Pollution of Beach Sands of the Ob River (Western Siberia) with Microplastics and Persistent Organic Pollutants

Pollution of Beach Sands of the Ob River (Western Siberia) with Microplastics and Persistent Organic Pollutants Full article

Journal

Journal of Xenobiotics
ISSN: 2039-4713

Output data

Year: 2024, Volume: 14, Number: 3, Pages: 989-1002 Pages count : 14 DOI: 10.3390/jox14030055

Tags

riverine microplastics; Siberian rivers; beach sands; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)

Authors

Frank Yulia A. ¹ , Sotnikova Yulia S. ² , Tsygankov Vasiliy Yu. ³ , Rednikin Aleksey R. ¹ , Donets Maksim M. ³ , Karpova Elena V. ² , Belanov Maksim A. ³ , Rakhmatullina Svetlana ¹ , Borovkova Aleksandra D. ³ , Polovyanenko Dmitriy N. ² , Vorobiev Danil S. ¹

Affiliations

1	Biological Institute, Tomsk State University
2	N.N. Vorozhtsov Institute, Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS)
3	Pacific Geographical Institute, Far-Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (FEB RAS)

Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments can be associated with various substances, including persistent organic pollutants, which add to the problem of plastic ecotoxicity. The abundance of 1–5 mm microplastics and concentrations of particle-adsorbed organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sandy sediments from three beaches in recreational areas along the upper Ob River in Western Siberia were assessed. MP pollution levels in the Ob River beach sands ranged from 24 ± 20.7 to 104 ± 46.2 items m−2 or, in terms of mass concentration, from 0.26 ± 0.21 to 1.22 ± 0.39 mg m−2. The average abundance of MP particles reached 0.67 ± 0.58 items kg−1 or 8.22 ± 6.13 μg kg−1 in the studied sediments. MP concentrations were significantly higher in number (p < 0.05) and mass (p < 0.01) at the riverbank site downstream of the Novosibirsk wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall compared to these at the upstream and more distant beaches. Most MPs (70–100%) were represented by irregularly shaped fragments. The polymer composition of MPs varied between sites, with a general predominance of polyethylene (PE). The study revealed associations of MPs with PCBs and OCPs not previously detected in the riverbed and beach sediments, suggesting that these substances are circulating in the Ob River basin. Although MP concentrations were higher downstream of the WWTP, the maximum levels of particle-associated OCPs were observed in the beach sands of the site farthest from the urban agglomeration. The pesticides γ-HCH, 4,4-DDT, and 4,4-DDE were detected on MPs at relatively low concentrations. PCBs were more abundant in the studied samples, including 118 dioxin-like congener. The results obtained indicate that the Ob River is susceptible to plastic and persistent organic pollutant (POP) contamination and serve as a starting point for further studies and practical solutions to the problem.

Frank Y.A. , Sotnikova Y.S. , Tsygankov V.Y. , Rednikin A.R. , Donets M.M. , Karpova E.V. , Belanov M.A. , Rakhmatullina S. , Borovkova A.D. , Polovyanenko D.N. , Vorobiev D.S.
Pollution of Beach Sands of the Ob River (Western Siberia) with Microplastics and Persistent Organic Pollutants
Journal of Xenobiotics. 2024. V.14. N3. P.989-1002. DOI: 10.3390/jox14030055

Submitted:	May 21, 2024
Accepted:	Jul 23, 2024
Published online:	Jul 25, 2024

OpenAlex

W4400974135