Abstract: Microplastics, a new type of pollutant, are widely distributed in the marine and pose a potential threat to the marine ecosystem. To understand the distribution characteristics of microplastics in the surface water of Jiangsu offshore fishery waters, we carried out sampling at 34 stations in Jiangsu offshore waters in October 2023. The results showed that microplastics were detected at all the stations. The abundance ranged from 0.17 to 0.72 items·m^-3, and the average abundance of microplastics was 0.45±0.12 items·m^-3. The abundance distribution of microplastics showed spatial heterogeneity, with an overall trend of being higher near the shore and lower far from the shore. From a regional distribution perspective, the abundance of microplastics in the coastal waters of Nantong and Lianyungang was significantly higher than that in Yancheng. The shapes of microplastics were mainly fibrous (43%) and fragmented (39%). The colors are mainly white (37%), blue (26%), and green (16%). The particle sizes were mainly <1 mm (80%). The polymer types were mainly polypropylene (PP) (32%) and polyethylene (PE) (27%). Source analysis of microplastics showed that they were derived from inputs from rivers, domestic sewage discharges, maritime transportation and fishery production. This study provides important data support for the control of microplastic pollution in coastal areas of China.

Key words: Jiangsu offshore, microplastics, pollution characteristics, potential source