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  • Perspective
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Accumulation, transformation and transport of microplastics in estuarine fronts

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 3, pages 795–805 (2022)Cite this article

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An Author Correction to this article was published on 19 May 2023

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Abstract

Millions of tons of riverine plastic waste enter the ocean via estuaries annually. The plastics accumulate, fragment, mix and interact with organisms in these dynamic systems, but such processes have received limited attention relative to open-ocean sites. In this Perspective, we discuss the occurrence and convergence of microplastics at estuarine fronts, focusing on their interactions with physical, geochemical and biological processes. Microplastic transformation can be enhanced within frontal systems owing to strong turbulence and interactions with sediment and biological particles, exacerbating the potential ecosystem impacts. The formation of microplastic hotspots at estuarine fronts could be a target for future plastic pollution mitigation efforts. Knowledge of the mechanics of plastic dispersal, accumulation and fate in frontal zones will, in turn, improve our understanding of plastic waste along the land–sea aquatic continuum.

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Fig. 1: Comparisons of characteristics between estuarine fronts and open-ocean fronts.
Fig. 2: Types of estuarine surface fronts.
Fig. 3: Transport and transformation of microplastics in the frontal zone.
Fig. 4: Estuarine fronts and riverine plastic flux.

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Acknowledgements

We thank X. Li for her assistance with the illustration in the original Figs. 2 and 3. Funding support was provided through the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (CRRP2021-08MY-Zhao to T.W., R.M.A. and S.Z.). This study was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42076006) and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research And Innovation Programme under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (PLOCEAN 882682 to L.G.), an International Partnership Research Grant (UMT 55379 to R.M.A.) and the National Research Foundation Singapore through the Marine Environmental (to M.C.).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Tao Wang, Shiye Zhao.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China

    Tao Wang & Wensheng Jiang

  2. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan

    Shiye Zhao & Ryota Nakajima

  3. State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Costal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

    Lixin Zhu

  4. Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University, Boston MA, USA

    Lixin Zhu

  5. Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    James C. McWilliams

  6. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA

    Luisa Galgani

  7. GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany

    Luisa Galgani

  8. Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia

    Roswati Md Amin

  9. Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Mengli Chen

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S.Z. initiated the writing. T.W. and S.Z. co-led the design and writing of the article and contributed equally to this article. All co-authors provided input on the manuscript text, figures and discussion of scientific content.

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Wang, T., Zhao, S., Zhu, L. et al. Accumulation, transformation and transport of microplastics in estuarine fronts. Nat Rev Earth Environ 3, 795–805 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00349-x

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