Horizontal and vertical distribution of microplastics in the Wuliangsuhai Lake sediment, northern China

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, sediments in the water body are considered as the sink of microplastics, but its accumulation and change trend have received little attention. We assessed the concentrations of microplastics in sediment samples collected in Wuliangsuhai Lake. The abundance of microplastics (0–6 cm) in surface sediment ranged from 16.5 to 72.4 particles 100 g −1 dry weight. The results show that the abundance, type and size of microplastics in surface sediment of different functional areas are different. Four sampling points were selected to investigate the vertical distribution of microplastics. The abundance of microplastics exhibited a clear decreasing trend with increased sediment depth, the abundance of microplastics in deep sediments is much less. This result shows that when estimating the storage of microplastics in sediments, if only considered the surface sediments, the assessment of microplastic storage worldwide might be underestimated. • Microplastics in sediments of Wuliangsuhai Lake were investigated. • Fiber-shaped, small size microplastics (<1 mm) were the most common type. • Anthropogenic activities affect microplastics distribution in Wuliangsuhai Lake sediment. • Microplastic abundance decreased with depth and increased with age in the sediment.