Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important pathways for microplastics (MPs), plastic additives, and other associated contaminants to enter receiving waters, yet their combined pollution and risks remain poorly constrained across broad geographic regions. Here, MPs and plastic additives were investigated in effluents from 46 typical WWTPs distributed across 31 provincial-level regions of China. MPs occurred in all effluents at 6.0-589.0 items L⁻¹ ; fragments dominated, 95.6% were < 1 mm, and polystyrene was the most abundant polymer. National emissions were estimated at 2.35 × 1015 particles yr-1, equivalent to 552 yr-1, with loads positively associated with served population. Sixty-four plastic additives and associated contaminants were detected at total organic concentrations of 799.54-5534.19 ng L⁻¹ . Bisphenols, phthalate esters, and organophosphate esters dominated the organic profile, contributing 58.9%, 26.5%, and 11.4%, respectively. Organic risks were driven mainly by bisphenols, whereas elevated Zn contributed to metal-related risk at some sites. Polymer-dependent co-occurrence patterns between MPs and additives indicated potential combined exposure. An ecological risk index integrating CRITIC-derived and expert-judgment weights classified all sites as moderate risk or higher. These findings provide broad geographic evidence from typical WWTPs and a tool for coordinated management of MPs, plastic additives, and associated contaminants in WWTP effluents.
Lizhang Wang, Jian-Chao Liu, Le Chen et al.· Journal of Hazardous Materia...· 1 citation
Agricultural ditches play an underappreciated role in accumulating or attenuating waterborne emerging contaminants (ECs) from farmlands to downstream aquatic ecosystems. Here, we present the first nationwide assessment of ECs in ditches across major agricultural regions of China, through analyzing over 300 compounds at 183 sampling sites. A multicriteria assessment framework was applied to prioritize contaminants along the farmland ditch–river continuum by integrating scenario-specific occurrence patterns, transferable environmental fate properties, and toxicological profiles covering cytotoxicity, ecotoxicity, and human health endpoints. Principal component analysis was used to derive data-driven weights from the nationally representative data set, enabling objective synthesis of commonly used risk dimensions while reflecting the agricultural ditch context, avoiding the subjectivity of expert-assigned scoring. The prioritization identified per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as the highest-priority pollutants owing to their extreme persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and human health risks, followed by several pesticides (notably tebuconazole and fipronil), bisphenol A, di-n-octyl phthalate, and natural hormones. Cluster analysis revealed two distinct pathways to high priority: source-intensive contaminants driven by continuous agricultural inputs and legacy-type persistent chemicals attributed to intrinsic molecular stability. Over 60% of the top-ranked substances appear on international regulatory watch lists, including those of China, the EU, and the US EPA, confirming the framework’s practical relevance. Beyond providing priority rankings for agricultural ditch management, our methodology offers a transparent and adaptable template for contaminant prioritization in other environmental settings.
Tian Ouyang, Zhifeng Yan, Hua Wang et al.· Environmental Science &...· 0 citations
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