51
|
Aydın RB, Yozukmaz A, Şener İ, Temiz F, Giannetto D. Occurrence of Microplastics in Most Consumed Fruits and Vegetables from Turkey and Public Risk Assessment for Consumers. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1686. [PMID: 37629543 PMCID: PMC10455475 DOI: 10.3390/life13081686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Microplastics are transferred to humans through the food chain by consuming food contaminated with microplastics. However, the knowledge about the risks of dietary exposure for humans to these particles is very limited. Moreover, only a few studies on microplastic pollution in fruit and vegetables have been carried on. Thus, this study aims to investigate the presence of microplastics in some of the most consumed fruits and vegetables (pear (Pyrus communis), apple (Malus domestica), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), onion (Allium cepa), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus)) from Turkey and to evaluate the potential risk for consumers. Fruits and vegetable samples were purchased from different markets and fruiterer (two of each) in Muğla province, Southwest of Turkey. Microplastic extraction processes were carried out on the edible parts of the samples. According to the results obtained, a total of 210 particles (2.9 ± 1.6 particle g-1) were detected in all samples. Any significant difference occurred among the different markets. The maximum average amount of microplastic was determined in tomato samples (3.63 ± 1.39 particle g-1). The highest microplastic intake was with tomato (398,520 particles individual-1 year-1 for Estimated Annual Intake (EAI) and Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) for children 68.24 particles kg-1 day-1). The occurrence of microplastics of big size, that are not allowed to pass by plant xylem transport, suggests that fresh vegetables and fruits can be contaminated with plastic, especially during the production phase, during agricultural activities and during the marketing process (transport to the market and purchasing process).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rana Berfin Aydın
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla 48000, Turkey; (R.B.A.); (F.T.)
| | - Aykut Yozukmaz
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla 48000, Turkey; (A.Y.); (İ.Ş.)
| | - İdris Şener
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla 48000, Turkey; (A.Y.); (İ.Ş.)
| | - Funda Temiz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla 48000, Turkey; (R.B.A.); (F.T.)
| | - Daniela Giannetto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla 48000, Turkey; (R.B.A.); (F.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Barili S, Bernetti A, Sannino C, Montegiove N, Calzoni E, Cesaretti A, Pinchuk I, Pezzolla D, Turchetti B, Buzzini P, Emiliani C, Gigliotti G. Impact of PVC microplastics on soil chemical and microbiological parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115891. [PMID: 37059323 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants whose occurrence is a global problem in natural ecosystems including soil. Among MPs, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a well-known polymer with remarkable resistance to degradation, and because its recalcitrant nature serious environmental concerns are created during manufacturing and waste disposal. The effect of PVC (0.021% w/w) on chemical and microbial parameters of an agricultural soil was tested by a microcosm experiment at different incubation times (from 3 to 360 days). Among chemical parameters, soil CO2 emission, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) activity, total organic C (TOC), total N, water extractable organic C (WEOC), water extractable N (WEN) and SUVA254 were considered, while the structure of soil microbial communities was studied at different taxonomic levels (phylum and genus) by sequencing bacterial 16S and fungal ITS2 rDNA (Illumina MiSeq). Although some fluctuations were found, chemical and microbiological parameters exhibited some significant trends. Significant (p < 0.05) variations of soil CO2 emission, FDA hydrolysis, TOC, WEOC and WEN were found in PVC-treated soils over different incubation times. Considering the structure of soil microbial communities, the presence of PVC significantly (p < 0.05) affected the abundances of specific bacterial and fungal taxa: Candidatus_Saccharibacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Bacteroides among bacteria, and Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Ascomycota among fungi. After one year of experiment, a reduction of the number and the dimensions of PVC was detected supposing a possible role of microorganisms on PVC degradation. The abundance of both bacterial and fungal taxa at phylum and genus level was also affected by PVC, suggesting that the impact of this polymer could be taxa-dependent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Barili
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bernetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Ciro Sannino
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Italy.
| | - Nicolò Montegiove
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Eleonora Calzoni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessio Cesaretti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Irina Pinchuk
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Daniela Pezzolla
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Benedetta Turchetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Pietro Buzzini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Carla Emiliani
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Gigliotti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Zhang X, Chen R, Li Z, Yu J, Chen J, Zhang Y, Chen J, Yu Q, Qiu X. The influence of various microplastics on PBDEs contaminated soil remediation by nZVI and sulfide-nZVI: Impedance, electron-accepting/-donating capacity and aging. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163233. [PMID: 37019223 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The microplastics (MPs) existed in the environment widely has resulted in novel thinking about in-situ remediation techniques, such as nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) and sulfided nZVI (S-nZVI), which were often compromised by various environmental factors. In this study, three common MPs such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) in soil were found to inhibit the degradation rate of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) by nZVI and S-nZVI to different degrees due to MPs inhibiting of electron transfer which is the main way to degrade BDE209. The inhibition strength was related to its impedance (Z) and electron-accepting (EAC)/-donating capacity (EDC). Based on the explanation of the inhibition mechanism, the reason for different aging degrees of nZVI and S-nZVI in different MPs was illustrated, especially in PVC systems. Furthermore, the aging of reacted MPs, functionalization and fragmentation in particular, indicated that they were involved in the degradation process. Moreover, this work provided new insights into the field application of nZVI-based materials for removing persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Ran Chen
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Zhenhui Li
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Junxia Yu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Jinyi Chen
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Jinhong Chen
- Hainan Provincial Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Centre, Hainan, China
| | - Qianqian Yu
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xinhong Qiu
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China; Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Industry Pollution Control, Wuhan 430205, China.
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Astner AF, Gillmore AB, Yu Y, Flury M, DeBruyn JM, Schaeffer SM, Hayes DG. Formation, behavior, properties and impact of micro- and nanoplastics on agricultural soil ecosystems (A Review). NANOIMPACT 2023; 31:100474. [PMID: 37419450 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2023.100474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Micro and nanoplastics (MPs and NPs, respectively) in agricultural soil ecosystems represent a pervasive global environmental concern, posing risks to soil biota, hence soil health and food security. This review provides a comprehensive and current summary of the literature on sources and properties of MNPs in agricultural ecosystems, methodology for the isolation and characterization of MNPs recovered from soil, MNP surrogate materials that mimic the size and properties of soil-borne MNPs, and transport of MNPs through the soil matrix. Furthermore, this review elucidates the impacts and risks of agricultural MNPs on crops and soil microorganisms and fauna. A significant source of MPs in soil is plasticulture, involving the use of mulch films and other plastic-based implements to provide several agronomic benefits for specialty crop production, while other sources of MPs include irrigation water and fertilizer. Long-term studies are needed to address current knowledge gaps of formation, soil surface and subsurface transport, and environmental impacts of MNPs, including for MNPs derived from biodegradable mulch films, which, although ultimately undergoing complete mineralization, will reside in soil for several months. Because of the complexity and variability of agricultural soil ecosystems and the difficulty in recovering MNPs from soil, a deeper understanding is needed for the fundamental relationships between MPs, NPs, soil biota and microbiota, including ecotoxicological effects of MNPs on earthworms, soil-dwelling invertebrates, and beneficial soil microorganisms, and soil geochemical attributes. In addition, the geometry, size distribution, fundamental and chemical properties, and concentration of MNPs contained in soils are required to develop surrogate MNP reference materials that can be used across laboratories for conducting fundamental laboratory studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton F Astner
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, United States of America
| | - Alexis B Gillmore
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, United States of America
| | - Yingxue Yu
- Department of Crops and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, and Puyallup, WA 98371, United States of America
| | - Markus Flury
- Department of Crops and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, and Puyallup, WA 98371, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M DeBruyn
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, United States of America
| | - Sean M Schaeffer
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, United States of America
| | - Douglas G Hayes
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Kedzierski M, Cirederf-Boulant D, Palazot M, Yvin M, Bruzaud S. Continents of plastics: An estimate of the stock of microplastics in agricultural soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163294. [PMID: 37028674 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
While there are estimates of the stock of microplastics in the marine environment, there are no estimates for soils. The main objective of this work is to estimate the total mass of microplastics in global agricultural soils. Microplastic abundance data from 442 sampling sites were collected from 43 articles. From these, the median of the abundance values, as well as the abundance profile of microplastics in soils were calculated. Thus, 1.5 to 6.6 Mt of microplastics would be present in soils on a global scale, i.e. one to two orders of magnitude higher than the estimated ocean surface microplastic stock. However, many limitations exist to accurately calculate these stocks. This work should therefore be considered as a first step in addressing this question. In the long term, in order to better assess this stock, it seems important to obtain more diversified data, e.g. better representing certain countries, or certain land uses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikaël Kedzierski
- Université Bretagne Sud, UMR CNRS 6027, IRDL, F-56100 Lorient, France.
| | | | - Maialen Palazot
- Université Bretagne Sud, UMR CNRS 6027, IRDL, F-56100 Lorient, France
| | - Marion Yvin
- Université Bretagne Sud, UMR CNRS 6027, IRDL, F-56100 Lorient, France
| | - Stéphane Bruzaud
- Université Bretagne Sud, UMR CNRS 6027, IRDL, F-56100 Lorient, France
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Meng J, Li W, Diao C, Li Z, Zhao J, Haider G, Zhang H, Xu J, Hu M, Shan S, Chen H. Microplastics drive microbial assembly, their interactions, and metagenomic functions in two soils with distinct pH and heavy metal availability. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131973. [PMID: 37406526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as widely existing global environmental concerns in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms that how MPs are affecting soil microbes and their metagenomic functioning is currently uncertain. Herein, we investigated the response mechanisms of bacterial and fungal communities as well as the metagenomic functions to the addition of MPs in two soils with distinct pH and heavy metals. In this study, the acidic soil (Xintong) and the neutral soil (Huanshan) contaminated by heavy metals were incubated with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) MPs at ratios of 2.5% and 5% on 60 and 120 days. We aimed to evaluate the responding, assembly, and interactions of the metagenomic taxonomy and function. Results showed that only in the acidic soil, PVC MPs significantly increased soil pH and decreased CaCl2-extractable heavy metals, and also reduced bacterial alpha diversity and interaction networks. The relative proportions of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota in bacteria, and Mortierellomycota in fungi, were increased, but Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota in bacteria, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota in fungi, were significantly decreased by PVC MPs. Metagenomic functions related to C cycling were repressed but the nutrient cycles were enriched with PVC MPs. In conclusion, our study suggests that the addition of PVC MPs could shift soil microbial community and metagenomic functioning, as well as increasing soil pH and reduced heavy metal availability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Meng
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-Treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Wenjin Li
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-Treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Chengmei Diao
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-Treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Zhangtao Li
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-Treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Jiayi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
| | - Ghulam Haider
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation, School of Environment and Resources, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Minjun Hu
- Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Shengdao Shan
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-Treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Huaihai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Ya H, Zhang T, Xing Y, Lv M, Wang X, Jiang B. Co-existence of polyethylene microplastics and tetracycline on soil microbial community and ARGs. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 335:139082. [PMID: 37285974 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are plastic particles with particle size less than 5 mm in the environment. As an emerging organic pollutant, the presence of microplastics in the soil environment has been widely noticed. Secondly, due to the overuse of antibiotics, a large amount of antibiotics that cannot be fully absorbed by humans and livestock enter the soil environment in the form of urine or manure, making the soil suffer from serious antibiotic contamination problems. To address the environmental problems of microplastics and antibiotic contamination in soil, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of PE microplastics on antibiotic degradation, microbial community characteristics and ARGs in tetracycline-contaminated soils. The results showed that the addition of PE microplastics inhibited the degradation of tetracycline, and significantly increased the organic carbon content and decreased the neutral phosphatase activity. The addition of PE microplastics significantly reduced the alpha diversity of soil microbial community. Compared to the single tetracycline contamination. In addition, combined contamination with PE microplastics and tetracycline significantly affected bacterial genera such as Aeromicrobium, Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium and Intrasporangium. Metagenome sequencing studies revealed that the addition of PE microplastics inhibited the dissipation of ARGs in tetracycline-contaminated soils. There were strong positive correlations between Multidrug, Aminoglycoside and Clycopeptide resistance genes and Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria in tetracycline contaminated soils, and there was a strong positive correlation between Aminoglycoside resistance genes and Actinobacteria in combined contamination of PE microplastics and tetracycline. This study will provide some data support for the current environmental risk assessment of the coexistence of multiple contaminants in soil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haobo Ya
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Zhejiang Development & Planning Institute, Hangzhou, 310030, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Tian Zhang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Yi Xing
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Mingjie Lv
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Bo Jiang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Site Remediation Technologies, Beijing, 100015, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
58
|
Chan SY, Liu SY, Wu R, Wei W, Fang JKH, Chua SL. Simultaneous Dissemination of Nanoplastics and Antibiotic Resistance by Nematode Couriers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37267481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) are increasingly recognized as a newly emerging pollutant in the environment. NPs can enable the colonization of microbial pathogens on their surfaces and adsorb toxic pollutants, such as heavy metals and residual antibiotics. Although the dissemination of plastic particles in water bodies and the atmosphere is widely studied, the dissemination of NPs and adsorbed pollutants on land, via biological means, is poorly understood. Since soil animals, such as the bacterivorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), are highly mobile, this raises the possibility that they play an active role in disseminating NPs and adsorbed pollutants. Here, we established that antibiotic-resistant bacteria could aggregate with antibiotic-adsorbed NPs to form antibiotic-adsorbed NP-antibiotic resistant bacteria (ANP-ARB) aggregates, using polymyxins (colistin) as a proof-of-concept. Colistin-resistant mcr-1 bearing Escherichia coli from a mixed population of resistant and sensitive bacteria selectively aggregate with colistin-ANPs. In the soil microcosm, C. elegans fed on ANP-ARB clusters, resulting in the rapid spread of ANP-ARB by the nematodes across the soil at a rate of 40-60 cm per day. Our work revealed insights into how NPs could still disseminate across the soil faster than previously thought by "hitching a ride" in soil animals and acting as agents of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and antibiotic contaminants. This poses direct risks to ecology, agricultural sustainability, and human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shepherd Yuen Chan
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Sylvia Yang Liu
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Rongben Wu
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - James Kar-Hei Fang
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Research Institute for Future Food, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Research Institute for Land and Space, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Song Lin Chua
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Biological Safety Control, Shenzhen Research Institute of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| |
Collapse
|
59
|
Kim YI, Jeong E, Lee JY, Chia RW, Raza M. Microplastic contamination in groundwater on a volcanic Jeju Island of Korea. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 226:115682. [PMID: 36921785 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MPs) contamination in groundwater has received massive attention since plastic waste has been released directly into the environment. This study investigates MPs contamination in groundwater on the Jeju volcanic Island, Korea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify MPs in groundwater from volcanic islands. A total of 21 sites were sampled for groundwater wells and springs in July and September (2021). Sampling was performed without cross-contamination through quality assurance and quality control. The results showed that MPs abundance ranged from 0.006 to 0.192 particles/L in groundwater samples. Additionally, MPs were detected in deep groundwater wells where the groundwater level was 143 m below ground surface. Eight MPs polymer types, including polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and polyurethane, were detected using Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FT-IR). Most of the detected MPs size ranged from 20 to 100 μm, accounting for 95% of the total. Fragments and fiber shaped MPs were detected, with the majority of them being fragmented in groundwater samples. The concentrations of MPs and major ions in groundwater showed a positive correlation. A negative correlation was observed between MPs concentration and topographic elevation (r = -0.59, p = 0.01). The source of MPs contamination is most likely attributed to agricultural activities, such as plastic mulching and greenhouses, which account for most of the land use in the study area. In this study, MPs entered the aquifer through the soil at the surface and seeped through cracks in fractured rock on basalt with sealed groundwater wells. This study takes 500 L of samples to prevent sample bias, reveal plastic contamination in groundwater, and indicating the characteristics and sources of contaminated plastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young-In Kim
- Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Research on Microplastics in Groundwater (RMPG), Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunju Jeong
- Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Research on Microplastics in Groundwater (RMPG), Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Yong Lee
- Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Research on Microplastics in Groundwater (RMPG), Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea.
| | - Rogers Wainkwa Chia
- Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Earth Resources, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Maimoona Raza
- Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
60
|
Zhang S, Wang W, Yan P, Wang J, Yan S, Liu X, Aurangzeib M. Microplastic migration and distribution in the terrestrial and aquatic environments: A threat to biotic safety. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 333:117412. [PMID: 36758402 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plastics production has been increasing over years, while their recycling rate is lower, resulting in huge amounts of microplastics (MP) accumulating in the environment. Although the environmental behaviors of MPs have been focused on in recent years, the migration, distribution and adverse effects of MPs in terrestrial and aquatic environments are still not systematically understood. In this review, based on the newest publications from the core database of the Web of Science, both the migration and distribution of MPs were summarized, as well as MPs transfer in biota and their biological effects were also focused on. Generally, the complicated and numerous pathways of MPs migration lead to their distribution throughout or nearly all environments on a global scale. However, the migration mechanisms of MPs with various sizes, shapes, and colors by physicochemical and biological processes, and the prediction models of MP migration and distribution, are deficient, despite these properties being highly related to MPs migration and bio-safety. Although MPs have already invaded microorganisms, plants, animals, and even human beings, the biological effects still need more study, so far as their sizes and shapes and also their composition and adsorption are concerned. Moreover, based on the highlights and deficiencies of current studies, further studies have also been proposed. This review aims to help people re-evaluate the uncertain behaviors of MPs in various environments, and could be helpful to fully understand their biological effects in different environmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoliang Zhang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China.
| | - Wan Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Pengke Yan
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Jiuqi Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Sihua Yan
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Xiaobing Liu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, Harbin, 150081, PR China
| | | |
Collapse
|
61
|
Devi A, Hansa A, Gupta H, Syam K, Upadhyay M, Kaur M, Lajayer BA, Sharma R. Microplastics as an emerging menace to environment: Insights into their uptake, prevalence, fate, and sustainable solutions. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115922. [PMID: 37086886 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The inflated demand for plastic products has led to tremendous rise in plastic debris in different environmental matrices, thereby resulting in plastic pollution. This affects plants, animals, and even humans, as microplastics can enter the food chain and cause several health implications. Microplastics are the small plastic particles (size below 5 mm) that are largely debated nowadays owing to their environmental risk assessment. Their potential to interact with other toxic contaminants, their tendency to be ingested or taken up by living organisms and their longevity is a serious threat to our environment. However, despite wealth of recent information, still there is a gap, particularly in eco-toxicology studies, fate, prevalence and feasible solutions to cope up with the menace of microplastics pollution. This review unravels the environmental fate and behaviour of microplastics as well as their global distribution in the marine and terrestrial environment. Furthermore, we aim to contribute to the international debate on the microplastics global paradigm. We briefly suggest sustainable solutions and recommendations to achieve future research goals on microplastics. Our review reveals some of the newest biological (green algae and modified sponges) and physical (nano-particles and membrane treatment) remediation solutions to eradicate microplastics from different types of environment. This review presents a critical evaluation of the state of knowledge of micro-plastics and suggested some recommendations which can help in identifying some important key questions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Devi
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Abish Hansa
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Hitakshi Gupta
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Karri Syam
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Manyata Upadhyay
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Mandeep Kaur
- Henan Key Laboratory of Earth System Observation and Modelling, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China
| | - Behnam Asgari Lajayer
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ritika Sharma
- Department of Botany, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Fu H, Zhu L, Mao L, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Chang Y, Liu X, Jiang H. Combined ecotoxicological effects of different-sized polyethylene microplastics and imidacloprid on the earthworms (Eisenia fetida). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161795. [PMID: 36708821 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and pesticides frequently coexist in farmland soil; however, there are relatively few studies on the ecological risk assessment of soil animals attributed to the combined pollution caused by MPs and pesticides. Moreover, the influence of particle size on the combined toxic effects of MPs and pesticides remains poorly understood. In this study, different-sized polyethylene MPs (PE MPs; 10 μm, 500 μm, and 2 mm) were combined with a series of imidacloprid concentrations (IMI; 0.10, 0.50 and 1.00 mg/kg), and earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were exposed to these MP and IMI combinations for 28 d to explore the combined toxic effects and mechanisms. The results showed, compared with IMI or PE MPs exposure alone, the combined exposure of IMI and PE MPs did not substantially increase the acute toxicity of earthworms but significantly inhibited weight increase and induced more serious epidermal damage to earthworms with a size effect; among these 10 μm PE MPs combined with IMI exhibited the strongest toxic effects. In addition, the combined exposure decreased antioxidant enzymes activity and caused oxidative damage in earthworms. Transcriptome results demonstrated most of the treatment combinations affected the ferroptosis pathway, which was further verified by the increase in the total iron content, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde content in earthworms. Combined with the analysis of key signalling pathways, the above results revealed that the combined exposure to IMI and PE MPs showed stronger toxicity to earthworms than exposure to either IMI or MPs alone, which was mediated by the superimposed effect of ferroptosis and oxidative damage. Moreover, the effect was size-dependent, with 10 μm PE MPs combined with IMI exhibiting the strongest toxic effects. This study aimed to provide data to support the ecological risk assessment of soil animals caused by the combined pollution of MPs and coexisting pesticides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Lizhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Liangang Mao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Chang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
63
|
Forster NA, Wilson SC, Tighe MK. Microplastic surface retention and mobility on hiking trails. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:46368-46382. [PMID: 36717419 PMCID: PMC10097793 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25635-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Hiking and trail running are a source of microplastic (MP) pollution on recreational trails in wilderness and conservation areas; however, the fate of MPs deposited on trails is poorly understood as MP mobility on such surfaces has not yet been examined. In this study, we simulated heavy rainfall (100 mm/h) on trail surfaces with existing MP pollution (in situ MPs) and spiked with 99 ± 2 rubber MPs (100-940 μm). Runoff was collected for 15 min and spiked and in situ MPs were quantified. Hydrological, erosional and microplastic responses were evaluated in relation to slope, bulk density, soil moisture and surface condition indicators, including amounts and types of surface cover and soil physical attributes. The MPs were largely immobile, with 85-100% of spiked MPs retained on trail surfaces. In situ MPs were detected in the trail runoff, with the majority being polyurethane, polypropylene and polyester. Microplastic movement was primarily influenced by hydrological effects, and analysis indicated the main explanatory variable was total runoff volume, followed by soil slaking. Trail sections with at least 15% herbaceous cover or a layer of loose alluvium had higher MP retention. Areas of resource accrual may be preferentially enriched, suggesting MPs from outdoor recreation may be concentrated on and adjacent to recreational trails. Microplastics deposited on trails may have long term implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in wilderness and conservation areas, particularly around the trail corridor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Ann Forster
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351 Australia
| | - Susan Caroline Wilson
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351 Australia
| | - Matthew Kevin Tighe
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Lange K, Furén R, Österlund H, Winston R, Tirpak RA, Nordqvist K, Smith J, Dorsey J, Viklander M, Blecken GT. Abundance, distribution, and composition of microplastics in the filter media of nine aged stormwater bioretention systems. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 320:138103. [PMID: 36775039 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bioretention systems are designed for quality treatment of stormwater. Particulate contaminants are commonly treated efficiently and accumulate mainly in the surface layer of the bioretention filter material. However, concerns exist that microplastic particles may not show equal accumulation behavior as other sediment particles. So far only two field and two laboratory studies are available on the fate of microplastics in few relatively newly built bioretention systems. Therefore, this study investigated the abundance and distribution of microplastics in nine 7-12 years old stormwater bioretention systems. It was found that microplastics generally accumulate on the surface of bioretention systems. Microplastic median particle concentrations decreased significantly from the surface layer (0-5 cm) of the filter material to the 10-15 cm depth layer from 448 to 136 particles/100 g, respectively. The distance to the inlet did not significantly affect the surface accumulation of microplastic particles, suggesting modest spatial variability in microplastics accumulation in older bioretention systems. Further, this study investigated the polymer composition in bioretention systems. It was shown that PP, EVA, PS and EPDM rubber are the most abundant polymer types in bioretention systems. Also, it was found that large percentages of microplastic particles are black particles (median percentage of black particles: 39%) which were found in 28 of the 33 investigated samples. This underlines the importance of including black particles in microplastic studies on stormwater, which has been overlooked in most previous studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Lange
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Robert Furén
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden; NCC Sverige AB, Department of Research and Innovation, Herrjärva Torg 4, 170 80, Solna, Sweden
| | - Helene Österlund
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Ryan Winston
- Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, Agricultural Engineering Building AE, Building 298, 590 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Ohio State University, 470 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Core Faculty, Sustainability Institute, Ohio State University, 3018 Smith Lab 174 W, 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - R Andrew Tirpak
- Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, Agricultural Engineering Building AE, Building 298, 590 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Kerstin Nordqvist
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Joseph Smith
- Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, Agricultural Engineering Building AE, Building 298, 590 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jay Dorsey
- Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University, Agricultural Engineering Building AE, Building 298, 590 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Maria Viklander
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Godecke-Tobias Blecken
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
Ranjan VP, Joseph A, Sharma HB, Goel S. Preliminary investigation on effects of size, polymer type, and surface behaviour on the vertical mobility of microplastics in a porous media. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 864:161148. [PMID: 36572318 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Due to the ubiquitous nature of microplastic (MP), knowledge of its fate and migration in subsurface environments like soil becomes extremely important to understand underlying ecological risk. The fate and migration of MP in subterranean settings like sand are governed by the retention/transport properties influenced by the interaction of sand and MPs. In this study, sand column experiments under simulated rainfall conditions were conducted for 180 days to assess the vertical migration of mixed MPs consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Sand column experiments were subjected to 60 wet-dry cycles over 180 days. The effects of polymer type, microplastic size, sand particle size, and surface roughness on the migration of MPs were evaluated. Results showed that the smallest-sized fragmented PE particles had the highest migration potential compared to PET and PE. The ratios of the diameters of MP particles and sand particles (dMP/dsand) played a significant role in determining the penetration depth of the various sizes of MPs. The MP particles with dMP/dsand 0.11 showed greater penetration depth in sand media and were detected in the column effluent water after 60 days of a column run. In addition, surface roughness, low ionic strength water, irregularly shaped particles, and wet and dry cycles contributed to the migration of MPs in the sand column. Three new absorbance peaks corresponding to the hydroxyl, CO stretch, and carbonyl groups evolved in the extracted PE MPs sample from different depths, as shown by FTIR analysis, suggesting that PE MPs had been oxidised. XPS analysis revealed changes in the surface properties of the MPs, indicating that oxidation occurred at the top layer, causing structural deterioration of the PE MPs. However, oxidation of the surface bonds was restricted in the layers underneath due to a lack of oxygen. The finding of the study suggests that in a natural environment, such accumulation and migration of MPs in sandy soil can increase the possibilities to the underlying groundwater contamination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ved Prakash Ranjan
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
| | - Anuja Joseph
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Hari Bhakta Sharma
- Department of Civil Engineering, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Majitar, Rangpo, Sikkim 737136, India
| | - Sudha Goel
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Ouyang Z, Li S, Xue J, Liao J, Xiao C, Zhang H, Li X, Liu P, Hu S, Guo X, Zhu L. Dissolved organic matter derived from biodegradable microplastic promotes photo-aging of coexisting microplastics and alters microbial metabolism. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 445:130564. [PMID: 37055972 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) leaching from biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) and its characteristics and corresponding environmental implication are rarely investigated. In this study, the main component of DOM leachate from the two BMPs (polyadipate/butylene terephthalate (PBAT)/polycaprolactone (PCL)) was verified by using excitation-emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). The PBAT-DOM (PBOM) was aromatized and terrestrial. Comparatively, PCL-DOM (PLOM) had low molecular weight. PBOM contained protein-like components while PLOM contained tryptophan and tyrosine components. Interestingly, both PBOM and PLOM could accelerate the decomposition and oxidation of coexisting polystyrene (PS) under light irradiation. Further, the difference in composition and the properties of BMPs-DOM significantly affected its photochemical activity. The high territoriality and protein-like component of PBOM significantly promoted the generation of 1O2 and O2•-, which caused faster disruptions to the backbone of PS. Simultaneously, the microbial community's richness, diversity, and metabolism were obviously improved under the combined pressure of aged PS and BMPs-DOM. This study threw light on the overlooked contribution of DOM derived from BMPs in the aging process of NMPs and their impact on the microbial community and provided a promising strategy for better understanding of combined MPs' fate and environmental risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuozhi Ouyang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Shuxing Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jincheng Xue
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jinmo Liao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Chuanqi Xiao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaohan Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Peng Liu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Shiwen Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of the Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Xuetao Guo
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Lingyan Zhu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; 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 300071, China
| |
Collapse
|
67
|
Li NY, Qu JH, Yang JY. Microplastics distribution and microbial community characteristics of farmland soil under different mulch methods. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 445:130408. [PMID: 36455321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The widespread use of plastic film in agricultural production has resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of residual plastic film in the soil, and most of the plastic residuals eventually break up into microplastics (MPs). However, the effects of different film mulching methods on the soil ecosystems are largely unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the MPs distribution and the physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in the farmland soil tillage layer covered with different mulching method of film. The results indicate that the film mulching method had no significant effect on the soil pH and organic matter content, however, the respiration intensity of the soil covered with mulching film (MF) (60.11-84.99 μg/g) and shed film (SF) (56.10-65.68 μg/g) was significantly higher than that covered with shed film & mulching film (SMF) (17.25-39.16 μg/g). The MPs abundance in the soil covered with MF (1367 particles/kg soil) was significantly higher than that covered with SF (800 particles/kg soil) and slightly higher than that with SMF (1000 particles/kg soil). The small-sized (0-0.5 mm) MPs abundance was increased with the tillage layer depth (0-20 cm), while the large-sized (1-5 mm) MPs abundance was the opposite. In addition, in the soil covered with agricultural film, the dominant phylum and genera of the bacteria were Proteobacteria (relative abundance was 64.06 %) and Pseudomonas (13.16 %), respectively. In the soil without agricultural film application as a control treatment, the diversity of the soil bacterial community was higher than that in the soil covered with agricultural film, and the relative abundances of the top 10 genera were all less than 5 %. Overall, this study provides essential information for understanding the effects of different film mulching methods on the agricultural systems. Overall, this study provides essential information for understanding the effects of different film mulching methods on the distribution of MPs and the biogeochemical properties of farmland soils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Na-Ying Li
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, China
| | - Jia-Hui Qu
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jin-Yan Yang
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, China.
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Silori R, Shrivastava V, Mazumder P, Mootapally C, Pandey A, Kumar M. Understanding the underestimated: Occurrence, distribution, and interactions of microplastics in the sediment and soil of China, India, and Japan. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 320:120978. [PMID: 36586556 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are non-biodegradable substances that can sustain our environment for up to a century. What is more worrying is the incapability of modern technologies to annihilate MPs from om environment. One ramification of MPs is their impact on every kind of life form on this planet, which has been discussed ahead; that is why these substances are surfacing in everyday discussions of scholars and researchers. This paper discusses the overview of the global occurrence, abundance, analysis, and remediation techniques of MPs in the environment. This paper primarily reviews the event and abundance of MPs in coastal sediments and agricultural soil of three major Asian countries, India, China, and Japan. A significant concentration of MPs has been recorded from these countries, which affirms its strong presence and subsequent environmental impacts. Concentrations such as 73,100 MPs/kg in Indian coastal sediments and 42,960 particles/kg in the agricultural soil of China is a solid testimony to prove their massive outbreak in our environment and require urgent attention towards this issue. Conclusions show that human activities, rivers, and plastic mulching on agricultural fields have majorly acted as carriers of MPs towards coastal and terrestrial soil and sediments. Later, based on recorded concentrations and gaps, future research studies are recommended in the concerned domain; a dearth of studies on MPs influencing Indian agricultural soil make a whole sector and its consumer vulnerable to the adverse effects of this emerging contaminant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Silori
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India
| | - Vikalp Shrivastava
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India
| | - Payal Mazumder
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India
| | - Chandrashekar Mootapally
- School of Applied Sciences & Technology (SAST), Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Ashok Pandey
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India; Centre for Innovation and Translational Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, 226 001, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey, 64849, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
69
|
Österlund H, Blecken G, Lange K, Marsalek J, Gopinath K, Viklander M. Microplastics in urban catchments: Review of sources, pathways, and entry into stormwater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159781. [PMID: 36309285 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas play a key role in the production of microplastics (MPs) and their entry into water bodies. This article reviews the literature on the sources, transport, and control of MPs in urban environments with the aim of clarifying the mechanisms underlying these processes. Major MP sources include atmospheric deposition, micro-litter, and tire and road wear particles (TRWPs). MPs deposited from the atmosphere are mostly fibers and may be particularly important in catchments without traffic. Littering and attrition of textiles and plastic products is another important MP source. However, the quantities of MPs originating from this source may be hard to estimate. TRWPs are a significant source of MPs in urban areas and are arguably the best quantified source. The mobilization of MPs in urban catchments is poorly understood but it appears that dry unconsolidated sediments and MP deposits are most readily mobilized. Sequestration of MPs occurs in green areas and is poorly understood. Consequently, some authors consider green/pervious parts of urban catchments to be MP sinks. Field studies have shown that appreciable MP removal occurs in stormwater quality control facilities. Street cleaning and snow removal also remove MPs (particularly TRWPs), but the efficacy of these measures is unknown. Among stormwater management facilities, biofiltration/retention units seem to remove MPs more effectively than facilities relying on stormwater settling. However, knowledge of MP removal in stormwater facilities remains incomplete. Finally, although 13 research papers reported MP concentrations in stormwater, the total number of field samples examined in these studies was only 189. Moreover, the results of these studies are not necessarily comparable because they are based on relatively small numbers of samples and differ widely in terms of their objectives, sites, analytical methods, size fractions, examined polymers, and even terminology. This area of research can thus be considered "data-poor" and offers great opportunities for further research in many areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heléne Österlund
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Godecke Blecken
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Katharina Lange
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Jiri Marsalek
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Kalpana Gopinath
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Maria Viklander
- Urban Water Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
70
|
Li Z, Yang Y, Chen X, He Y, Bolan N, Rinklebe J, Lam SS, Peng W, Sonne C. A discussion of microplastics in soil and risks for ecosystems and food chains. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137637. [PMID: 36572363 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are among the major contaminations in terrestrial and marine environments worldwide. These persistent organic contaminants composed of tiny particles are of concern due to their potential hazards to ecosystem and human health. Microplastics accumulates in the ocean and in terrestrial ecosystems, exerting effects on living organisms including microbiomes, fish and plants. While the accumulation and fate of microplastics in marine ecosystems is thoroughly studied, the distribution and biological effects in terrestrial soil call for more research. Here, we review the sources of microplastics and its effects on soil physical and chemical properties, including water holding capacity, bulk density, pH value as well as the potential effects to microorganisms and animals. In addition, we discuss the effects of microplastics in combination with other toxic environmental contaminants including heavy metals and antibiotics on plant growth and physiology, as well as human health and possible degradation and remediation methods. This reflect is an urgent need for monitoring projects that assess the toxicity of microplastics in soil and plants in various soil environments. The prospect of these future research activities should prioritize microplastics in agro-ecosystems, focusing on microbial degradation for remediation purposes of microplastics in the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaolin Li
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Yafeng Yang
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Xiangmeng Chen
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Yifeng He
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The UWA Institute of Agriculture, M079, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Soil Engineering, Waste- and Water Science, Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India; University Centre for Research and Development, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Wanxi Peng
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
| | - Christian Sonne
- Henan Province International Collaboration Lab of Forest Resources Utilization, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India; Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
71
|
He H, Wu T, Chen YF, Yang Z. A pore-scale investigation of microplastics migration and deposition during unsaturated flow in porous media. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159934. [PMID: 36343821 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous in the natural environment and have the potential to endanger the natural environment, ecology and even human health. A series of microfluidic experiments by using soft lithography technology were carried out to investigate the effect of flow rate, particle volume fraction, particle size and pore/throat ratio on microplastics migration and deposition at the pore scale. We discovered a range of deposition patterns of the spherical microplastics from no particle deposition, to discontinuous particle layer, and to continuous particle layers in the retained liquid in the pores, depending on the particle size and volume fraction. Several metrics, including air saturation, probability of particle detainment, expansion ratio and thickness of residual liquid, were quantified to examine the role of various parameters on particle migration and retention of microplastics. At low flow rate (Q = 0.05 μL/min), microplastics migration and deposition were sensitive to changes in particle volume fraction, particle size and pore/throat ratio. In contrast, at high flow rates (Q > 5 μL/min), the migration and retention of particles were mainly controlled by strongly channelized air invasion pattern, while the particle volume fraction, particle size and pore/throat size ratio have only secondary influence. At intermediate range of flow rates, microplastics migration and deposition were dramatically impacted by flow rate, particle volume fraction, particle size and pore/throat ratio. This work improves the understanding of the mechanisms of particle migration and retention in porous media and can provide a reference for more accurate assessment of the exposure levels and times of microplastics in soil and groundwater systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang He
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ting Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yi-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zhibing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
72
|
Li S, Li Z, Xue J, Chen S, Li H, Ji J, Liang Y, Fei J, Jiang W. Pollution and Distribution of Microplastics in Grassland Soils of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. TOXICS 2023; 11:86. [PMID: 36668812 PMCID: PMC9860952 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic fragments with particle sizes smaller than 5 mm that have potentially harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. The soil environment is not only the source but also the sink of MPs. Thus, it is necessary to fully understand the pollution and distribution of MPs in soils. In this study, Qinghai Province, northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, was selected as the research area, and 22 soil samples were collected and analyzed to study the levels and distribution characteristics of MPs in grassland soils. MPs were obtained from the soils by using density separation, and a laser confocal micro Raman spectrometer was used for MP identification. The results showed that MPs were detected in all of the soil samples. The total abundances of MPs ranged from 1125 to 1329 items/kg, with a mean abundance of 1202 items/kg. Various types, shapes, sizes, and colors of MPs were observed. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the dominant polymer in all the grassland soil samples. The size range of 10-50 μm accounted for 50% of all identified MPs. Pellets were the dominant MP shape, and colored MPs accounted for 64% of all MPs. The results revealed the presence of large quantities of MPs in the grassland soils of remote areas as well. This study can act as a reference for further studies of MPs in terrestrial systems. At the end of the paper, the prospects and suggestions for pollution control by soil MPs are given.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumei Li
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jun Xue
- Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Sha Chen
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Hanbing Li
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jian Ji
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yixuan Liang
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jiaying Fei
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Weiyi Jiang
- Graduate School of International Study, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Pérez-Reverón R, Álvarez-Méndez SJ, González-Sálamo J, Socas-Hernández C, Díaz-Peña FJ, Hernández-Sánchez C, Hernández-Borges J. Nanoplastics in the soil environment: Analytical methods, occurrence, fate and ecological implications. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 317:120788. [PMID: 36481462 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Soils play a very important role in ecosystems sustainability, either natural or agricultural ones, serving as an essential support for living organisms of different kinds. However, in the current context of extremely high plastic pollution, soils are highly threatened. Plastics can change the chemical and physical properties of the soils and may also affect the biota. Of particular importance is the fact that plastics can be fragmented into microplastics and, to a final extent into nanoplastics. Due to their extremely low size and high surface area, nanoplastics may even have a higher impact in soil ecosystems. Their transport through the edaphic environment is regulated by the physicochemical properties of the soil and plastic particles themselves, anthropic activities and biota interactions. Their degradation in soils is associated with a series of mechanical, photo-, thermo-, and bio-mediated transformations eventually conducive to their mineralisation. Their tiny size is precisely the main setback when it comes to sampling soils and subsequent processes for their identification and quantification, albeit pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and other spectroscopic techniques have proven to be useful for their analysis. Another issue as a consequence of their minuscule size lies in their uptake by plants roots and their ingestion by soil dwelling fauna, producing morphological deformations, damage to organs and physiological malfunctions, as well as the risks associated to their entrance in the food chain, although current conclusions are not always consistent and show the same pattern of effects. Thus, given the omnipresence and seriousness of the plastic menace, this review article pretends to provide a general overview of the most recent data available regarding nanoplastics determination, occurrence, fate and effects in soils, with special emphasis on their ecological implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Pérez-Reverón
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Sergio J Álvarez-Méndez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier González-Sálamo
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Socas-Hernández
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, Avenida Catalunya, 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco J Díaz-Peña
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Cintia Hernández-Sánchez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Forense y Legal y Parasitología, Área de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería, Sección de Náutica, Máquinas y Radioelectrónica Naval, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Vía Auxiliar Paso Alto 2, 38001, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Javier Hernández-Borges
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL). Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
74
|
Bilal M, Qadir A, Yaqub A, Hassan HU, Irfan M, Aslam M. Microplastics in water, sediments, and fish at Alpine River, originating from the Hindu Kush Mountain, Pakistan: implications for conservation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:727-738. [PMID: 35906523 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22212-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MP) pollution is an emerging threat to life and the environment. These particles are not restricted to human-inhabited lands but also found in different mountains and glaciers where the human population is relatively low. These MPs make their way to the river ecosystem from glaciers, rains, and municipal and industrial effluents. The current study was designed to highlight MPs' pollution in water, sediments, and fishes of the Swat River: originating from the Hindu Kush Mountain Range. These samples were collected from eight different sites across the river. An average concentration of MPs detected in water samples (305.79 ± 289.66 MPs/m3), fish (12.54 ± 8.02 MPs/individual), and sediments (588.29 ± 253.95 MPs/kg). The highest concentration was observed among water samples at Mingora city and the lowest at the confluence point of the rivers near Charsadda being 753.71 ± 330.08 MPs/m3 and 57.64 ± 31.98 MPs/m3, respectively. MP concentrations in the sediment samples were also the highest at Mingora city (834.0 ± 367.21 MPs/kg), and lowest at Chakdara (215.0 ± 20.0 MPs/kg). Among the fish samples, Schizothorax plagiostomus contained the highest while Wallago attu contained the lowest MP concentrations corresponding to 17.08 ± 8.27 MPs/individual and 5.0 ± 2.36 MPs/individual, respectively. Fibers were the most prevalent MPs in all the matrices representing 80%, 92%, and 85% of the total MP count in water, sediments, and fish samples. These findings highlighted that freshwater ecosystem are not free from MPs and are as much vulnerable to anthropogenic activities as marine ecosystem. Therefore, need attention not less than marine ecosystem awareness, education, ecotourism, sustainable reduction in plastic use, and strict rules and regulations could be helpful to prevent the anthropogenic menace.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Bilal
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Qadir
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Atif Yaqub
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Habib Ul Hassan
- Department of Zoology, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
- Fisheries Development Board, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Mehmood Aslam
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
75
|
Cunningham BE, Sharpe EE, Brander SM, Landis WG, Harper SL. Critical gaps in nanoplastics research and their connection to risk assessment. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1154538. [PMID: 37168661 PMCID: PMC10164945 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1154538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Reports of plastics, at higher levels than previously thought, in the water that we drink and the air that we breathe, are generating considerable interest and concern. Plastics have been recorded in almost every environment in the world with estimates on the order of trillions of microplastic pieces. Yet, this may very well be an underestimate of plastic pollution as a whole. Once microplastics (<5 mm) break down in the environment, they nominally enter the nanoscale (<1,000 nm), where they cannot be seen by the naked eye or even with the use of a typical laboratory microscope. Thus far, research has focused on plastics in the macro- (>25 mm) and micro-size ranges, which are easier to detect and identify, leaving large knowledge gaps in our understanding of nanoplastic debris. Our ability to ask and answer questions relating to the transport, fate, and potential toxicity of these particles is disadvantaged by the detection and identification limits of current technology. Furthermore, laboratory exposures have been substantially constrained to the study of commercially available nanoplastics; i.e., polystyrene spheres, which do not adequately reflect the composition of environmental plastic debris. While a great deal of plastic-focused research has been published in recent years, the pattern of the work does not answer a number of key factors vital to calculating risk that takes into account the smallest plastic particles; namely, sources, fate and transport, exposure measures, toxicity and effects. These data are critical to inform regulatory decision making and to implement adaptive management strategies that mitigate risk to human health and the environment. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-science on nanoplastic research, highlighting areas where data are needed to establish robust risk assessments that take into account plastics pollution. Where nanoplastic-specific data are not available, suggested substitutions are indicated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany E. Cunningham
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Emma E. Sharpe
- Institute of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Susanne M. Brander
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Wayne G. Landis
- Institute of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Stacey L. Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, Corvallis, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Stacey L. Harper,
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Acharjee SA, Bharali P, Gogoi B, Sorhie V, Walling B. PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution. WATER, AIR, AND SOIL POLLUTION 2022; 234:21. [PMID: 36593989 PMCID: PMC9797907 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-022-06029-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Petroleum-derived plastics are linked to a variety of growing environmental issues throughout their lifecycle, including emission of greenhouse gases, accumulation in terrestrial and marine habitats, pollution, among others. There has been a lot of attention over the last decade in industrial and research communities in developing and producing eco-friendly polymers to deal with the current environmental issues. Bioplastics preferably are a fast-developing family of polymeric substances that are frequently promoted as substitutes to petroleum-derived plastics. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have a number of appealing properties that make PHAs a feasible source material for bioplastics, either as a direct replacement of petroleum-derived plastics or as a blend with elements derived from natural origin, fabricated biodegradable polymers, and/or non-biodegradable polymers. Among the most promising PHAs, polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are the most well-known and have a significant potential to replace traditional plastics. These biodegradable plastics decompose faster after decomposing into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic chemicals. Bioplastics have been extensively utilized in several sectors such as food-processing industry, medical, agriculture, automobile industry, etc. However, it is also associated with disadvantages like high cost, uneconomic feasibility, brittleness, and hydrophilic nature. A variety of tactics have been explored to improve the qualities of bioplastics, with the most prevalent being the development of gas and water barrier properties. The prime objective of this study is to review the current knowledge on PHAs and provide a brief introduction to PHAs, which have drawn attention as a possible potential alternative to conventional plastics due to their biological origin, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, thereby reducing the negative impact of microplastics in the environment. This review may help trigger further scientific interest to thoroughly research on PHAs as a sustainable option to greener bioplastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Aley Acharjee
- Applied Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Nagaland University, Hq- Lumami, Zunheboto-798627, Nagaland, India
| | - Pranjal Bharali
- Applied Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Nagaland University, Hq- Lumami, Zunheboto-798627, Nagaland, India
| | - Bhagyudoy Gogoi
- Applied Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Nagaland University, Hq- Lumami, Zunheboto-798627, Nagaland, India
| | - Viphrezolie Sorhie
- Applied Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Nagaland University, Hq- Lumami, Zunheboto-798627, Nagaland, India
| | - Bendangtula Walling
- Applied Environmental Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Nagaland University, Hq- Lumami, Zunheboto-798627, Nagaland, India
| |
Collapse
|
77
|
Cohen N, Radian A. Microplastic Textile Fibers Accumulate in Sand and Are Potential Sources of Micro(nano)plastic Pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17635-17642. [PMID: 36475681 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural soils have been identified as sinks for microplastic fibers; however, little information is available on their long-term fate in these soils. In this study, polyester and nylon fibers were precisely cut to relevant environmental lengths, using novel methodology, and their behavior in sand columns was studied at environmental concentration. The longer fibers (>50 μm) accumulated in the upper layers of the sand, smaller fibers were slightly more mobile, and nylon showed marginally higher mobility than polyester. Previous studies have overlooked changes in microplastic morphology due to transport in soil. Our study is the first to show that fibers exhibited breakage, peeling, and thinning under flow conditions in soil, releasing smaller, more mobile fragments. Furthermore, the peelings exhibited different adsorption properties compared to the core fiber. This suggests that microplastic fibers can become a source of smaller micro(nano)plastics and potential vectors for certain molecules, risking continuous contamination of nearby soils, surfaces, and groundwater.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nirrit Cohen
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Adi Radian
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
78
|
Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: Un-ignorable impacts on soil characterises, nutrient storage and its cycling. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
|
79
|
Park SY, Kim CG. A comparative study on the distribution behavior of microplastics through FT-IR analysis on different land uses in agricultural soils. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114404. [PMID: 36154862 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plastic materials have been variously exposed to arable land for decades through soil mulching, plastic housing, and sewage sludge composting. Their mechanical abrasion and biochemical degradation induce the proliferation of myriad microplastics that can further be broken into smaller nano-sized pieces that can be further accumulated in living organisms (including soil invertebrates, fruits, and vegetables); they can also be widely dispersed in neighboring environments. Despite the intensive use of plastics in agriculture, little is known about their origin of occurrence and environmental fate, especially with a size below 100 μm. Therefore, in this study, microplastics with a size in the range of 20-2,000 μm were investigated in soil samples obtained from three different conditions of land uses: tilled with plastic mulch, bare ground (i.e., uncultivated land), and in between the greenhouses of the farmland D located in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. They were primarily identified using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy coupled with a microscope. Prior to performing the analysis, microplastic extraction from the soil samples was validated using standardized high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics of various sizes ranging from 20 to 500 μm. As a result, the number of microplastics was estimated to be (241 ± 52), (195 ± 37), and (306 ± 56) particles per kg of dry soil in tillage, bare ground, and in between greenhouses, respectively. They consist of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), which are the basic constituents of commonly used agricultural products. The particle size distribution depends on the type of plastic, the time elapsed since their usage, and the degree and duration of environmental exposure; the plastic particle sizes were smaller in tillage and around the greenhouses since agricultural films have been weathered for a long time, whereas those with relatively large sizes were found in the uncultivated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seon Yeong Park
- Institute of Environmental Research, INHA University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea; Program in Environmental and Polymer Engineering, INHA University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
| | - Chang Gyun Kim
- Program in Environmental and Polymer Engineering, INHA University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Engineering, INHA University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
80
|
Zhao Z, Zhao K, Zhang T, Xu Y, Chen R, Xue S, Liu M, Tang D, Yang X, Giessen V. Irrigation-facilitated low-density polyethylene microplastic vertical transport along soil profile: An empirical model developed by column experiment. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 247:114232. [PMID: 36308877 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The emerging issue of microplastic pollution of agricultural soils derives from the intensive utilization of plastic mulching film. Although surface runoff may transport microplastic off-site, infiltration may also facilitate microplastic transport from surface soil to deeper depths. Microplastic comprises a relatively new category of soil contaminants, whose transport in the soil has not yet been widely studied. In this study, we investigated microplastic transport from contaminated surface soil (50 g kg-1) driven by irrigation, from permanent wilting point to saturation, and developed an empirical model to characterize the resulting accumulation of microplastic along soil profile. A soil column experiment was conducted under various treatments: the control, 1, 2 and 4 runs of irrigation. Soil samples were collected from inside and outside of soil cracks (if present) in each soil layer (0-2 cm (source layer), 2-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-40 cm, 40-50 cm). The results showed that with increasing irrigation runs, microplastic in the source soil layer decreased, while microplastic contents in deeper soil depths increased significantly (p < 0.05), varying from 7.03 g kg-1 in 2-5 cm to 0.29 g kg-1 in 40-50 cm soil. The microplastic content detected in soil cracks was 1.3-17.8 times higher than that detected in the soil matrix at similar depths, indicating that the transported microplastic is prone to be enriched in soil cracks. In addition, the total amount of transported microplastic increased 1.5 times after four irrigation runs, and the variations were significantly observed especially at deeper soil depths. Based on correlation analyses, data-fitted empirical models that relate cumulative microplastic to the depth of soil layer and irrigation runs indicate that irrigation-facilitated microplastic transport could be well-characterized (R2 >0.92). Further research is needed to develop an physical-based model in order to assess microplastic migration risks driven by irrigation and other agricultural management practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Zhao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Keyue Zhao
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Taishuo Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yiwen Xu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ronglong Chen
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Sha Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mengjuan Liu
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Darrell Tang
- Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Violette Giessen
- Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Wang X, Xing Y, Lv M, Zhang T, Ya H, Jiang B. Recent advances on the effects of microplastics on elements cycling in the environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 849:157884. [PMID: 35944635 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (<5 mm) are an emerging pollutant which have received increasing concern in recent years. Microplastics pose a serious hazard and potential risk to the environment due to their migration, transformation, adsorption and degradation properties. The effects of different types of microplastics on the elemental cycles (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles) in ecosystems were comprehensively summarized. The impacts of microplastics on the element cycle occur mainly in the soil environment and to less extent in other environments. Microplastics affect carbon sources, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and carbon conversion processes, mainly by affecting plant and animal activities, changing gene abundance, enzyme activity, and microbial community composition. Microplastics can affect nitrogen sources, nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification and denitrification processes by changing gene abundance, enzyme activity and microbial community composition. Microplastics can also influence phosphorus content and phosphorus conversion processes by stimulating enzyme activity and changing the composition of microbial communities. Future research needs to analyze the coupling of multiple microplastics and influencing factors on elemental cycling processes. This work provides a better view of the impacts of microplastics on element cycles and the interaction between microplastics and organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Yi Xing
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Mingjie Lv
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Tian Zhang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Haobo Ya
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Zhejiang Development & Planning Institute, Hangzhou 310030, PR China
| | - Bo Jiang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Resource-oriented Treatment of Industrial Pollutants, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Site Remediation Technologies, Beijing 100015, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
82
|
Chang J, Fang W, Liang J, Zhang P, Zhang G, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Wang Q. A critical review on interaction of microplastics with organic contaminants in soil and their ecological risks on soil organisms. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 306:135573. [PMID: 35797912 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The pollution of microplastics (MPs) in soil has become a global environmental problem. Due to high sorption capacity and persistence in environment, the MPs exhibit combined effects with organic pollutants in soil, thereby posing a potential risk to soil ecology and human health. However, limited reviews are available on this subject. Therefore, in response to this issue, this review provides an in-depth account of interaction of MPs with organic contaminants in soil and the combined risks to soil environment. The sorption of organic contaminants onto MPs is mainly through hydrophobic and π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, pore filling and electrostatic and van der Waals forces. The intrinsic characteristics of MPs, organic contaminants and soil are the key factors influencing the sorption of organic pollutants onto MPs. Importantly, the presence of MPs changes the sorption, degradation and transport behaviors of organic contaminants in soil, and affects the toxic effects of organic contaminants on soil organisms including animals, plants and soil microorganisms through synergistic or antagonistic effects. Source control, policy implementation and plastic removal are the main preventive and control measures to reduce soil MPs pollution. Finally, priorities for future research are proposed, such as field investigations of co-pollution, contribution of plastisphere to organic contaminant degradation, and mechanisms of MPs effects on organic contaminant toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianning Chang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Wei Fang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Jinsong Liang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Panyue Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Guangming Zhang
- School of Energy & Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China.
| | - Haibo Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China.
| | - Yajie Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Qingyan Wang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Wu B, Li LW, Zu YX, Nan J, Chen XQ, Sun K, Li ZL. Microplastics contamination in groundwater of a drinking-water source area, northern China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:114048. [PMID: 35961548 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the contamination of microplastics (MPs) in groundwater has been anticipated, their occurrence, distribution, and composition require further understanding. In this study, the occurrence and distributions of MPs were investigated in shallow groundwater from an important water source district in Tianjin city of northern China. The abundance, the physical morphology, the chemical composition, and the potential correlations of the determined MPs with human activities were thoroughly characterized. MPs were determined from all ten sampling sites with the abundance ranged between 17.0 ± 2.16 to 44.0 ± 1.63 n/L, revealing the ubiquitous existed MPs contamination. Based on the physical categorization, fiber (44.74%) was the most abundant shape, while blue (31.02%) and transparent (26.09%) were the most prevalent colors. The dominant size of MPs was smaller than 200 μm which accounted for 73.10%. A total of seven types of MPs were determined with polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene as the main types, of which, polypropylene showed strong positive correlations with polystyrene, indicating the possible similar sources of them. Besides, the determined MPs in groundwater were greater in areas with the high population density and strong population activity, indicating their high correlation with human activity. The study highlighted the presence of MPs in groundwater of drinking water source in northern China and provided useful information for evaluating the potential ecological effects on water quality safety and human health brought by MPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Li-Wei Li
- Tianjin Geological Research and Marine Geology Center, Tianjin, 300381, China
| | - Yun-Xia Zu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jun Nan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Xue-Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Key Lab of Structures Dynamic Behavior and Control of China Ministry of Education, School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Zhi-Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| |
Collapse
|
84
|
Ekner-Grzyb A, Duka A, Grzyb T, Lopes I, Chmielowska-Bąk J. Plants oxidative response to nanoplastic. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1027608. [PMID: 36340372 PMCID: PMC9630848 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1027608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pollution of the environment with plastic is an important concern of the modern world. It is estimated that annually over 350 million tonnes of this material are produced, wherein, despite the recycling methods, a significant part is deposited in the environment. The plastic has been detected in the industrial areas, as well as farmlands and gardens in many world regions. Larger plastic pieces degraded in time into smaller pieces including microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic particles (NP). Nanoplastic is suggested to pose the most serious danger as due to the small size, it is effectively taken up from the environment by the biota and transported within the organisms. An increasing number of reports show that NP exert toxic effects also on plants. One of the most common plant response to abiotic stress factors is the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the one hand, these molecules are engaged in cellular signalling and regulation of genes expression. On the other hand, ROS in excess lead to oxidation and damage of various cellular compounds. This article reviews the impact of NP on plants, with special emphasis on the oxidative response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ekner-Grzyb
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Anna Duka
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Mycology and Plant Resistance, Vasily Nazarovich Karazin (VN) Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Tomasz Grzyb
- Department of Rare Earths, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Isabel Lopes
- Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
85
|
Wang C, O'Connor D, Wang L, Wu WM, Luo J, Hou D. Microplastics in urban runoff: Global occurrence and fate. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 225:119129. [PMID: 36170770 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Public concerns on microplastic (MP) pollution and its prevalence in urban runoff have grown exponentially. Huge amounts of MPs are transported from urban environments via surface runoff to different environment compartments, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and oceans. The global concentrations of MPs in urban runoff range from 0 to 8580 particles/L. Understanding the sources, abundance, composition and characteristics of MPs in urban runoff on a global scale is a critical challenge because of the existence of multiple sources and spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Additionally, dynamic processes in the mobilization, aging, fragmentation, transport, and retention of MPs in urban runoff have been largely overlooked. Furthermore, the MP flux through urban runoff into rivers, lakes and even oceans is largely unknown, which is very important for better understanding the fate and transport of MPs in urban environments. Here, we provide a critical review of the global occurrence, transport, retention process, and sinks of MPs in urban runoff. Relevant policies, regulations and measures are put forward. Future global investigations and mitigation efforts will require us to address this issue cautiously, cooperating globally, nationally and regionally, and acting locally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengqian Wang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - David O'Connor
- School of Real Estate and Land Management, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 1RS, United Kingdom
| | - Liuwei Wang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei-Min Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, William & Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Center for Sustainable Development & Global Competitiveness, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020, United States
| | - Jian Luo
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0355, United States
| | - Deyi Hou
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| |
Collapse
|
86
|
Yin W, Zhang B, Zhang H, Zhang D, Leiviskä T. Vertically co-distributed vanadium and microplastics drive distinct microbial community composition and assembly in soil. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 440:129700. [PMID: 35969955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Vanadium (V) and microplastics in soils draw increasing attention considering their significant threats to ecosystems. However, little is known about the vertical co-distribution of V and microplastics in soil profile and their combined effects on microbial community dynamics and assembly. This study investigated the spatial distribution of V and microplastics in the soils at a V smelting site and the associated microbial community characteristics along the vertical gradient. Both V and microplastics were found in the 50 cm soil profile with average concentrations of 203.5 ± 314.4 mg/kg and 165.1 ± 124.8 item/kg, respectively. Topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-50 cm) displayed distinct microbial community compositions. Metal-tolerant (e.g., Spirochaeta, Rubellimicrobium) and organic-degrading (e.g., Bradyrhizobium, Pseudolabrys) taxa as biomarkers were more abundant in the topsoil layer. V and microplastics directly affected the microbial structure in the topsoil and had indirect influences in the subsoil, with direct impacts from organic matter. In topsoil, deterministic processes were more prevalent for community assembly, whereas stochastic processes governed the subsoil. The interspecific relationship was closer in topsoil with greater network complexity and higher modularity. These findings promote the understanding of distinct heterogeneity of microbial communities jointly driven by V and microplastics in soil environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiwen Yin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Baogang Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Han Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Daxin Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tiina Leiviskä
- Chemical Process Engineering, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
87
|
Qin Q, Yang Y, Yang C, Zhang L, Yin H, Yu F, Ma J. Degradation and adsorption behavior of biodegradable plastic PLA under conventional weathering conditions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156775. [PMID: 35724797 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing pollution of plastics and the widespread use of polylactic acid (PLA), its weathering process in the natural environment needs to be studied. Hence, we investigated the characteristics of PLA under conventional weathering conditions and the adsorption behavior between PLA and tetracycline (TC). The results showed cracks and holes in the weathered PLA surface, an increase in oxygen-containing functional groups, and a 77.94 % decrease in contact angle, causing more amount of TC to be adsorbed. The maximum adsorption capacity of PLA for TC is approximately 3.5 times higher than before weathering due to multilayer physical adsorption. Nevertheless, the surface of the microplastics weathered by seawater did not change significantly. This work elucidates the weathering mechanism of biodegradable microplastics under abiotic conditions, thus correctly assessing the difference in natural and conventional degradability of biodegradable plastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiyu Qin
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, PR China
| | - Yidi Yang
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, PR China
| | - Changfu Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Leilihe Zhang
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, PR China
| | - Haoyuan Yin
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, PR China
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, PR China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Jie Ma
- Research Center for Environmental Functional Materials, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
88
|
Qi S, Song J, Shentu J, Chen Q, Lin K. Attachment and detachment of large microplastics in saturated porous media and its influencing factors. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 305:135322. [PMID: 35709840 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater contamination by microplastics (MPs) has been gradually regarded as a potential human health risk, which calls for detailed investigation of MPs transport behavior in saturated zone. In this study, a series of sand column experiments were carried out to investigate the transport characteristics of large MPs with its diameter of 10-20 μm in porous media, in which the effects of different hydrological conditions and MPs characteristics were examined. Experimental results showed that the increase of water flow rate from 2.2 to 7.5 mL/min significantly increased the maximal outlet MPs concentration by two orders of magnitude, while a larger ratio of MPs diameter to soil particle diameter decreased its mobility. The increase of water salinity from 0 to 25 mmol/L (NaCl) decreased the maximal outlet MPs concentration by 50.5-68.4% for different sized MPs. Since chemical aging would lead to the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups and make MPs more negatively charged, it greatly increased the maximal outlet MPs concentration by 0.53-5.67 times. Compared with the traditional attachment model (AM), the attachment-detachment model (ADM) could better simulate the gradual desorption of large MPs from soil in the process of clean water flushing, indicating the nonnegligible detachment of large MPs from soil. In ADM, the desorption coefficient gradually decreased in the process of clean water flushing, which was only 31.6% of the initial value after flushing kept for 10 PV. Moreover, the equations to calculate the adsorption and desorption coefficients of MPs in the saturated zone were developed, which considered both MPs and aquifer characteristics. Results from this study described the desorption of large MPs in porous media under various conditions, which expands our knowledge about the fate and risk of MPs in underground environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengqi Qi
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Nonferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, PR China.
| | - Jianhao Song
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Nonferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Jiali Shentu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Nonferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China; Instrumental Analysis Center of Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, PR China
| | - Qian Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Nonferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Kexin Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Nonferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| |
Collapse
|
89
|
Belkhiri AH, Carre F, Quiot F. State of knowledge and future research needs on microplastics in groundwater. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2022; 20:1479-1496. [PMID: 36308493 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2022.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in aquatic and soil environments. This study targets the issue of MPs' transfer from soil to groundwater. Scientific papers were collected and analyzed using a text-mining approach that classifies text segments. This allowed the identification of four research topics and the organization of the results into a summarizing table. Those four topics are sources of groundwater MPs, main types of MPs (physico-chemical properties, polymer units, shapes, and size), human exposure (mainly drinking water), and potential environmental and human effects. Compared to the research of MP on aquatic or soil compartments, scientific data on MP in groundwater are less substantial. Current results show a divergence due to differences in context (alluvial aquifer, fractured rock aquifer, karst aquifer, etc), collecting, sampling, and analytical methods. This divergence requires further research with standardized analytic protocols and reference materials. The associated research gaps were identified by using the same approach. The following five topics emerged: (1) the transfer of MPs from soil to underground, (2) the contribution of groundwater to drinking water microplastic pollution, (3) the interaction with other contaminants, (4) the human and environmental effects, and (5) the protective and remediation solutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Hoarau Belkhiri
- INERIS (Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques), BP 2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France E-mail:
| | - Florence Carre
- INERIS (Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques), BP 2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France E-mail:
| | - Fabrice Quiot
- INERIS (Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques), BP 2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
90
|
Mu H, Wang Y, Zhang H, Guo F, Li A, Zhang S, Liu S, Liu T. High abundance of microplastics in groundwater in Jiaodong Peninsula, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:156318. [PMID: 35636551 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) in drinking water has aroused extensive concerns, whereas our understanding of their presence in groundwater, a major source of drinking water, is still limited. The present study investigated the occurrence of microplastics in groundwater sampled from five sites in Jiaodong Peninsula, China. The abundance, type, and size of MPs in the groundwater samples were determined by Laser Direct Infrared following a well-established and quality-controlled analytical route. Notably, MPs were detected in groundwater across all five sampling sites, with high abundances ranging from 87 to 6832 particles/L and an average abundance of 2103 particles/L. The variation of the abundance of MPs was correlated to the distances between sampling sites and anthropogenic activities, which suggested significant impacts of aboveground industry and agriculture on the abundance of MPs in groundwater. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PU) were the dominant polymer types detected in all groundwater samples. The MPs with a size smaller than 100 μm were found to account for >90% of the total MPs detected in four sampling sites, which was likely associated with their migratory routes through surface water runoff and infiltration into the groundwater settings. The results of this study suggest the importance of counting small MPs when determining their abundances in groundwater or their abundances would be considerably underestimated. The present study for the first time demonstrated the occurrence of MPs in groundwater in China, which improves our understanding of the MPs distribution and raises concerns about groundwater safety in terms of MPs pollution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Mu
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yaping Wang
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Huining Zhang
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Fangli Guo
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Anqi Li
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CIC-AEET), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
91
|
Huang D, Chen H, Shen M, Tao J, Chen S, Yin L, Zhou W, Wang X, Xiao R, Li R. Recent advances on the transport of microplastics/nanoplastics in abiotic and biotic compartments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 438:129515. [PMID: 35816806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastics enter the environment and break up into microplastics (MPs) and even nanoplastics (NPs) by biotic and abiotic weathering. These small particles are widely distributed in the environmental media and extremely mobile and reactive, easily suspending in the air, infiltrating into the soil, and interacting with biota. Current research on MPs/NPs is either in the abiotic or biotic compartments, with little attention paid to the fact that the biosphere as a whole. To better understand the complex and continuous movement of plastics from biological to planetary scales, this review firstly discusses the transport processes and drivers of microplastics in the macroscopic compartment. We then summarize insightfully the uptake pathways of MPs/NPs by different species in the ecological compartment and analyze the internalization mechanisms of NPs in the organism. Finally, we highlight the bioaccumulation potential, biomagnification effects and trophic transfer of MPs/NPs in the food chain. This work is expected to provide a meaningful theoretical body of knowledge for understanding the biogeochemical cycles of plastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danlian Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.
| | - Haojie Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Maocai Shen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Jiaxi Tao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Sha Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Lingshi Yin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xinya Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ruihao Xiao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ruijin Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| |
Collapse
|
92
|
Yang H, Yumeng Y, Yu Y, Yinglin H, Fu B, Wang J. Distribution, sources, migration, influence and analytical methods of microplastics in soil ecosystems. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 243:114009. [PMID: 36030682 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous in soil ecosystems all over the world through source and migration. It is even estimated that the content of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems exceeds the number of microplastics entering sea ecosystems. However, compared with the research on microplastics in marine ecosystems, the research and discussion on microplastics in soil ecosystems are still less. Transportation, film mulching and sewage sludge are three main sources of soil microplastics. The abundance, polymer type, size and shape of the microplastics are related to the source and they help to clarify the source. The characteristics of microplastics, farming measures, soil animal activities and other factors promote the migration of microplastics, which bring new challenges to the soil ecosystems and humans. This article summarizes the latest research findings on the effects of soil microplasticity on soil properties, plants, animals and microorganisms. The analysis methods of microplastics in soil can refer to the analysis methods of microplastics of aquatic sediments, because soil and aquatic sediments are similar, both of which are complex solid substrates. At present, the development of analytical methods is limited due to the complex matrix of soil and the small volume of microplastics, which requires continuous development and innovation. Through the summary and analysis of related articles, this article reviews the distribution, sources, migration, influence and analysis methods of soil microplastics. This article also critically analyzes the deficiencies in the studies of microplastics in the soil ecosystems, and made some suggestions for future work. The microplastics in soil ecosystems need further research and summary, which will help people further understand the potential hazards of microplastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Yang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Zhongshan Innovation Center of South China Agricultural University, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yan Yumeng
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Youkai Yu
- Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Loughborough University, London E20 3BS, UK
| | - He Yinglin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bing Fu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 528478, China; Institute of Eco-Environmental Research, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.
| |
Collapse
|
93
|
Lüscher SM, Jo HY. A synthetic microplastic fiber-manufacturing method and analysis of airborne microplastic fiber transport behavior in porous media. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155888. [PMID: 35580675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Long-term environmental contamination through microplastic (MP) exposure remains poorly understood and may pose economic and geochemical threats. Notably, only a few studies have been conducted on MP contamination of soils. This study investigated the migration of AMP fibers and their influence on water flow rates through porous media. Multiple columns with diameters of 5 cm and water flow rates of 3 ml/min were filled with glass beads or sand. The particle sizes varied between 3 mm for glass beads and 1-2 or 2-4 mm for sand. A method on how to artificially manufacture MP fibers with sizes ranging from 500 to 1000 μm representing AMP fibers occurring in the environment is introduced. The MP fibers were then introduced into water at varying concentrations that were reported in previous studies. The results revealed that regardless of their concentration, the MP fibers suspended in the water did not clog the porous media. In fact, although the fibers penetrated and accumulated in the soil, they did not disrupt the water flow. We recommend that future research focuses on using MP particles with varying densities and at lower concentrations, to prevent flocculation and increase the experiment run time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Michel Lüscher
- High-Tech Environmental Science, Graduate School of Energy and Environment (KU-KIST Green School), Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea.
| | - Ho Young Jo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Energy and Environment (KU-KIST Green School), Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
94
|
Mukherjee AG, Wanjari UR, Bradu P, Patil M, Biswas A, Murali R, Renu K, Dey A, Vellingiri B, Raja G, Iyer M, Valsala Gopalakrishnan A. Elimination of microplastics from the aquatic milieu: A dream to achieve. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:135232. [PMID: 35671819 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have become a significant source of concern as they have emerged as a widespread pollutant that harms the aquatic environment. It has become an enormous challenge, having the capacity to biomagnify and eventually affect human health, biodiversity, aquatic animals, and the environment. This review provides in-depth knowledge of how MPs interact with different toxic organic chemicals, antibiotics, and heavy metals in the aquatic environment and its consequences. Membrane technologies like ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), microfiltration (MF), and dynamic membranes can be highly effective techniques for the removal of MPs. Also, hybrid membrane techniques like advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), membrane fouling, electrochemical processes, and adsorption processes can be incorporated for superior efficiency. The review also focuses on the reactor design and performance of several membrane-based filters and bioreactors to develop practical, feasible, and sustainable membrane technologies. The main aim of this work is to throw light on the alarming scenario of microplastic pollution in the aquatic milieu and strategies that can be adopted to tackle it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Goutam Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Uddesh Ramesh Wanjari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Pragya Bradu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Megha Patil
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Antara Biswas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Reshma Murali
- Department of Biosciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Kaviyarasi Renu
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India
| | - Balachandar Vellingiri
- Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ganesan Raja
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Mahalaxmi Iyer
- Livestock Farming & Bioresources Technology, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Rolf M, Laermanns H, Kienzler L, Pohl C, Möller JN, Laforsch C, Löder MGJ, Bogner C. Flooding frequency and floodplain topography determine abundance of microplastics in an alluvial Rhine soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155141. [PMID: 35405226 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rivers are major pathways for the transport of microplastics towards the oceans, and many studies focus on microplastic abundance in fluvial ecosystems. Although flooding strongly affects transport of microplastics, knowledge about the potential input via floodwaters, spatial distribution, and fate of microplastics in adjacent floodplains remains very limited. In this study, we suggest that local topography and flood frequency could influence the abundance of microplastics in floodplains. Based on this concept, we took soil samples in a Rhine River floodplain in two different depths (0-5 cm and 5-20 cm) along three transects with increasing distance to the river and analysed the abundance of microplastics via FTIR spectroscopy. Flood frequency of the transects was estimated by a combination of hydrodynamic modelling with MIKE 21 (DHI, Hørsholm Denmark) and analysis of time series of water levels. Microplastic abundance per kg dry soil varied between 25,502 to 51,119 particles in the top 5 cm and 25,616 to 84,824 particles in the deeper soil (5-20 cm). The results of our study indicate that local topography and resulting flooding patterns are responsible for the amount of microplastics found at the respective transect. Differences in soil properties, vegetation cover and signs of earthworm activity in the soil profile seem to be related to microplastic migration and accumulation in the deeper soil. The interdisciplinary approach we used in our work can be applied to other floodplains to elucidate the respective processes. This information is essentially important both for locating potential microplastic sinks for process-informed sampling designs and to identify areas of increased bioavailability of microplastics for proper ecological risk assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Rolf
- Ecosystem Research Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannes Laermanns
- Ecosystem Research Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany
| | - Lukas Kienzler
- Ecosystem Research Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Julia N Möller
- Animal Ecology I, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christian Laforsch
- Animal Ecology I, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Martin G J Löder
- Animal Ecology I, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Christina Bogner
- Ecosystem Research Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
96
|
Tumwet FC, Serbe R, Kleint T, Scheytt T. Effect of fragmentation on the transport of polyvinyl chloride and low-density polyethylene in saturated quartz sand. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155657. [PMID: 35513138 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are an obstinate pollutant in terrestrial environments, posing a risk to the subsurface soil matrix and potentially to groundwater. In this study, the transport and retention behaviour of two major plastic polymers, 125-300 μm Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic fragments and 300 μm Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) spherical particles, were explored in saturated quartz sand (1.6-2.0 mm) columns. The PVC used in this study represented secondary microplastics, while the LDPE represented primary microplastics. Retention profiles at different ultrapure water flow rates (2.0-3.5 ml/min) were compared and analysed. At the beginning and end of each column test, the microplastic particles were scrutinized, identified, and quantified by light microscopy. The results showed that the transport distance of microplastic particles increased with their decreasing diameter. Small-sized PVC microplastic particles, whose morphology was more 1-dimensional, were more susceptible to fragmentation within the column, promoting migration. Spherical LDPE remained at their initial position without fragmenting. Microplastic degradation into fragments appeared to play an important role in improving the movement of particles. This study offers initial indications of infiltration depths and shape-dependent fragmentation of secondary microplastics in coarse sand based on the lab experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faith Chebet Tumwet
- Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), 09599 Freiberg, Germany; Zittau Institute for Process Development, Recycling Management, Surface Technology, and Natural Substance Research (ZIRKON), University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz (HSZG), 02763 Zittau, Germany.
| | - Rebecca Serbe
- Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| | - Tomas Kleint
- Zittau Institute for Process Development, Recycling Management, Surface Technology, and Natural Substance Research (ZIRKON), University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz (HSZG), 02763 Zittau, Germany
| | - Traugott Scheytt
- Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), 09599 Freiberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
97
|
Koutnik VS, Leonard J, Brar J, Cao S, Glasman JB, Cowger W, Ravi S, Mohanty SK. Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 222:118950. [PMID: 35964509 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Stormwater treatment systems remove and accumulate microplastics from surface runoff, but some of them can be moved downward to groundwater by natural freeze-thaw cycles. Yet, it is unclear whether or how microplastic properties such as density could affect the extent to which freeze-thaw cycles would move microplastics in the subsurface. To examine the transport and redistribution of microplastics in the subsurface by freeze-thaw cycles, three types of microplastics, with density smaller than (polypropylene or PP), similar to (polystyrene or PS), or greater than (polyethylene terephthalate or PET) water, were first deposited on the top of packed sand-the most common filter media used in infiltration-based stormwater treatment systems. Then the columns were subjected to either 23 h of drying at 22 ⁰C (control) or freeze-thaw treatment (freezing at -20 ⁰C for 6 h and thawing at 22 ⁰C for 17 h) followed by a wetting event. The cycle was repeated 36 times, and the effluents were analyzed for microplastics. Microplastics were observed in effluents from the columns that were contaminated with PET and subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. Comparison of the distribution of microplastics in sand columns at the end of 36 cycles confirmed that freeze-thaw cycles could disproportionally accelerate the downward mobility of denser microplastics. Using a force balance model, we show that smaller microplastics (<50 µm) can be pushed at higher velocity by the ice-water interface, irrespective of the density of microplastics. However, plastic density becomes critical when the size of microplastics is larger than 50 µm. The coupled experimental studies and theoretical framework improved the understanding of why denser microplastics such as PET and PVC may move deeper into the subsurface in the stormwater treatment systems and consequently elevate groundwater pollution risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vera S Koutnik
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jamie Leonard
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jaslyn Brar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shangqing Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joel B Glasman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Win Cowger
- Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Sujith Ravi
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sanjay K Mohanty
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
98
|
Lee YK, Yoo HY, Ko KS, He W, Karanfil T, Hur J. Tracing microplastic (MP)-derived dissolved organic matter in the infiltration of MP-contaminated sand system and its disinfection byproducts formation. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118806. [PMID: 35803044 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution in soil/subsurface environments has been increasingly researched, given the uncertainties associated with the heterogeneous matrix of these systems. In this study, we tracked the spectroscopic signatures of MP-derived dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) in infiltrated water from MP contaminated sandy subsurface systems and examined their potential to form trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) by chlorination. Sand-packed columns with commercial MPs (expanded polystyrene and polyvinylchloride) on the upper layer were used as the model systems. Regardless of the plastic type, the addition of MPs resulted in a higher amount of DOM during infiltration compared with the clean sand system. This enhancement was more pronounced when the added MPs were UV-irradiated for 14 days. The infiltration was further characterized using FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy, which identified two fluorescent components (humic-like C1 and protein/phenol-like C2). Compared with pure MP-DOM, C1 was more predominant in sand infiltration than C2. Further studies have established that C2 may be more labile in terms of biodegradation and mineral adsorption that may occur within the sand column. However, both these environmental interferences were inadequate for entirely expanding the spectroscopic signatures of MP-DOM in sand infiltration. The infiltration also exhibited a higher potential in generating carbonaceous disinfection byproducts than natural groundwater and riverside bank filtrates. A significant correlation between the generated THMs and decreased C1 suggests the possibility of using humic-like components as optical precursors of carbonaceous DBPs in MP-contaminated subsurface systems. This study highlighted an overlooked contribution of MPs in terms of the infiltration of DOM levels in sandy subsurface systems and the potential environmental risk when used as drinking water sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kyung Lee
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, South Korea
| | - Ha-Young Yoo
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, South Korea; K-water Institute, 200 Sintanjin-Ro, Daedeok-Gu, Daejeon 34350, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Seok Ko
- Groundwater Environment Research Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, 124 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34132, South Korea
| | - Wei He
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tanju Karanfil
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anerson, SC 29635, United States
| | - Jin Hur
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
99
|
Nie C, Yang J, Sang C, Xia Y, Huang K. Reduction performance of microplastics and their behavior in a vermi-wetland during the recycling of excess sludge: A quantitative assessment for fluorescent polymethyl methacrylate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 832:155005. [PMID: 35381247 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Large amounts of microplastics (MPs) that have accumulated in excess sludge may increase the environmental risk for its subsequent treatment. This study aimed to investigate the performance and mechanism of the reduction of MPs in excess sludge in a vermi-wetland. For this, 1 μm, 100 μm, and 500 μm of fluorescent MPs stained with Nile red were added to raw sludge, and their decreased numbers were quantified during the treatment of sludge. The results showed that the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand and total solids from the excess sludge were 63.44%-90.98% and 37.61%-51.56% in the vermi-wetland, respectively. The numbers of 1 μm, 100 μm, and 500 μm MPs could be reduced by 86.62%-95.69%, 95.44%-99.52%, and 100% in the vermi-wetland, respectively. These results indicate that the vermi-wetland is more effective at eliminating MPs. Further insight into the vermi-wetland stratification was obtained, and more than 74.87% of the MPs were intercepted in the vermicompost layer. Moreover, all the particle sizes of MPs were found in the excrement of earthworms. However, only 1 μm MPs were detected in their digestive organs. This study suggests that the interception effect is primarily responsible for elimination of MPs in excess sludge, and the bioturbation of earthworms plays an important role in the mobilization of MPs in vermi-wetlands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cailong Nie
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Yellow River Water Environment in Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Chunlei Sang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Yellow River Water Environment in Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yu Xia
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Kui Huang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Yellow River Water Environment in Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| |
Collapse
|
100
|
Gharahi N, Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi R. Effect of plastic pollution in soil properties and growth of grass species in semi-arid regions: a laboratory experiment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:59118-59126. [PMID: 35381923 PMCID: PMC8982910 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19373-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Since the year 2020, the use of plastic as a strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 disease has been given substantial attention. Global environmental contamination of plastic creates waste and is a known threat to soil ecosystems as a main sink of microplastics. However, there is still considerable uncertainty about microplastics controlling soil properties alteration. Therefore, we carried out an incubation experiment with soil and Carex stenophylla Wahlenb., which are the dominant soil and grass species in semi-arid regions. We investigated the effect of polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) concentrations (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) on C. stenophylla growth and soil ammonium-N and nitrate-N, organic matter content, pH, soil aggregates, and soil respiration. When soils were exposed to PET microplastics, fewer seeds germinated (62.8 ± 32%) but not significantly (p value > 0.05) when soils were treated to 0, 1, 3, and 0.5% PET. Shoot height was also not effectively reduced with PET. The soil pH was considerably lower when exposed to higher PET compared to all other treatments with the soil exposed to 5% w/w PET for both unplanted and planted, being 0.84 and 0.54 units, respectively, lower than the controls. The soil microbial respiration under exposure to PET was considerably increased in comparison to control samples. Moreover, the presence of PET resulted in potential alterations of soil stability, and with PET present soil stability increased. In conclusion, PET microplastics cannot significantly affect the development of C. stenophylla but could affect crucial soil properties. In addition, changes occurred with increased variability in soil ammonium-N and nitrate-N, particularly at a high PET ratio.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Gharahi
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Science, Shahrekord University, P.O. Box 115, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Central Laboratory, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Rasool Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Science, Shahrekord University, P.O. Box 115, Shahrekord, Iran
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Shahrekord University, 8818634141, Shahrekord, Iran
| |
Collapse
|