101
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Du Y, Huang Q, Li S, Cai M, Liu F, Huang X, Zheng F, Lin L. Carbon sequestration reduced by the interference of nano plastics on copper bioavailability. J Hazard Mater 2024; 468:133841. [PMID: 38394898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as a serious new pollutant, especially nanoplastics (NPs) pose a greater threat to marine ecosystem than larger MPs. Within these ecosystems, phytoplankton serve as the foundational primary producers, playing a critical role in carbon sequestration. Copper (Cu), a vital cofactor for both photosynthesis and respiration in phytoplankton, directly influences their capacity to regulate atmospheric carbon. Therefore, we assessed the impact of NPs on Cu bioavailability and carbon sequestration capacity. The results showed that polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) could inhibit the growth of Thalassiosira weissflogii (a commonly used model marine diatom) and Chlorella pyrenoidosa (a standard strain of green algae). The concentration of Cu uptake by algae has a significant negative correlation with COPT1 (a Cu uptake protein), but positive with P-ATPase (a Cu efflux protein). Interestingly, PS-NPs exposure could reduce Cu uptake and carbon Cu sequestration capacity of algae, i.e., when the concentration of PS-NPs increases by 1 mg/L, the concentration of fixed carbon dioxide decreases by 0.0023 ppm. This provides a new perspective to reveal the influence mechanisms of PS-NPs on the relationship between Cu biogeochemical cycling and carbon source and sink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Du
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Qianyan Huang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Shunxing Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Minggang Cai
- College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Fengjiao Liu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China.
| | - Xuguang Huang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Fengying Zheng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Luxiu Lin
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
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102
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Johansson G, Fedje KK, Modin O, Haeger-Eugensson M, Uhl W, Andersson-Sköld Y, Strömvall AM. Removal and release of micro plastics and other environmental pollutants during the start-up of bioretention filters treating stormwater. J Hazard Mater 2024; 468:133532. [PMID: 38387172 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Untreated stormwater is a major source of microplastics, organic pollutants, metals, and nutrients in urban water courses. The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge about the start-up periods of bioretention filters. A rain garden pilot facility with 13 bioretention filters was constructed and stormwater from a highway and adjacent impervious surfaces was used for irrigation for ∼12 weeks. Selected plants (Armeria maritima, Hippophae rhamnoides, Juncus effusus, and Festuca rubra) was planted in ten filters. Stormwater percolated through the filters containing waste-to-energy bottom ash, biochar, or Sphagnum peat, mixed with sandy loam. Influent and effluent samples were taken to evaluate removal of the above-mentioned pollutants. All filters efficiently removed microplastics >10 µm, organic pollutants, and most metals. Copper leached from all filters initially but was significantly reduced in the biochar filters at the end of the period, while the other filters showed a declining trend. All filters leached nutrients initially, but concentrations decreased over time, and the biochar filters had efficiently reduced nitrogen after a few weeks. To conclude, all the filters effectively removed pollutants during the start-up period. Before being recommended for full-scale applications, the functionality of the filters after a longer period of operation should be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Johansson
- Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Karin Karlfeldt Fedje
- Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden; Recycling and Waste Management, Renova AB, Box 156, Gothenburg SE-40122, Sweden
| | - Oskar Modin
- Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Wolfgang Uhl
- Aquateam COWI AS, Karvesvingen 2, 0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Yvonne Andersson-Sköld
- Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden; Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Linköping (VTI), Box 8072, SE-40278 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ann-Margret Strömvall
- Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
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103
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Raj S, Mahanty B, Hait S. Coagulative removal of polystyrene micro plastics from aqueous matrices using FeCl 3-chitosan system: Experimental and artificial neural network modeling. J Hazard Mater 2024; 468:133818. [PMID: 38377913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Effluent from sewage treatment plants (STPs) is a significant source of microplastics (MPs) re-entry into the environment. Coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation (CFS) process as an initial tertiary treatment step requires investigation for coagulative MPs removal from secondary-treated sewage effluents. In this study, experiments were conducted on synthetic water containing 25 mg/L polystyrene (PS) MPs using varying dosages of FeCl3 (1-10 mg/L) and chitosan (0.25-9 mg/L) to assess the effect of process parameters, such as pH (4-8), stirring speed (0-200 rpm), and settling time (10-40 min). Results revealed that ∼89.3% and 21.4% of PS removal were achieved by FeCl3 and chitosan, respectively. Further, their combination resulted in a maximum of 99.8% removal at favorable conditions: FeCl3: 2 mg/L, chitosan: 7 mg/L, pH: 6.3, stirring speed: 100 rpm, and settling time: 30 min, with a statistically significant (p < 0.05) effect. Artificial neural network (ANN) validated the experimental results with RMSE = 1.0643 and R2 = 0.9997. Charge neutralization, confirmed by zeta potential, and adsorption, ascertained by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were primary mechanisms for efficient PS removal. For practical considerations, the application of the FeCl3-chitosan system on the effluents from moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR)-based STPs, spiked with PS microbeads, showed > 98% removal at favorable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Raj
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar 801 106, India
| | - Byomkesh Mahanty
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar 801 106, India
| | - Subrata Hait
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar 801 106, India.
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104
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Zhao X, Gao P, Zhao Z, Wu Y, Sun H, Liu C. Micro plastics release from face masks: Characteristics, influential factors, and potential risks. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171090. [PMID: 38387585 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been used popularly and disposed of improperly, leading to the generation of a large amount of microplastics. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive insight into the characteristics of mask-derived microplastics, the influential factors of microplastics release, and the potential risks of these microplastics to the environment and organisms. Mask-derived microplastics were predominantly transparent fibers, with a length of <1 mm. The release of microplastics from masks is mainly influenced by mask types, use habits, and weathering conditions. Under the same conditions, surgical masks release more microplastics than other types of masks. Long-term wearing of masks and the disinfection for reuse can promote the release of microplastics. Environmental media, UV irradiation, temperature, pH value, and mechanical shear can also influence the microplastics release. The risks of mask-derived microplastics to human health via inhalation cannot be neglected. Future studies should pay more attention to the release of microplastics from the masks with alternative materials and under more weathering conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Panpan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Ziqing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yinghong Wu
- Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin 300011, China
| | - Hongwen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Chunguang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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105
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Aydin M, Degirmenci T, Bozatli O, Balsalobre-Lorente D. Fresh evidence of the impact of economic complexity, health expenditure, natural resources, plastic consumption, and renewable energy in air pollution deaths in the USA? An empirical approach. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171127. [PMID: 38387562 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Most plastic waste generated from plastic consumption cannot be recycled and is destroyed by burning. As a result of burning plastics, microplastics spread into the atmosphere, increasing air pollution. Respiratory diseases and chronic health problems are caused by air pollution. Approximately 7 million people die each year due to pollution-related ailments. Therefore, it is crucial to provide empirical evidence rather than approximate estimates of the role of plastic consumption in air pollution-related deaths. Also, understanding the causes of air pollution-related deaths and demonstrating the policies' effectiveness will provide valuable insights for policymakers, the international community, and researchers. This study investigates the effects of plastic consumption, health expenditures, natural resources, economic complexity, and renewable energy on air pollution deaths in the USA from 1995 to 2019 using the novel Fourier Augmented ARDL method. The findings show that plastic consumption, health expenditures, natural resources, and economic complexity increase air pollution deaths, while renewable energy decreases it. Such findings imply that plastic consumption is an essential determinant of air pollution-related mortality, that health policy must be reconsidered, that efficient use of resources is important and that sophisticated economic structures do not always produce the desired results. Overall, policymakers should review health policies to reduce deaths from air pollution and take measures to support green growth using renewable energy and economic complexity tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mucahit Aydin
- Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Econometrics, Sakarya University, Esentepe Campus, Serdivan/Sakarya, Turkiye; UNEC Research Methods Application Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Istiqlaliyyat Str. 6, Baku 1001, Azerbaijan; Sakarya University Technology Developing Zones Manager Company, 54050, Sakarya, Turkiye.
| | - Tunahan Degirmenci
- UNEC Research Methods Application Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Istiqlaliyyat Str. 6, Baku 1001, Azerbaijan; Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Public Finance, Sakarya University, Esentepe Campus, Serdivan/Sakarya, Turkiye.
| | - Oguzhan Bozatli
- UNEC Research Methods Application Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Istiqlaliyyat Str. 6, Baku 1001, Azerbaijan; Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Kadirli Vocational School, Department of Accounting and Taxation, Osmaniye, Turkiye.
| | - Daniel Balsalobre-Lorente
- UNEC Research Methods Application Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Istiqlaliyyat Str. 6, Baku 1001, Azerbaijan; Department of Applied Economics, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
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106
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He F, Sun J, Wan JSH, Nawaz M, Javed Q, Pan L, Khattak WA, Bo Y, Xiang Y, Ren G, Lin X, Du D. Micro plastics and cadmium affect invasion success by altering complementarity and selection effects in native community. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171135. [PMID: 38402976 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that native plant communities with high biodiversity should be more resistant to invasion than low biodiversity communities. However, observational studies have found that there is often a positive relationship between native community diversity and invasibility. Pollutants were not tested for their potential to cause this positive relationship. Here, we established native communities with three levels of diversity (1, 2 and 4 species) and introduced an invasive plant [Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G. L. Nesom] to test the effects of different pollutant treatments (i.e., unpolluted control, microplastics (MPs) alone, cadmium (Cd) alone, and their combination) on the relationship between native community diversity and community invasibility. Our results indicate that different MPs and Cd treatments altered the invasibility of native communities, but this effect may depend on the type of pollutant. MPs single treatment reduced invasion success, and the degree of reduction increased with increasing native community diversity (Diversity 2: - 14.1 %; Diversity 4: - 63.1 %). Cd single treatment increased the aboveground biomass of invasive plants (+ 40.2 %) and invasion success. The presence of MPs inhibited the contribution of Cd to invasion success. Furthermore, we found that the complementarity and selection effects of the native community were negatively correlated with invasion success, and their relative contributions to invasion success also depended on the pollutant type. We found new evidence of how pollutants affect the relationship between native community diversity and habitat invasibility, which provides new perspectives for understanding and managing biological invasions in the context of environmental pollution. This may contribute to promoting the conservation of biodiversity, especially in ecologically sensitive and polluted areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jianfan Sun
- School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Justin S H Wan
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Mohsin Nawaz
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Qaiser Javed
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Linxuan Pan
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Wajid Ali Khattak
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yanwen Bo
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yan Xiang
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Guangqian Ren
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xin Lin
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Daolin Du
- Jingjiang College, Institute of Enviroment and Ecology, School of Emergency Management, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
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107
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Li T, Liu R, Wang Q, Rao J, Liu Y, Dai Z, Gooneratne R, Wang J, Xie Q, Zhang X. A review of the influence of environmental pollutants (micro plastics, pesticides, antibiotics, air pollutants, viruses, bacteria) on animal viruses. J Hazard Mater 2024; 468:133831. [PMID: 38402684 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms, especially viruses, cause disease in both humans and animals. Environmental chemical pollutants including microplastics, pesticides, antibiotics sand air pollutants arisen from human activities affect both animal and human health. This review assesses the impact of chemical and biological contaminants (virus and bacteria) on viruses including its life cycle, survival, mutations, loads and titers, shedding, transmission, infection, re-assortment, interference, abundance, viral transfer between cells, and the susceptibility of the host to viruses. It summarizes the sources of environmental contaminants, interactions between contaminants and viruses, and methods used to mitigate such interactions. Overall, this review provides a perspective of environmentally co-occurring contaminants on animal viruses that would be useful for future research on virus-animal-human-ecosystem harmony studies to safeguard human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ruiheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiaqian Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yuanjia Liu
- College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Zhenkai Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ravi Gooneratne
- Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Qingmei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xinheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry & Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of AgroAnimal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Vector Vaccine of Animal Virus, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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108
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Oliveira de Miranda C, Lelis Leal de Souza JJ, Gonçalves Reynaud Schaefer CE, Huerta Lwanga E, Nadal Junqueira Villela F. Short-term impacts of polyethylene and polyacrylonitrile micro plastics on soil physicochemical properties and microbial activity of a marine terrace environment in maritime Antarctica. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123791. [PMID: 38490529 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Evidence of microplastic (MP) pollution in Antarctic terrestrial environments reinforces concerns about its potential impacts on soil, which plays a major role in ecological processes at ice-free areas. We investigated the effects of two common MP types on soil physicochemical properties and microbial responses of a marine terrace from Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica). Soils were treated with polyethylene (PE) fragments and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers at environmentally relevant doses (from 0.001% to 1% w w-1), in addition to a control treatment (0% w w-1), for 22 days in a pot incubation experiment under natural field conditions. The short-term impacts of MPs on soil physical, chemical and microbial attributes seem interrelated and were affected by both MP dose and type. The highest PAN fiber dose (0.1%) increased macro and total porosity, but decreased soil bulk density compared to control, whereas PE fragments treatments did not affect soil porosity. Soil respiration increased with increasing doses of PAN fibers reflecting impacts on physical properties. Both types of MPs increased microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), decreased the cation exchange capacity but, especially PE fragments, increased Na+ saturation. The highest dose of PAN fibers and PE fragments increased total nitrogen and total organic carbon, respectively, and both decreased the soil pH. We discussed potential causes for our findings in this initial assessment and addressed the need for further research considering the complexity of environmental factors to better understand the cumulative impacts of MP pollution in Antarctic soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caik Oliveira de Miranda
- Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - José João Lelis Leal de Souza
- Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Esperanza Huerta Lwanga
- Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Fernando Nadal Junqueira Villela
- Laboratório de Pedologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas, Departamento de Geografia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 338, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
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109
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Lin W, Hu F, Liu F, Liao L, Ling L, Li L, Yang J, Yang P. Microcystin-LR and polystyrene micro plastics jointly lead to hepatic histopathological damage and antioxidant dysfunction in male zebrafish. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123789. [PMID: 38490526 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The co-occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms and nano-microplastic pollution in the water is becoming an emerging risk. To assess the combined hepatotoxicity of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) on zebrafish (Danio rerio), male adult zebrafish were exposed to single MC-LR (0, 1, 5, 25 μg/L) and a mixture of MC-LR and PSMPs (100 μg/L). After 60 d exposure, the results indicated that PSMPs significantly increased the MC-LR bioaccumulation in the livers in contrast to the single 25 μg/L MC-LR treatment group. Moreover, the severity of hepatic pathological lesions was aggravated in the MC-LR + PSMPs treatment groups, which were mainly characterized by cellular vacuolar degeneration, swollen hepatocytes, and pyknotic nucleus. The ultrastructural changes also proved that PSMPs combined with MC-LR could enhance the swollen mitochondria and dilated endoplasmic reticulum. The biochemical results, including increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased glutathione (GSH), indicated that PSMPs intensified the MC-LR-induced oxidative damage in the combined treatment groups. Concurrently, alterations of sod1 and keap1a mRNA levels also confirmed that PSMPs together with MC-LR jointly lead to enhanced oxidative injury. Our findings demonstrated that PSMPs enhanced the MC-LR bioavailability by acting as a vector and exacerbating the hepatic injuries and antioxidant dysfunction in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Lin
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China; Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Molecular Immunity Technology of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Fen Hu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Fang Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Ling Liao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Ling Ling
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Li Li
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China
| | - Jifeng Yang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China
| | - Pinhong Yang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Molecular Immunity Technology of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Changde, 415000, PR China.
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110
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Yen LP, Yong CLX, Todd PA. The effect of coral colony morphology, coral surface condition, particle size, and seeding point on the trapping and deposition of micro plastics. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171077. [PMID: 38382597 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly identified as microplastic sinks. Understanding the trapping and deposition effects on microplastics among coral colonies of different morphologies can help identify which corals and coral reefs are at higher risk of microplastic exposure. Here, we used a current-generating saltwater flume to explore microplastic trapping and deposition among branching coral, Pocillopora acuta, colonies with contrasting morphologies (open and compact), together with varying coral surface conditions (live, dead, and waxed), microplastic sizes (400 to 500 μm and 900 to 1000 μm), and seeding points (above-colony and mid-colony). Results revealed that more microplastics were trapped by, and deposited nearer to, compact colonies compared to those with a more open morphology-likely due to differences in flow dynamics. More of the larger microplastics were trapped, as were those introduced at the mid seeding point, but coral surface condition had no significant effect. These findings add to the growing evidence that corals are effective at trapping and facilitating deposition of microplastics. Branching corals with compact structures are potentially at high risk of microplastic pollution impact. We posit that coral composition, i.e. the relative abundance of compact branching colonies, will affect microplastic accumulation in natural reef environments. SYNOPSIS: This study demonstrates the effects of coral morphology on microplastic trapping and deposition, providing mechanistic insights into the factors that contribute to coral reefs acting as microplastic sinks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Peng Yen
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Clara Lei Xin Yong
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Peter A Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
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111
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Bassey U, Bowles A, Fowler G, Tom AO, Beck G, Narra S, Nelles M, Hartmann M. Experimental investigation of products from thermal treatment of real-world mixed single-use and multi-layered waste plastics. Environ Res 2024; 247:118244. [PMID: 38266901 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The usage and disposal of highly abundant single-use and multilayered plastics contribute to significant ecological problems. The thermochemical recovery of these plastics to useful products and chemicals provides opportunity for positive economic and environmental impacts. Most previous research use idealised and unrepresentative feedstocks. To address this, various mixed waste plastics collected from the rejected fraction of a municipal waste recovery facility in Ghana were pyrolyzed at varying temperatures of 450, 500 and 550 °C and their yields compared. The obtained chemical products were analysed using several different techniques. Energy and carbon balances of the processes were produced using the CHNS and energy content of the oil fraction and the compositional results of the pyrolysis gas fraction, the latter of which was measured by Gas Chromatography Thermal Conductivity Detection (GC-TCD). The oils were further assessed via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the available valuable compounds. The formed oil contained approximately 40% light hydrocarbons (C6 - C11), 18% middle hydrocarbons (C11 - C16) and 42% heavy hydrocarbon compounds (C16+). The optimal oil yield of 65.9 ± 0.5% and low heating value of 44.7 ± 0.1 MJ/kg for single-use plastics were recorded at highest heating temperatures of 550 and 500 °C, respectively. The findings provide indication that pyrolysis is a fitting solution for energy recovery from waste plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uduak Bassey
- Berlin School of Technology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, 10587, Germany; Department of Waste and Resource Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, 18051, Germany.
| | - Alex Bowles
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2BX, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Fowler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2BX, United Kingdom
| | - Abasi-Ofon Tom
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Gesa Beck
- Berlin School of Technology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, 10587, Germany
| | - Satyanarayana Narra
- Department of Waste and Resource Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, 18051, Germany
| | - Michael Nelles
- Department of Waste and Resource Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, 18051, Germany
| | - Michael Hartmann
- Berlin School of Technology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, 10587, Germany
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112
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Key S, Ryan PG, Gabbott SE, Allen J, Abbott AP. Influence of colourants on environmental degradation of plastic litter. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123701. [PMID: 38432345 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Plastic degradation and the resultant production of microplastics has an important effect on the environment and fauna across the world. This paper shows that the colourant incorporated into plastic formulations has a significant effect on the stability of plastics. A static experimental exposure of differently coloured polypropylene bottle tops from the same manufacturer to a moderate climate over 3 years showed that black, white and silver plastics were almost unaffected whereas the specific blue, green and especially red pigments used in this study were significantly degraded. The second part of the study collected littered HDPE plastic containers from a remote South African beach and analysed their condition as a function of the given manufacturing date stamp. Most items were black or white and samples up to 45 years old were found with relatively little environmental degradation other than mild abrasion. It appears that carbon and titanium dioxide colourants protect the HDPE polymer from photolytic degradation. While anthraquinone, phthalocyanine and diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments were found to enable UV light to degrade the polymer leading to brittle plastics, promoting the formation of microplastics, it is likely that other pigments that do not strongly absorb in the UV will result in similar degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Key
- School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Sarah E Gabbott
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Jack Allen
- School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Andrew P Abbott
- School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
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113
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Kladnik V, Dworak S, Schwarzböck T. Composition of public waste - a case study from Austria. Waste Manag 2024; 178:210-220. [PMID: 38408397 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Waste from public places like parks, pedestrian zones or sidewalks is a visible yet unexploited waste stream. Publications and information on the amounts and makeup of this waste flow are very scarce. To evaluate the resource potential and enable waste management planning, this study aims to assess the quality and quantity of public waste in a detailed waste characterisation campaign. For the first time, an analysis at this level of detail was conducted in a medium-sized town (25,000 inhabitants) in Austria. The sampling campaign included the whole town area. In total, almost 1000 kg of waste was sorted in up to 88 different fractions, which allows the detailed composition of, for example, packaging waste and single-use plastics to be delineated. We found that the amount of waste collected in public street bins is approximately 2.6 % of the total mixed municipal solid waste, resulting in 4.1 kg of public waste per inhabitant annually. The vast majority of this waste is currently collected as mixed waste. The results indicate a high share (52 %) of recyclable materials (glass, metal, paper and lightweight packaging) in mixed public waste, most of which is packaging (44 % of total waste). Other large shares include dog feces (18 % of total waste) and biogenic waste (17 % of total waste). The results lay the foundation for further investigations into, for example, exploiting recycling potential or evaluating possible improvements in separate waste collection in public spaces. Further, the collected data serve as an essential knowledge basis for policymakers and local authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Kladnik
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sabine Dworak
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Therese Schwarzböck
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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114
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Sun B, Zhou C, Zhu M, Wang S, Zhang L, Yi C, Ling H, Xiang M, Yu Y. Leaching kinetics and bioaccumulation potential of additive-derived organophosphate esters in micro plastics. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123671. [PMID: 38442824 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Considerable research has been conducted to evaluate microplastics (MPs) as vehicles for the transfer of hazardous pollutants in organisms. However, little effort has been devoted to the chemical release of hazardous additive-derived pollutants from MPs in gut simulations. This study looked at the leaching kinetics of organophosphate esters (OPFRs) from polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) MPs in the presence of gut surfactants, specifically sodium taurocholate, at two biologically relevant temperatures for marine organisms. Diffusion coefficients of OPFRs ranged from 1.71 × 10-20 to 4.04 × 10-18 m2 s-1 in PP and 2.91 × 10-18 to 1.51 × 10-15 m2 s-1 in PS. The accumulation factors for OPFRs in biota-plastic and biota-sediment interactions ranged from 1.52 × 10-3-69.1 and 0.02-0.7, respectively. Based on B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) calculations, the biodynamic model analysis revealed a slight increase in the bioaccumulation of OPFRs at a minor dose of 0.05% MPs. However, at higher concentrations (0.5% and 5% MPs), there was a decrease in bioaccumulation compared to the lower concentration for most OPFR compounds. In general, the ingestion of PE MPs notably contributed to the bioaccumulation of OPFRs in lugworms, whereas the contribution of PP and PS MPs was minimal. This could vary among sites exhibiting varying levels of MP concentrations or MPs displaying stronger affinities towards chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Sun
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Chang Zhou
- College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, 404100, China
| | - Ming Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Liuyi Zhang
- College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, 404100, China
| | - Chuan Yi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollution Damage Assessment and Environmental Health Risk Prevention and Control, Hubei Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Haibo Ling
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollution Damage Assessment and Environmental Health Risk Prevention and Control, Hubei Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Mingdeng Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China.
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115
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de Lima Ribeiro A, Fuchs MC, Lorenz S, Röder C, Heitmann J, Gloaguen R. Multi-sensor characterization for an improved identification of polymers in WEEE recycling. Waste Manag 2024; 178:239-256. [PMID: 38417310 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Polymers represent around 25% of total waste from electronic and electric equipment. Any successful recycling process must ensure that polymer-specific functionalities are preserved, to avoid downcycling. This requires a precise characterization of particle compounds moving at high speeds on conveyor belts in processing plants. We present an investigation using imaging and point measurement spectral sensors on 23 polymers including ABS, PS, PC, PE-types, PP, PVC, PET-types, PMMA, and PTFE to assess their potential to perform under the operational conditions found in recycling facilities. The techniques applied include hyperspectral imaging sensors (HSI) to map reflectance in the visible to near infrared (VNIR), short-wave (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) as well as point Raman, FTIR and spectroradiometer instruments. We show that none of the sensors alone can identify all the compounds while meeting the industry operational requirements. HSI sensors successfully acquired simultaneous spatial and spectral information for certain polymer types. HSI, particularly the range between (1600-1900) nm, is suitable for specific identification of transparent and light-coloured (non-black) PC, PE-types, PP, PVC and PET-types plastics; HSI in the MWIR is able to resolve specific spectral features for certain PE-types, including black HDPE, and light-coloured ABS. Fast-acquisition Raman spectroscopy (down to 500 ms) enabled the identification of all polymers regardless their composition and presence of black pigments, however, it exhibited limited capacities in mapping applications. We therefore suggest a combination of both imaging and point measurements in a sequential design for enhanced robustness on industrial polymer identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa de Lima Ribeiro
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Chemnitzer Str. 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
| | - Margret C Fuchs
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Chemnitzer Str. 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Sandra Lorenz
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Chemnitzer Str. 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Christian Röder
- Institute of Applied Physics, Faculty of Chemistry and Physics, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 23, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Heitmann
- Institute of Applied Physics, Faculty of Chemistry and Physics, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 23, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Richard Gloaguen
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Chemnitzer Str. 40, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
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116
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Benito-Kaesbach A, Suárez-Moncada J, Velastegui A, Moreno-Mendoza J, Vera-Zambrano M, Avendaño U, Ryan PG, Sanz-Lázaro C. Understanding the sources of marine litter in remote islands: The Galapagos islands as a case study. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123772. [PMID: 38490527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Determining the sources of marine litter is necessary to mitigate this increasing global problem. Plastic bottles are useful tracers of marine litter and constitute the main item (24%) stranding on remote beaches in the Galapagos Islands. The aim of this study was to estimate the abundance of plastic bottles in remote beaches and inferred their sources. To do so, we collected plastic bottles at 60 remote Galapagos Island beaches from 2018 to 2022. 76% of beaches were qualified as badly polluted, with >34 bottles·100 m-1. Most identified bottles came from Peru (71%), followed by China (17%) and Ecuador (9%). Although most locally-sold products are made in Ecuador, they contribute little to beach litter loads. Polyethylene terephthalate bottles with lid (necessary for litter dispersal) represented 88% of all bottles, demonstrating that most of the litter reaching the Galapagos comes from distant sources, mainly from South America. However, bottle ages indicate that at least 10% of Peruvian, 26% of Ecuadorian, and all Chinese bottles likely were dumped from ships. Reducing marine litter reaching the Galapagos Islands requires tackling litter leakage from land-based sources in South America and better compliance with regulations banning the dumping of plastics and other persistent wastes from ships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Benito-Kaesbach
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Jenifer Suárez-Moncada
- Department of Marine Ecosystems, Galapagos National Park Directorate, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Alfonso Velastegui
- Department of Marine Ecosystems, Galapagos National Park Directorate, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Jerson Moreno-Mendoza
- Conservación Internacional Ecuador, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Mariana Vera-Zambrano
- Conservación Internacional Ecuador, Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Ulises Avendaño
- Public Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Institute, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Carlos Sanz-Lázaro
- Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, PO Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain; Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (MIES), Universidad de Alicante, P.O. Box 99, E-03080, Alicante, Spain
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117
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Mielinger E, Weinrich R. Insights into plastic food packaging waste sorting behaviour: A focus group study among consumers in Germany. Waste Manag 2024; 178:362-370. [PMID: 38430750 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite international efforts to foster the circular economy, plastic waste remains a major environmental problem. In the circular economy, the success of a waste management system depends, inter alia, on consumers properly sorting their plastic waste. Yet mis-sorting of plastic food packaging waste happens routinely. We sought to find out why and to outline the ways consumers prefer to receive information about waste sorting procedures. Tailoring information to consumer preferences can improve the effectiveness of waste management policy. Using the Motivation Opportunity Ability (MOA) framework to explain consumer behaviour, we conducted focus group discussions in two German cities. Our findings suggest that more accurate information and financial incentives best motivate consumers to sort waste correctly. Uncertainty and confusion over the packaging material are the most severe hindrances to correct sorting behaviour. The Internet and social media are preferred most for acquiring information on how to sort plastic food packaging correctly. Policymakers can use our results to adjust packaging and waste management regulations to help eliminate confusion among consumers and to facilitate their recycling intentions. Food industry practitioners and company decision makers can use our results to adjust their plastic packaging features to better match consumer preferences for easily recyclable waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Mielinger
- Department of Consumer Behaviour in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 49, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Ramona Weinrich
- Department of Consumer Behaviour in the Bioeconomy, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 49, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
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118
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Zhao W, Jiang J, Liu M, Tu T, Wang L, Zhang S. Exploring correlations between micro plastics, microorganisms, and water quality in an urban drinking water source. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 275:116249. [PMID: 38522286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The microplastic pollution in freshwater system is gradually becoming more severe, which has led to increasing attention on the distribution and potential harmful effects of microplastics. Moreover, microplastics may have an impact on river ecology and pose risks to ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to reveal this process. This study aimed to explore correlations between microplastics and free-living microorganisms in an urban drinking water source of Xiangjiang River by using multivariate statistical analysis. The results indicated that the abundance of microplastics (size 50 μm to 5 mm) in surface water and sediments ranged from 0.72 to 18.6 (mean ± SD: 7.32 ± 2.36) items L-1 and 26.3-302 (150 ± 75.6) items kg-1 dry weight (dw), respectively, suggesting potential microplastic pollution despite the protected status as a drinking water source. Higher microplastic abundances were observed in urban areas and the downstream of wastewater plants, with mostly granular shape, transparent and black color as well as 50-100 μm in size. The multivariate statistical analysis presented that the abundance of microplastics is not significantly correlated with water indicators, due to the complexity of the abundance data. The water indicators showed an obvious correlation with microplastics in colors of transparent and black, and smaller sizes of 50-100 μm. This is also true for microplastics and microorganisms in water and sediment. Proteobacteria was the main prokaryote in water and sediments, being positively correlated with 50-100 μm microplastics; while Chloroplastida was the dominated eukaryotes, presenting a weak correlation with smaller-size microplastics. Overall, when considering the properties of microplastics such as shape, color and size, the potential correlations with water indicators and microorganisms were more evident than abundance. This study provides new insights into the multivariate statistical analysis, explaining the potential correlations among microplastic properties, microorganisms and environmental factors in a river system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Zhao
- School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China; Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, Changsha 410004, China.
| | - Jinfeng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mengyue Liu
- School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Tianzi Tu
- School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
| | - Lijun Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Shengwei Zhang
- School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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119
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Yang Y, Wang G, Lei S, Xiao H, Yang H, Chen H. Coupling dechlorination and catalytic pyrolysis to produce carbon nanotubes from mixed polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene. Waste Manag 2024; 178:97-104. [PMID: 38382351 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The presence of chlorine in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) presents a major challenge for realizing the high-value utilization of real waste plastics. The objective of this research was to develop a chlorine-resistant process for the preparation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from mixed plastics containing PVC. This study investigates the influence of PVC content and various dechlorinating agents (CaO, Na2CO3, red mud (RM), ZSM-5, Fe-Al2O3, Fe(OH)3) on CNTs formation. The results showed that PVC content exceeding 5 % significantly inhibits CNTs formation. Employing dechlorinating agents in the pyrolysis process results in a substantial yield of CNTs from mixed plastics containing 10 % PVC. Among the dechlorinating agents, RM proves to be the most effective, leading to the highest carbon yield (at 30 wt%) and superior CNTs quality. Other dechlorinating agents, except for ZSM-5, yield comparable results, although there were some obvious variations of volatiles. Further investigation of the role of dechlorinating agents from the perspective of volatiles evolution was conducted via Py-GC/MS, and found that the dechlorination agent efficiently absorbs the HCl from mixed plastics pyrolysis, while also exhibiting catalytic and regulatory influence on volatile components. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of a chlorine-resistant process in the preparation of CNTs from mixed plastics that contain PVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Guocheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shuaishuai Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Haoyu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; Green Chemical Reaction Engineering, Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Haiping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Hanping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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120
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Jing X, Shao Y, Wang H, Han G, Zhang J, Wang N, Xu J, Liu L, Chen G. Aging of polypropylene plastic and impacts on microbial community structure in constructed wetlands. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123433. [PMID: 38278405 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial surge in the usage of disposable plastic masks, generating a significant volume of waste and contributing to environmental pollution. Wetland ecosystems function as crucial repositories for terrestrial pollutants and are highly effective in retaining disposable masks composed mainly of PP material. These masks can endure extended periods in wetlands, experiencing natural degradation that may have potential implications on wetland ecosystems. Our findings demonstrate the natural aging process of disposable masks, resulting in the generation of microplastics (MPs) ranging in diameter from 10 to 30 μm over a 180-day timeframe. Examination of 16S rDNA data unveiled temporal fluctuations in microbial diversity in the wetland ecosystem. Initially, microbial diversity displayed a modest incline, which was succeeded by a subsequent decrease. With the progressive accumulation of plastic within the wetland, an ongoing decline in microbial diversity linked to nitrogen transformation was observed. This study provides valuable insights into the retention of disposable masks by wetlands amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, along with their consequential effects on wetland ecosystems, specifically pertaining to nitrogen cycling. It underscores the urgency of augmenting the safeguarding measures for wetland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Jing
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shao
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China.
| | - Hongbo Wang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Guolan Han
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Jingtao Xu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Lei Liu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Gao Chen
- Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Jinan, 250100, China
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Xuan L, Wang Y, Qu C, Yi W, Yang J, Pan H, Zhang J, Chen C, Bai C, Zhou PK, Huang R. Exposure to polystyrene nano plastics induces abnormal activation of innate immunity via the cGAS-STING pathway. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 275:116255. [PMID: 38552388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Endogenous immune defenses provide an intrinsic barrier against external entity invasion. Microplastics in the environment, especially those at the nanoscale (nanoplastics or NPs), may pose latent health risks through direct exposure. While links between nanoplastics and inflammatory processes have been established, detailed insights into how they may perturb the innate immune mechanisms remain uncharted. Employing murine and macrophage (RAW264.7) cellular models subjected to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs), our investigative approach encompassed an array of techniques: Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, flow cytometric analysis, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence staining, cell transfection, cell cycle scrutiny, genetic manipulation, messenger RNA expression profiling via quantitative real-time PCR, and protein expression evaluation through western blotting. The results showed that PS-NPs caused RAW264.7 cell apoptosis, leading to cell cycle arrest, and activated the cGAS-STING pathway. This resulted in NF-κB signaling activation and increased pro-inflammatory mediator expression. Importantly, PS-NPs-induced activation of NF-κB and its downstream inflammatory cascade were markedly diminished after the silencing of the STING gene. Our findings highlight the critical role of the cGAS-STING pathway in the immunotoxic effects induced by PS-NPs. We outline a new mechanism whereby nanoplastics may trigger dysregulated innate immune and inflammatory responses via the cGAS/STING pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihui Xuan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China.
| | - Yin Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China.
| | - Can Qu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China
| | - Wensen Yi
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China
| | - Huiji Pan
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China.
| | - Jing Zhang
- Clinical Medical Oncology, Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, China.
| | - Cuimei Chen
- School of Public Health, Xiang Nan University, Chenzhou, Hunan 423000, China.
| | - Chenjun Bai
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Ping-Kun Zhou
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Ruixue Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410078, China.
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Fan J, Liu L, Lu Y, Chen Q, Fan S, Yang Y, Long Y, Liu X. Acute exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles promotes liver injury by inducing mitochondrial ROS-dependent necroptosis and augmenting macrophage-hepatocyte crosstalk. Part Fibre Toxicol 2024; 21:20. [PMID: 38610056 PMCID: PMC11010371 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-024-00578-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global use of plastic materials has undergone rapid expansion, resulting in the substantial generation of degraded and synthetic microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), which have the potential to impose significant environmental burdens and cause harmful effects on living organisms. Despite this, the detrimental impacts of MNPs exposure towards host cells and tissues have not been thoroughly characterized. RESULTS In the present study, we have elucidated a previously unidentified hepatotoxic effect of 20 nm synthetic polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs), rather than larger PS beads, by selectively inducing necroptosis in macrophages. Mechanistically, 20 nm PSNPs were rapidly internalized by macrophages and accumulated in the mitochondria, where they disrupted mitochondrial integrity, leading to heightened production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). This elevated mtROS generation essentially triggered necroptosis in macrophages, resulting in enhanced crosstalk with hepatocytes, ultimately leading to hepatocyte damage. Additionally, it was demonstrated that PSNPs induced necroptosis and promoted acute liver injury in mice. This harmful effect was significantly mitigated by the administration of a necroptosis inhibitor or systemic depletion of macrophages prior to PSNPs injection. CONCLUSION Collectively, our study suggests a profound toxicity of environmental PSNP exposure by triggering macrophage necroptosis, which in turn induces hepatotoxicity via intercellular crosstalk between macrophages and hepatocytes in the hepatic microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Fan
- Department of Laboratory and Blood Transfusion of Jiangbei Campus, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (The 958th hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army), 400000, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Laboratory and Blood Transfusion of Jiangbei Campus, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (The 958th hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army), 400000, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongling Lu
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Military Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Military Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Shijun Fan
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Military Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongjun Yang
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Military Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Yupeng Long
- Department of Laboratory and Blood Transfusion of Jiangbei Campus, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (The 958th hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army), 400000, Chongqing, China.
| | - Xin Liu
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Military Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China.
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123
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Zhang L, Yang Y, Li Z, Li FM, Huang J, Zhang F. Identifying synergistic solutions for the food-energy-water nexus via plastic film mulching cultivation. Sci Total Environ 2024; 920:171046. [PMID: 38369151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Food security, water scarcity, and excessive fossil energy use pose considerable challenges to sustainable agriculture. To understand how rain-fed farming systems on the Loess Plateau, China, reconcile yield increases with ecological conservation, we conducted an integrated evaluation based on the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model, agricultural statistics data using the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus indicator. The results showed that maize yields with ridge-furrow plastic film mulching (PFM) were 3479, 8942, and 11,124 kg ha-1 under low (50 kg N ha-1), medium (200 kg N ha-1), and high (350 kg N ha-1) nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates, respectively, and that PFM increased yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by 110-253 % and 166-205 % compared to using no mulching (control, CK), respectively. Plastic film mulching also increased net energy (126-436 %), energy use efficiency (81-578 %), energy productivity (100-670 %), and energy profitability (126-994 %), and nitrogen fertilizer, compound fertilizer, and diesel fuel consumption by agricultural machinery were the main energy inputs. The PFM system reduced water consumption during the maize growing season and the green water footprint and gray water footprint decreased by 66-74 % and 44-68 %, respectively. The FEW nexus indicator, based on a high production at low environmental cost scenario, was greater under the PFM system and had the widest spatial distribution area at the medium-N application rate. Among the environmental factors, the nexus indicator was negatively correlated with precipitation (-0.37), air temperature (-0.36), and the aridity index (-0.36), but positively correlated with elevation (0.17). Our results suggest that the PFM system promotes resource-saving while increasing yields and moves dryland agriculture in an environmentally friendly direction, thus promoting the sustainable development of agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Zhansheng Li
- Asia Hub, Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Feng-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Animal Husbandry, Pasture and Green Agriculture Institute, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
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124
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Tian H, Wang L, Zhu X, Zhang M, Li L, Liu Z, Abolfathi S. Biodegradation of micro plastics derived from controlled release fertilizer coating: Selective microbial colonization and metabolism in plastisphere. Sci Total Environ 2024; 920:170978. [PMID: 38365031 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Coated controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are widely used in agriculture, and the persistent presence of residual polymer coating has raised environmental concerns. This study investigates the underlying degradation dynamics of microplastics (MPs) derived from three typical materials used in CRFs, including polyethylene (PE), epoxy (EP), and polyurethane (PU), through a soil degradation test. The formation of surface biofilm, the succession process, and metabolic characteristics of microbial community are revealed by laser scanning confocal microscope, 16S rRNA sequencing, and non-targeted metabolomics analysis. The weight loss rates of PE, EP, and PU after 807 days of degradation were 16.70 %, 2.79 %, and 4.86 %, respectively. Significant secondary MPs were produced with tears and holes appeared in the coating cross sections and pyrolysis products were produced such as ethers, acids, and esters for PE; alkanes, olefins and their branched-chain derivatives for EP; and short-chain fatty acids and benzene molecules for PU. The coating surface selectively recruited the bacteria of Chujaibacter and Ralstonia and fungus of Fusarium and Penicillium, forming biofilm composed of lipids, proteins, and living cells. The metabolism of amino acids and polymers was enhanced to protect against MP-induced stress. The metabolites or intermediates of organic acids and derivatives, oxygen-contained organic compounds, and benzenoids on CRF surface increased significantly compared with soil, but there were no significant differences among different coating types. This study provides insights to the underlying mechanisms of biodegradation and microenvironmental changes of MPs in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Tian
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Recourses and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Lingyun Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Recourses and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhu
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH, United Kingdom
| | - Min Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Recourses and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, United States
| | - Zhiguang Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, College of Recourses and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China.
| | - Soroush Abolfathi
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV47AL, United Kingdom
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Cheng X, Xiao K, Jiang W, Peng G, Chen P, Shu T, Huang H, Shi X, Yang J. Selection, identification and evaluation of optimal reference genes in Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) under polypropylene micro plastics stress. Sci Total Environ 2024; 920:170894. [PMID: 38367736 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) are emerging environmental contaminants that have the potential to cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a valuable tool for assessing the gene expression profiles under PP-MPs stress. To obtain an accurate gene expression profile of tissue inflammation and apoptosis that reflects the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of PP-MPs on Chinese sturgeon, identifying reliable reference genes is crucial for RT-qPCR analysis. In this study, we constructed an experiment model of Chinese sturgeon exposed to PP-MPs, assessed the pathological injury, metabolic profile responses and oxidative stress in liver, evaluated the reliability of 8 reliable reference genes by 4 commonly used algorithms including GeNorm, NormFinder, BeatKeeper, Delta Ct, and then analyzed the performance of inflammatory response genes in liver, spleen and kidney with the best reference gene. HE staining revealed that the cytoplasm full small vacuoles and nucleus diameter increased were occurred in the liver cell of PP-MPs in treatment groups. Additionally, oxidative and biochemical parameters were significantly changes in the liver of treatment groups. For the reference genes in PP-MPs exposure experiments, this study screening the optimal reference genes including: EF1α and GAPDH for liver and spleen, and GAPDH and RPS18 for kidney. Besides, 2 inflammatory response genes (NLRP3, TNF-α) were chosen to assess the optimal reference genes using the least stable reference gene (TUB) as a control, verified the practicality of the select reference genes in different tissues. We also found that the low concentration of PP-MPs could induce the liver tissue damage and inflammatory response in Chinese sturgeon. Our study initially evaluated the impact of short-time exposure with PP-MPs in Chinese sturgeon and provided 3 sets of validated optimal reference genes in Chinese sturgeon exposure to PP-MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Cheng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Kan Xiao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Guangyuan Peng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pei Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Tingting Shu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Hongtao Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Xuetao Shi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Project for Conservation of Fishes, Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China; Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei 443100, China.
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Lee JS, Lee JS, Kim HS. Toxic effects of triclosan in aquatic organisms: A review focusing on single and combined exposure of environmental conditions and pollutants. Science of The Total Environment 2024; 920:170902. [PMID: 38354791 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent commonly used in personal care products. Due to its widespread use and improper disposal, it is also a pervasive contaminant, particularly in aquatic environments. When released into water bodies, TCS can induce deleterious effects on developmental and physiological aspects of aquatic organisms and also interact with environmental stressors such as weather, metals, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Multiple studies have described the adverse effects of TCS on aquatic organisms, but few have reported on the interactions between TCS and other environmental conditions and pollutants. Because aquatic environments include a mix of contaminants and natural factors can correlate with contaminants, it is important to understand the toxicological outcomes of combinations of substances. Due to its lipophilic characteristics, TCS can interact with a wide range of substances and environmental stressors in aquatic environments. Here, we identify a need for caution when using TCS by describing not only the effects of exposure to TCS alone on aquatic organisms but also how toxicity changes when it acts in combination with multiple environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Sol Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
| | - Hyung Sik Kim
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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Asakura H. Representation of investigation results of micro plastics on sandy beaches-accumulation rate and abundance in the entire study site. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17207. [PMID: 38618566 PMCID: PMC11015833 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term microplastics (MPs) environmental pollution trends cannot be understood only by investigating their presence on beaches. Without estimating MPs for the entire beach, comparisons between multiple beaches cannot be made. In this study, Nagasaki Prefecture was selected as the study site, we measured MPs accumulation rate to express the MPs pollution trend and weighted the measurement results to enable comparison of MPs content among multiple sandy beaches. The MPs accumulation rate in the study site was measured by periodic investigation at fixed spots. The average in the supratidal zone was 1.5 ± 0.9 mg-MPs/(m2-sand⋅ d) (n = 15). The weighting of the MPs content in hot spots and non-hot spots by their respective areas enabled us to obtain the representative value and the dispersion of the MPs content in the entire study site. The MPs contents in the three beaches were 298 ± 144, 1,115 ± 518, and 4,084 ± 2,243 mg-MPs/(m2-sand), respectively. Using these values, it is possible to compare the MPs contents of multiple beaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Asakura
- Institute of Integrated Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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128
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Zhao E, Xiong X, Li X, Hu H, Wu C. Effect of Biofilm Forming on the Migration of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate from PVC Plastics. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:6326-6334. [PMID: 38551364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Plastic additives, represented by plasticizers, are important components of plastic pollution. Biofilms inevitably form on plastic surfaces when plastic enters the aqueous environment. However, little is known about the effect of biofilms on plastic surfaces on the release of additives therein. In this study, PVC plastics with different levels of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) content were investigated to study the effect of biofilm growth on DEHP release. The presence of biofilms promoted the migration of DEHP from PVC plastics to the external environment. Relative to biofilm-free controls, although the presence of surface biofilm resulted in 0.8 to 11.6 times lower DEHP concentrations in water, the concentrations of the degradation product, monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) in water, were 2.3 to 57.3 times higher. When the total release amounts of DEHP in the biofilm and in the water were combined, they were increased by 0.6-73 times after biofilm growth. However, most of the released DEHP was adsorbed in the biofilms and was subsequently degraded. The results of this study suggest that the biofilm as a new interface between plastics and the surrounding environment can affect the transport and transformation of plastic additives in the environment through barrier, adsorption, and degradation. Future research endeavors should aim to explore the transport dynamics and fate of plastic additives under various biofilm compositions as well as evaluate the ecological risks associated with their enrichment by biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Yanqihu East Rd, Huairou District, Beijing 101408, PR China
| | - Xiong Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Hongjuan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Chenxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 South Donghu Road, Wuhan 430072, PR China
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129
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Dittmar S, Ruhl AS, Altmann K, Jekel M. Settling Velocities of Small Microplastic Fragments and Fibers. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:6359-6369. [PMID: 38512318 PMCID: PMC11008250 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
There is only sparse empirical data on the settling velocity of small, nonbuoyant microplastics thus far, although it is an important parameter governing their vertical transport within aquatic environments. This study reports the settling velocities of 4031 exemplary microplastic particles. Focusing on the environmentally most prevalent particle shapes, irregular microplastic fragments of four different polymer types (9-289 μm) and five discrete length fractions (50-600 μm) of common nylon and polyester fibers are investigated, respectively. All settling experiments are carried out in quiescent water by using a specialized optical imaging setup. The method has been previously validated in order to minimize disruptive factors, e.g., thermal convection or particle interactions, and thus enable the precise measurements of the velocities of individual microplastic particles (0.003-9.094 mm/s). Based on the obtained data, ten existing models for predicting a particle's terminal settling velocity are assessed. It is concluded that models, which were specifically deduced from empirical data on larger microplastics, fail to provide accurate predictions for small microplastics. Instead, a different approach is highlighted as a viable option for computing settling velocities across the microplastics continuum in terms of size, density, and shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Dittmar
- Chair
of Water Quality Control, Technische Universität
Berlin, Sekr. KF4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- GEOMAR
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstraße 1−3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
| | - Aki S. Ruhl
- Chair
of Water Quality Control, Technische Universität
Berlin, Sekr. KF4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- German
Environment Agency (UBA), Section II 3.3, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany
| | - Korinna Altmann
- Bundesanstalt
für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Jekel
- Chair
of Water Quality Control, Technische Universität
Berlin, Sekr. KF4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
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130
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Teska CJ, Dieser M, Foreman CM. Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:6305-6312. [PMID: 38530277 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics have littered the globe, with synthetic fibers being the largest source of atmospheric microplastics. Many atmospheric particles can act as ice nucleators, thereby affecting the microphysical and radiative properties of clouds and, hence, the radiative balance of the Earth. The present study focused on the ice-nucleating ability of fibers from clothing textiles (CTs), which are commonly shed from the normal wear of apparel items. Results from immersion ice nucleation experiments showed that CTs were effective ice nucleators active from -6 to -12 °C, similar to common biological ice nucleators. However, subsequent lysozyme and hydrogen peroxide digestion stripped the ice nucleation properties of CTs, indicating that ice nucleation was biological in origin. Microscopy confirmed the presence of biofilms (i.e., microbial cells attached to a surface and enclosed in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix) on CTs. If present in sufficient quantities in the atmosphere, biological particles (biofilms) attached to fibrous materials could contribute significantly to atmospheric ice nucleation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy J Teska
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
| | - Markus Dieser
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
| | - Christine M Foreman
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
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131
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Jiang H, Wang Y, Sun J, Mao Y, Que S, Lin Y, Huang Y, Lei X. The aging behavior of degradable plastic polylactic acid under the interaction of environmental factors. Environ Geochem Health 2024; 46:163. [PMID: 38592574 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01932-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics leaching from aging biodegradable plastics pose potential environmental threats. This study used response surface methodology (RSM) to investigate the impact of temperature, light, and humidity on the aging characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA). Key evaluation metrics included the C/O ratio, functional groups, crystallinity, surface topography, and mechanical properties. Humidity was discovered to have the greatest effect on the ageing of PLA, followed by light and temperature. The interactions between temperature and light, as well as humidity and sunlight, significantly impact the aging of PLA. XPS analysis revealed PLA underwent aging due to the cleavage of the ester bond (O-C=O), resulting in the addition of C=O and C-O. The aging process of PLA was characterized by alterations in surface morphology and augmentation in crystallinity, resulting in a decline in both tensile strength and elongation. These findings might offer insights into the aging behavior of degradable plastics under diverse environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Yiqun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Jiaoxia Sun
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Yufeng Mao
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Sisi Que
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Yulian Lin
- Chongqing Water Resources and Electric Engineering College, Chongqing, 402160, China
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China.
- Chongqing Academy of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401121, China.
| | - Xiaoling Lei
- Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China.
- Chongqing Academy of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401121, China.
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132
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Du L, Wu D, Yang X, Xu L, Tian X, Li Y, Huang L, Liu Y. Joint toxicity of cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. Environ Geochem Health 2024; 46:166. [PMID: 38592562 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) pollution ranks first in soils (7.0%) and microplastics usually have a significant adsorption capacity for it, which could pose potential threats to agricultural production and human health. However, the joint toxicity of Cd and microplastics on crop growth remains largely unknown. In this study, the toxic effects of Cd2+ and two kinds of microplastic leachates, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), on wheat seed germination and seedlings' growth were explored under single and combined conditions. The results showed that Cd2+ solution and two kinds of microplastic leachates stimulated the wheat seed germination process but inhibited the germination rate by 0-8.6%. The combined treatments promoted wheat seed germination but inhibited the seedlings' growth to different degrees. Specifically, the combination of 2.0 mg L-1 Cd2+ and 1.0 mgC L-1 PVC promoted both seed germination and seedlings' growth, but they synergistically increased the antioxidant enzyme activity of seedlings. The toxicity of the PVC leachate to wheat seedlings was stronger than LDPE leachate. The addition of Cd2+ could alleviate the toxicity of PVC leachate on seedlings, and reduce the toxicity of LDPE leachate on seedlings under the same concentration class combinations but aggravated stress under different concentration classes, consistent with the effect on seedlings' growth. Overall, Cd2+, PVC, and LDPE leachates have toxic effects on wheat growth, whether treated under single or combined treatments. This study has important implications for the joint toxicity of Cd2+ solution and microplastic leachates in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Du
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Dongming Wu
- Institute of Environment and Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China
| | - Xi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Li Xu
- Cuiping Ecological Environment Bureau of Yibin City, Yibin, 644000, China
| | - Xu Tian
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Youping Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Lijuan Huang
- Guangyuan Ecological Environment Monitoring Center Station, Guangyuan, 628040, China
| | - Yanmei Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China.
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133
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Sun H, Yang B, Zhu X, Li Q, Song E, Song Y. Oral exposure of polystyrene micro plastics and doxycycline affects mice neurological function via gut microbiota disruption: The orchestrating role of fecal microbiota transplantation. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133714. [PMID: 38340564 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The debris of plastics with a size < 5 mm, called microplastics, possess long-lived legacies of plastic pollution and a growing threat to human beings. The adverse effects and corresponding molecular mechanisms of microplastics are still largely unknown and must be prioritized. Antibiotics commonly co-existed with microplastics; the current study investigated the syngenetic toxic effect of doxycycline (Dox) and polystyrene microplastics (PS). Specifically, we found that Dox combined with PS exposure perturbed gut microbiota homeostasis in mice, which mediated brain lesions and inflammation with a concomitant decline in learning and memory behaviors through the gut-brain axis. Of note, PS exposure resulted in intestinal damage and structural change, but Dox did not accelerate the disruption of intestinal barrier integrity in PS-treated mice. Interestingly, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can reverse neurological impairment caused by combined PS and Dox exposure via compensating gut microbes; therefore, the learning and memory abilities of mice were also recovered. This work not only provides insights into the syngenetic effect of microplastics and antibiotics and highlights their distal neurotoxicity through the gut-brain axis but also offers a promising strategy against their combined toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Bingwei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Xiaokang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qiong Li
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Erqun Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yang Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
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134
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Nie E, Guo L, Zhou X, Zhou D, Wang H, Ye Q, Yang Z. Effects of charged polystyrene micro plastics on the bioavailability of dufulin in tomato plant. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133748. [PMID: 38350319 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and pesticides commonly exist in the environment, yet the interactions between them and their subsequent impacts on plants remain poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of differently charged polystyrene (PS) MPs, including PS-COO-, PS and PS-NH3+ MPs, on the fate of 14C-labelled new antiviral pesticide Dufulin (DFL) in a hydroponic tomato system. The results showed that MPs greatly reduced the growth of tomato plants, with suppression of 18.4-30.2%. Compared to the control group, PS-COO-, PS and PS-NH3+ MPs also reduced the bioaccumulation of DFL in whole tomato plants by 40.3%, 34.5%, and 26.1%, respectively. Furthermore, MPs influenced the translocation of DFL in plant tissues, and the values decreased at the rates of 38.7%, 26.5% and 15.7% for PS-COO-, PS and PS-NH3+, respectively. Interestingly, compared to the control group, PS-COO- exhibited a profound inhibitory effect on DFL concentrations in tomatoes, potentially resulting in a lower dietary risk in the hydroponic tomato system. This may be due to the strong adsorption between PS-COO- and DFL, and PS-COO- may also inhibit the growth of tomato plants. Overall, our study could provide valuable insights into the risk assessment of DFL in the presence of MPs in plant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enguang Nie
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Longxiu Guo
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Dan Zhou
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qingfu Ye
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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135
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Hao Y, Min J, Ju S, Zeng X, Xu J, Li J, Wang H, Shaheen SM, Bolan N, Rinklebe J, Shi W. Possible hazards from biodegradation of soil plastic mulch: Increases in micro plastics and CO 2 emissions. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133680. [PMID: 38325094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Biodegradable mulches are widely recognized as ecologically friendly substances. However, their degradation percentage upon entering soils may vary based on mulch type and soil microbial activities, raising concerns about potential increases in microplastics (MPs). The effects of using different types of mulch on soil carbon pools and its potential to accelerate their depletion have not yet well understood. Therefore, we conducted an 18-month experiment to investigate mulch biodegradation and its effects on CO2 emissions. The experiment included burying soil with biodegradable mulch made of polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and control treatments with traditional mulch (PE) and no mulch (CK). The results indicated that PE did not degrade, and the degradation percentage of PLA and PBAT were 46.2% and 88.1%, and the MPs produced by the degradation were 6.7 × 104 and 37.2 × 104 items/m2, respectively. Biodegradable mulch, particularly PLA, can enhance soil microbial diversity and foster more intricate bacterial communities compared to PE. The CO2 emissions were 0.58, 0.74, 0.99, and 0.86 g C/kg in CK, PE, PLA, , PBAT, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between microbial abundance and diversity with CO2 emissions, while a negative correlation was observed with soil total organic carbon. Biodegradable mulch enhanced the transformation of soil organic C into CO2 by stimulating microbial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ju Min
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Shengrong Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoping Zeng
- Jiangsu Provincial Agricultural Technology Extension Station, Nanjing 210036, China
| | - Jiyuan Xu
- National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Centre, Beijing 100026, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, Institute of Vegetable Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Hailong Wang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
| | - Sabry M Shaheen
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment, and Arid Land Agriculture, Department of Arid Land Agriculture, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; University of Kafrelsheikh, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil and Water Sciences, 33 516 Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Weiming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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136
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Zhang D, Wu C, Liu Y, Li W, Li S, Peng L, Kang L, Ullah S, Gong Z, Li Z, Ding D, Jin Z, Huang H. Micro plastics are detected in human gallstones and have the ability to form large cholesterol-microplastic heteroaggregates. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133631. [PMID: 38335610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Ubiquitous pollution due to microplastics through the food chain is a major cause of various deleterious effects on the human health. The aim of this study was to determine the existence of microplastics and the internal mechanism of microplastics as accelerators of cholelithiasis. Gallstones were collected from 16 patients after cholecystectomy, and microplastics in the gallstones were detected through laser direct infrared and pyrolysis gas chromatographymass spectrometry examinations. Mice model of gallstone were constructed with or without different diameters of microplastic (0.5, 5 and 50 µm). The affinity between microplastic and cholesterol or bilirubin was tested by co-culturing and qualified using molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, altered gut microbiota among the groups were identified using 16 s rRNA sequencing. The presence of microplastics in the gallstones of all the patients were confirmed. Microplastic content was significantly higher in younger chololithiasis patients (age<50 years). Mice fed a high-cholesterol diet with microplastic drinks showed more severe chololithiasis. In terms of the mechanism, microplastics showed a higher affinity for cholesterol than for bilirubin. Significant alterations in the gut microbiota have also been identified after microplastic intake in mice. Our study revealed the presence of microplastics in human gallstones, showcasing their potential to aggravate chololithiasis by forming large cholesterol-microplastic heteroaggregates and altering the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chang Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wanshun Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shiyu Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lisi Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Le Kang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Saif Ullah
- Department of Gastroenterology, First affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Zijun Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhaoshen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dan Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Zhendong Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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137
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Hu P, Dou Y, Ji B, Miao M, Li Y, Hao T. Chlorination-improved adsorption capacity of micro plastics for antibiotics: A combined experimental and molecular mechanism investigation. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133734. [PMID: 38330647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics and antibiotics not only pollute aquatic environments and threaten human health, but are also tricky to remove. Microplastics adsorb antibiotics, and, before being released into the natural environment, most microplastics pass through some wastewater treatment and/or disinfection (such as chlorination) facilities. It is therefore necessary to understand how these treatment processes may affect or alter microplastics' properties, particularly their ability to adsorb antibiotics, and whether or not the two, when bound together, may present exacerbated harm to the environment. This study used both laboratory tests and molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the mechanism through which chlorinated microplastics (specifically polystyrene) adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline, and showed that chlorination gave the polystyrene a larger interaction area (> 21%) and more free energy (> 14%) to adsorb tetracycline. Van der Waals (vdW) forces played a more dominant role than electrostatics in facilitating tetracycline's adsorption. Moreover, a density functional theory analysis demonstrated that the vdW potentials of the microplastics decreased as more and more hydrogen atoms became replaced by chlorine, suggesting a facilitation of the adsorption of polycyclic antibiotic molecules. The experimental results confirmed the simulation's prediction that a higher degree of chlorination significantly increases the polystyrene's adsorption capacity, whereas pH and salinity had almost no effect on the adsorption. This study demonstrates that disinfection elevates the risk of antibiotics adhering to and accumulating on the surface of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Hu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yuanyuan Dou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tong Yan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Bohua Ji
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Manhong Miao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tong Yan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yao Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tong Yan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China.
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138
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Deng W, Wang Y, Wang Z, Liu J, Wang J, Liu W. Effects of photoaging on structure and characteristics of biofilms on microplastic in soil: Biomass and microbial community. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133726. [PMID: 38341883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding of the environmental behaviors of microplastics is limited by a lack of knowledge about how photoaging influences biofilm formation on microplastics in soil. Here, original microplastics (OMPs) and photoaged-microplastics (AMPs) were incubated in soil to study the effect of photoaging on formation and characteristics of biofilm on the poly (butylene succinate) microplastics. Because photoaging decreased the hydrophobicity of the microplastic, the biomass of biofilm on the OMPs was nearly twice that on the AMPs in the early stage of incubation. However, the significance of the substrate on biomass in the biofilm declined as the plastisphere developed. The bacterial communities in the plastisphere were distinct from, and less diverse than, those in surrounding soil. The dominant genera in the OMPs and AMPs plastispheres were Achromobacter and Burkholderia, respectively, indicating that photoaging changed the composition of the bacterial community of biofilm at the genus level. Meantime, photoaging decreased the complexity and stability of the plastisphere bacterial community network. Results of Biolog ECO-microplate assays and functional prediction from amplicons showed that photoaging treatment enhanced the carbon metabolic capacity of the microplastic biofilm. This study provides new insights into the formation of plastispheres in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Deng
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Loess Plateau China, Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education of Shanxi Subalpine Grassland Ecosystem, Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yajing Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Loess Plateau China, Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education of Shanxi Subalpine Grassland Ecosystem, Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Zihan Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Loess Plateau China, Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education of Shanxi Subalpine Grassland Ecosystem, Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Jinxian Liu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Loess Plateau China, Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education of Shanxi Subalpine Grassland Ecosystem, Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2V3, Canada
| | - Wenjuan Liu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory for Ecological Restoration of Loess Plateau China, Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education of Shanxi Subalpine Grassland Ecosystem, Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
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139
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Li X, Cheng X, Wu J, Cai Z, Wang Z, Zhou J. Multi-omics reveals different impact patterns of conventional and biodegradable micro plastics on the crop rhizosphere in a biofertilizer environment. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133709. [PMID: 38330650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) from the incomplete degradation of agricultural mulch can stress the effectiveness of biofertilizers and ultimately affect the rhizosphere environment of crops. Yet, the involved mechanisms are poorly known and robust empirical data is generally lacking. Here, conventional polyethylene (PE) MPs and poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBAT) / poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biodegradable MPs (PBAT-PLA BioMPs) were investigated to assess their potential impact on the rhizosphere environment of Brassica parachinensis in the presence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens biofertilizer. The results revealed that both MPs caused different levels of inhibited crop both above- and belowground crop biomass (up to 50.11% and 57.09%, respectively), as well as a significant decrease in plant height (up to 48.63% and 25.95%, respectively), along with an imbalance of microbial communities. Transcriptomic analyses showed that PE MPs mainly affected root's vitamin metabolism, whereas PBAT-PLA BioMPs mainly interfered with the lipid's enrichment. Metabolomic analyses further indicated that PE MPs interfered with amino acid synthesis that involved in crops' oxidative stress, and that PBAT-PLA BioMPs mainly affected the pathways associated with root growth. Additionally, PBAT-PLA BioMPs had a bigger ecological negative impact than did PE MPs, as evidenced by more pronounced alterations in root antioxidant abilities, a higher count of identified differential metabolites, more robust interrelationships among rhizosphere parameters, and a more intricate pattern of impacts on rhizosphere metrics. This study highlights the MPs' impact on crop rhizosphere in a biofertilizer environment from a rhizosphere multi-omics perspective, and has theoretical implications for scientific application of biofertilizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Xueyu Cheng
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Jialing Wu
- Ecological Fertilizer Research Institute, Shenzhen Batian Ecological Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Zhonghua Cai
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Zongkang Wang
- Ecological Fertilizer Research Institute, Shenzhen Batian Ecological Engineering Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China.
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140
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Wei Y, Jiao M, Zhao Z, Tang L, Wang Y, Deng J, Peng G, Li R, Wang Y. Secreted salt and hydrodynamic factors combine to affect dynamic fluctuations of micro plastics on mangrove leaves. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133698. [PMID: 38335603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Mangrove leaves have been acknowledged as crucial sink for coastal microplastics (MPs). Whereas, the temporal dynamics of MPs intercepted by mangrove leaves have remained poorly understood. Here, we detected MPs intercepted by submerged and non-submerged mangrove leaves over time and the potential driving factors. Abundance and characteristics of MPs interception by mangrove leaves exhibited dynamic fluctuations, with the coefficient of variation (CV) of submerged mangrove leaves (CV = 0.604; 1.76 n/g to 15.45 n/g) being approximately twofold higher than non-submerged mangrove leaves (CV = 0.377; 0.74 n/g to 3.28 n/g). Partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) analysis further illustrated that MPs abundance on submerged mangrove leaves were negative correlated to hydrodynamic factors (i.e., current velocity and tidal range). Intriguingly, secreted salt as a significantly driver of MPs intercepted by mangrove leaves. Results of this work highlights that MPs intercepted by mangrove leaves is characterized by dynamic fluctuations and reveals the importance of hydrodynamic factors and secreted salt. Overall, this work identifies the pivotal buffering role played by mangrove leaves in intercepting MPs, which provides basic knowledge for better understanding of microplastic pollution status and control from mangrove plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihua Wei
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Meng Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zhen Zhao
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Liangdong Tang
- Institute of Green and Low Carbon Technology, Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yijin Wang
- School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Jun Deng
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Gen Peng
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Ruilong Li
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Yinghui Wang
- Institute of Green and Low Carbon Technology, Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology, Nanning 530004, China.
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141
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Frey B, Aiesi M, Rast BM, Rüthi J, Julmi J, Stierli B, Qi W, Brunner I. Searching for new plastic-degrading enzymes from the plastisphere of alpine soils using a metagenomic mining approach. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300503. [PMID: 38578779 PMCID: PMC10997104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Plastic materials, including microplastics, accumulate in all types of ecosystems, even in remote and cold environments such as the European Alps. This pollution poses a risk for the environment and humans and needs to be addressed. Using shotgun DNA metagenomics of soils collected in the eastern Swiss Alps at about 3,000 m a.s.l., we identified genes and their proteins that potentially can degrade plastics. We screened the metagenomes of the plastisphere and the bulk soil with a differential abundance analysis, conducted similarity-based screening with specific databases dedicated to putative plastic-degrading genes, and selected those genes with a high probability of signal peptides for extracellular export and a high confidence for functional domains. This procedure resulted in a final list of nine candidate genes. The lengths of the predicted proteins were between 425 and 845 amino acids, and the predicted genera producing these proteins belonged mainly to Caballeronia and Bradyrhizobium. We applied functional validation, using heterologous expression followed by enzymatic assays of the supernatant. Five of the nine proteins tested showed significantly increased activities when we used an esterase assay, and one of these five proteins from candidate genes, a hydrolase-type esterase, clearly had the highest activity, by more than double. We performed the fluorescence assays for plastic degradation of the plastic types BI-OPL and ecovio® only with proteins from the five candidate genes that were positively active in the esterase assay, but like the negative controls, these did not show any significantly increased activity. In contrast, the activity of the positive control, which contained a PLA-degrading gene insert known from the literature, was more than 20 times higher than that of the negative controls. These findings suggest that in silico screening followed by functional validation is suitable for finding new plastic-degrading enzymes. Although we only found one new esterase enzyme, our approach has the potential to be applied to any type of soil and to plastics in various ecosystems to search rapidly and efficiently for new plastic-degrading enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat Frey
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Margherita Aiesi
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Facoltà de Science Agrarie e Alimentari, University Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Basil M. Rast
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Joel Rüthi
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Julmi
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Beat Stierli
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Weihong Qi
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics SIB, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ivano Brunner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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142
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Alak G, Köktürk M, Atamanalp M. Evaluation of phthalate migration potential in vacuum-packed. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7944. [PMID: 38575598 PMCID: PMC10995151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54730-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the presence and migration of PAEs in packaging materials and consumer products has become a serious concern. Based on this concern, the aim of our study is to determine the possible migration potential and speed of PAEs in benthic fish stored in vacuum packaging, as well as to monitor the storage time and type as well as polyethylene (PE) polymer detection.As a result of the analysis performed by µ-Raman spectroscopy, 1 microplastic (MP) of 6 µm in size was determined on the 30th day of storage in whiting fish muscle and the polymer type was found to be Polyethylene (PE) (low density polyethylene: LDPE). Depending on the storage time of the packaging used in the vacuum packaging process, it has been determined that its chemical composition is affected by temperature and different types of polymers are formed. 10 types of PAEs were identified in the packaging material and stored flesh fish: DIBP, DBP, DPENP, DHEXP, BBP, DEHP, DCHP, DNOP, DINP and DDP. While the most dominant PAEs in the packaging material were determined as DEHP, the most dominant PAEs in fish meat were recorded as BBP and the lowest as DMP. The findings provide a motivating model for monitoring the presence and migration of PAEs in foods, while filling an important gap in maintaining a safe food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonca Alak
- Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Ataturk University, TR-25030, Erzurum, Turkey.
| | - Mine Köktürk
- Department of Organic Agriculture Management, Faculty of Applied Science, Igdir University, TR- 76000, Igdir, Turkey
| | - Muhammed Atamanalp
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Ataturk University, TR-25030, Erzurum, Turkey
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143
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Zheng S, Wang WX. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Profiling Cellular Heterogeneity and Specific Responses of Fish Gills to Micro plastics and Nanoplastics. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:5974-5986. [PMID: 38512049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Fish gills are highly sensitive organs for microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) invasions, but the cellular heterogeneity of fish gills to MPs and NPs remains largely unknown. We employed single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the responses of individual cell populations in tilapia Oreochromis niloticus gills to MP and NP exposure at an environmentally relevant concentration. Based on the detected differentially expressed gene (DEG) numbers, the most affected immune cells by MP exposure were macrophages, while the stimulus of NPs primarily targeted T cells. In response to MPs and NPs, H+-ATPase-rich cells exhibited distinct changes as compared with Na+/K+-ATPase-rich cells and pavement cells. Fibroblasts were identified as a potential sensitive cell-type biomarker for MP interaction with O. niloticus gills, as evidenced by the largely reduced cell counts and the mostly detected DEGs among the 12 identified cell populations. The most MP-sensitive fibroblast subpopulation in O. niloticus gills was lipofibroblasts. Cell-cell communications between fibroblasts and H+-ATPase-rich cells, neurons, macrophages, neuroepithelial cells, and Na+/K+-ATPase-rich cells in O. niloticus gills were significantly inhibited by MP exposure. Collectively, our study demonstrated the cellular heterogeneity of O. niloticus gills to MPs and NPs and provided sensitive markers for their toxicological mechanisms at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwen Zheng
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Wen-Xiong Wang
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
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144
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Kalangutkar N, Mhapsekar S, Redkar P, Valsan G, Warrier AK. Microplastic pollution in the Chapora River, Goa, Southwest India: spatial distribution and risk assessment. Environ Monit Assess 2024; 196:409. [PMID: 38564102 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12587-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The amount of information available on the microplastic (MP) contamination in Goa's riverine water systems is currently limited. The abundance, size, colour, and polymer composition of microplastics in Chapora River surface water were investigated in this study. MPs in Chapora River surface water ranged from 0.1 particles/L (station 13) to 0.47 particles/L (station 5). The mean (± standard deviation) MP concentration was 0.25 (± 0.13) particles/L. Fibre was the dominant shape (77.15%), followed by fragments (12.36%), films (9.36%), and foam (1.12%). Most MPs were found in the 0.1-0.3 mm size range, then in the 0.3-1 mm and 1-5 mm. The dominant type of polymer studied was polyethylene terephthalate (PET; 46%), followed by high-density polyethylene (HDPE; 14%), polypropylene (PP; 5%), and polystyrene (PS; 1%). The risk assessment study indicated high risk with respect to PHI, while PLI shows low risk in the area. The source of MPs was mostly anthropogenic in nature in the region. When compared with other tropical rivers, MP pollution was relatively lower in the Chapora River. Nevertheless, the baseline data will help the local administration take mitigation measures to reduce the impact of MP pollution in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niyati Kalangutkar
- School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Taleigao, 403206, Goa, India.
| | - Shritesh Mhapsekar
- School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Taleigao, 403206, Goa, India
- Department of Geology, Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sanquelim, 403505, Goa, India
| | - Prachi Redkar
- School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Taleigao, 403206, Goa, India
| | - Gokul Valsan
- Centre for Climate Studies, Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Anish Kumar Warrier
- Centre for Climate Studies, Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
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145
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Xiang Y, Rillig MC, Peñuelas J, Sardans J, Liu Y, Yao B, Li Y. Global Responses of Soil Carbon Dynamics to Microplastic Exposure: A Data Synthesis of Laboratory Studies. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:5821-5831. [PMID: 38416534 PMCID: PMC10993418 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) contamination presents a significant global environmental challenge, with its potential to influence soil carbon (C) dynamics being a crucial aspect for understanding soil C changes and global C cycling. This meta-analysis synthesizes data from 110 peer-reviewed publications to elucidate the directional, magnitude, and driving effects of MPs exposure on soil C dynamics globally. We evaluated the impacts of MPs characteristics (including type, biodegradability, size, and concentration), soil properties (initial pH and soil organic C [SOC]), and experimental conditions (such as duration and plant presence) on various soil C components. Key findings included the significant promotion of SOC, dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C, and root biomass following MPs addition to soils, while the net photosynthetic rate was reduced. No significant effects were observed on soil respiration and shoot biomass. The study highlights that the MPs concentration, along with other MPs properties and soil attributes, critically influences soil C responses. Our results demonstrate that both the nature of MPs and the soil environment interact to shape the effects on soil C cycling, providing comprehensive insights and guiding strategies for mitigating the environmental impact of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangzhou Xiang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed, School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Institut für Biologie, Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin D-14195, Germany
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia 08193, Spain
- CREAF - Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia 08193, Spain
- CREAF - Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia 08193, Spain
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang 550018, China
| | - Bin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Ecolog Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems in Gansu Qingyang, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
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146
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Rodrigues F, Faria M, Mendonça I, Sousa E, Ferreira A, Cordeiro N. Efficacy of bacterial cellulose hydrogel in microfiber removal from contaminated waters: A sustainable approach to wastewater treatment. Sci Total Environ 2024; 919:170846. [PMID: 38342467 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Microfibers (MFs), the dominant form of microplastics in ecosystems, pose a significant environmental risk due to the inadequacy of existing wastewater treatments to remove them. Recognising the need to develop sustainable solutions to tackle this environmental challenge, this research aimed to find an eco-friendly solution to the pervasive problem of MFs contaminating water bodies. Unused remnants of bacterial cellulose (BC) were ground to form a hydrogel-form of bacterial cellulose (BCH) and used as a potential bioflocculant for polyacrylonitrile MFs. The flocculation efficiency was evaluated across various operational and environmental factors, employing response surface methodology computational modelling to elucidate and model their impact on the process. The results revealed that the BCH:MFs ratio and mixing intensity were key factors in flocculation efficiency, with BCH resilient across a range of environmental conditions, achieving a 93.6 % average removal rate. The BCH's strong retention of MFs released only 8.3 % of the MFs, after a 24-hour wash, and the flocculation tests in contaminated wastewater and chlorinated water yielded 89.3 % and 86.1 % efficiency, respectively. Therefore, BCH presents a viable, sustainable, and effective approach for removing MFs from MFs-contaminated water, exhibiting exceptional flocculation performance and adaptability. This pioneer study using BCH as a bioflocculant for MFs removal sets a new standard in sustainable wastewater treatment, catalysing research on fibrous pollutant mitigation for environmental protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Rodrigues
- LB3-Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Marisa Faria
- LB3-Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Ivana Mendonça
- LB3-Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Edward Sousa
- LB3-Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
| | - Artur Ferreira
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials and Águeda School of Technology and Management, University of Aveiro, Águeda, Portugal
| | - Nereida Cordeiro
- LB3-Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal.
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147
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Ormsby MJ, Woodford L, Quilliam RS. Can plastic pollution drive the emergence and dissemination of novel zoonotic diseases? Environ Res 2024; 246:118172. [PMID: 38220083 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
As the volume of plastic in the environment increases, so too does human interactions with plastic pollution. Similarly, domestic, feral, and wild animals are increasingly interacting with plastic pollution, highlighting the potential for contamination of plastic wastes with animal faeces, urine, saliva, and blood. Substantial evidence indicates that once in the environment, plastics rapidly become colonised by microbial biofilm (the so-called 'plastisphere), which often includes potentially harmful microbial pathogens (including pathogens that are zoonotic in nature). Climate change, increased urbanisation, and the intensification of agriculture, mean that the three-way interactions between humans, animals, and plastic pollution are becoming more frequent, which is significant as almost 60% of emerging human infectious diseases during the last century have been zoonotic. Here, we critically review the potential for contaminated environmental plastics to facilitate the evolution of novel pathogenic strains of microorganisms, and the subsequent role of plastic pollution in the cyclical dissemination of zoonotic pathogens. As the interactions between humans, animals, and plastic pollution continues to grow, and the volume of plastics entering the environment increases, there is clearly an urgent need to better understand the role of plastic waste in facilitating zoonotic pathogen evolution and dissemination, and the effect this can have on environmental and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ormsby
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Luke Woodford
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard S Quilliam
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
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148
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Chen Y, Tan Y, Feng Y, Dong T, Jiang C, Wang C, Yang Y, Zhang Z. Selected legacy and emerging organic contaminants in sediments of China's Yangtze - the world's third longest river: Response to anthropogenic activities. Environ Pollut 2024; 346:123608. [PMID: 38428792 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
To explore contaminant concerns as a result of anthropogenic disturbance of the river system, this study provided the first extensive investigation of the contamination profiles, possible driving factors, and ecological risks of 40 target compounds including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), neonicotinoid pesticides (NNIs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments of the whole Yangtze River (the world's third longest river). Among these target compounds, PPCPs were the dominant contaminants with a total concentration (∑15PPCPs) of 2.13-14.99 ng/g, followed by ∑7PCBs (
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China; The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Yang Tan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yuying Feng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tao Dong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chunxia Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Chen Wang
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Yuyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Zulin Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China; The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
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149
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Han Z, Jiang J, Xia J, Yan C, Cui C. Occurrence and fate of micro plastics from a water source to two different drinking water treatment plants in a megacity in eastern China. Environ Pollut 2024; 346:123546. [PMID: 38369092 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The widespread presence of microplastics (MPs) contamination in drinking water has raised concerns regarding water safety and public health. In this study, a micro-Raman spectrometer was used to trace the occurrence of MP transport from a water source to a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP)1 with an advanced treatment process and DWTP2 with a conventional treatment process and the contributions of different processes to the risk reduction of MPs were explored. Six types of MPs were detected: polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyamide, and polyvinyl chloride. 2-5 μm (35.8-41.2%) and polyethylene terephthalate (27.1-29.9%) were the most frequently detected MP sizes and types of water source samples, respectively. The abundance of MPs in treated water decreased by 72.7-83.0% compared to raw water. Ozonation and granular activated carbon (52.7%), and sand filtration (47.5%) were the most effective processes for removing MPs from DWTP1 and DWTP2, respectively. Both DWTPs showed significant removal effects on polyethylene terephthalate, with 80.0-88.1% removal rates. The concentrations of polystyrene increase by 30.0-53.4% after chlorination. The dominant components in the treated water of DWTP1 and DWTP2 were polypropylene (24.7%) and polyethylene 27.7%, respectively, and MPs of 2-5 μm had the highest proportion (55.3-64.3%). Pollution load index and potential ecological risk index of raw water treated by DWTPs were reduced by 48.0-58.7% and 94.5-94.7%, respectively. The estimated daily intake of MPs in treated water for infants was 45.5-75.0 items/kg/d, respectively, approximately twice that of adults. This study contributes to the knowledge gap regarding MP pollution in drinking water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Han
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jiali Jiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jing Xia
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Chicheng Yan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Changzheng Cui
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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150
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Zhang W, Zhang M, Chen Q, Liu X. Stereo-complex polylactide composite aerogel for crude oil adsorption. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130283. [PMID: 38378113 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Adsorption materials are a cost-effective and simple method for oil spill remediation, but their efficiency is limited by high crude oil viscosity. Additionally, non-degradable materials pose another risk of secondary pollution, such as microplastic debris. Here, an environmentally-friendly stereo-complex polylactide composite (SCC) aerogel were developed via water-assisted thermally induced phase separation. The SCC with 3 wt% carbon nanotubes had a hierarchical structure of micro/nanoscale pores and high content of stereo-complex crystallites (35.7 %). Along with the excellent water repellency (water contact angle: 157°), SCC aerogel was 2.7 times as resistant to hydrolysis than poly(l-lactide) aerogel (Ph = 13, 37 °C). Additionally, a maximum absorption capacity of 41.2 g g-1 and over 97 % oil/water separation efficiency after 10 cycles were obtained in low viscosity conditions; while in high viscosity conditions, it displayed excellent photothermal performance, reaching a surface temperature of 85 °C under 1 sunlight, reducing crude oil absorption time from 42 min to 60 s (97.6 %-time savings). Moreover, it facilitated continuous crude oil spill recovery under sunlight with an adsorption rate of 3.3 × 104 kg m-3 h-1. The SCC aerogel presents a potential route for utilizing solar energy in crude oil adsorption applications without additional environmental burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China; State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis, Optimization and CAE Software for Industrial Equipment, National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Mingtao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis, Optimization and CAE Software for Industrial Equipment, National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Qiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
| | - Xianhu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis, Optimization and CAE Software for Industrial Equipment, National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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