areas. In this study, microplastic pollution in lakeshore sediments of East Dongting Lake was investigated. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 180 to 693 items/kg in the lakeshore sediment, which was moderate compared with other areas of the world. Fibers, transparent and small sized microplastics accounted for the largest proportion in terms of shape, color and size, respectively. Eight types of microplastics with different polymer compositions were identified by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The study found that the abundance of microplastics in the urban area sediment of Dongting Lake is lower than that of the rural area. The difference in environmental protection measures between urban and rural areas may be the cause of this phenomenon. The results of this study is helpful for understanding the role of human activities in microplastic pollution and provide valuable references for future research.