Effects of garbage salvaging and suspended crossbar on microplastic pollution along a typical urban river

Microplastic pollution has been considered as a global environmental issue that potentially threatens human health. However, research about microplastic pollution in urban rivers is still insufficient. This study analyzed the abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface water of the Nanfei River in Hefei, China. Microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.8 to 27 items/L along the studied river. The small size (50–333 μm) (47.58–84.89%) and white (55.65–88.89%) were predominant among all samples, except that collected from the source reach. Pellet was a typical and abundant microplastic type and accounted for 60.30%. PE and PP were the major polymers, occupying 55.24% and 22.86%, respectively. The results showed that traditional environmental management practices including salvaging surface garbage regularly and setting wooden suspended crossbars at tributary confluences could significantly mitigate the pollution degree of microplastics. The polymer risk index was calculated to describe the potential risk of microplastics, and the pollution level was still at high risk under various management practices. This study provides a valuable finding for future research on microplastics in urban city rivers, which may improve the knowledge that how to control and prevent microplastic pollution.