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Albaseer SS, Al-Hazmi HE, Kurniawan TA, Xu X, Abdulrahman SAM, Ezzati P, Habibzadeh S, Hollert H, Rabiee N, Lima EC, Badawi M, Saeb MR. Microplastics in water resources: Global pollution circle, possible technological solutions, legislations, and future horizon. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:173963. [PMID: 38901599 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173963] [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: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Beneath the surface of our ecosystems, microplastics (MPs) silently loom as a significant threat. These minuscule pollutants, invisible to the naked eye, wreak havoc on living organisms and disrupt the delicate balance of our environment. As we delve into a trove of data and reports, a troubling narrative unfolds: MPs pose a grave risk to both health and food chains with their diverse compositions and chemical characteristics. Nevertheless, the peril extends further. MPs infiltrate the environment and intertwine with other pollutants. Worldwide, microplastic levels fluctuate dramatically, ranging from 0.001 to 140 particles.m-3 in water and 0.2 to 8766 particles.g-1 in sediment, painting a stark picture of pervasive pollution. Coastal and marine ecosystems bear the brunt, with each organism laden with thousands of microplastic particles. MPs possess a remarkable ability to absorb a plethora of contaminants, and their environmental behavior is influenced by factors such as molecular weight and pH. Reported adsorption capacities of MPs vary greatly, spanning from 0.001 to 12,700 μg·g-1. These distressing figures serve as a clarion call, demanding immediate action and heightened environmental consciousness. Legislation, innovation, and sustainable practices stand as indispensable defenses against this encroaching menace. Grasping the intricate interplay between microplastics and pollutants is paramount, guiding us toward effective mitigation strategies and preserving our health ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed S Albaseer
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hussein E Al-Hazmi
- Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | | | - Xianbao Xu
- Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Sameer A M Abdulrahman
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Education and Sciences-Rada'a, Albaydha University, Albaydha, Yemen
| | - Peyman Ezzati
- ERA Co., Ltd, Science and Technology Center, P.O. Box: 318020, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sajjad Habibzadeh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
| | - Henner Hollert
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Navid Rabiee
- Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, SIMATS, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Eder C Lima
- Institute of Chemistry - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Michael Badawi
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, Laboratoire Lorrain de Chimie Moléculaire, F-57000 Metz, France
| | - Mohammad Reza Saeb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, J. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland.
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Sudarsan JS, Dogra K, Kumar R, Raval NP, Leifels M, Mukherjee S, Trivedi MH, Jain MS, Zang J, Barceló D, Mahlknecht J, Kumar M. Tricks and tracks of prevalence, occurrences, treatment technologies, and challenges of mixtures of emerging contaminants in the environment: With special emphasis on microplastic. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2024; 265:104389. [PMID: 38941876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104389] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
This paper aims to emphasize the occurrence of various emerging contaminant (EC) mixtures in natural ecosystems and highlights the primary concern arising from the unregulated release into soil and water, along with their impacts on human health. Emerging contaminant mixtures, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, antibiotics, biocides, surfactants, phthalates, enteric viruses, and microplastics (MPs), are considered toxic contaminants with grave implications. MPs play a crucial role in transporting pollutants to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as they interact with the various components of the soil and water environments. This review summarizes that major emerging contaminants (ECs), like trimethoprim, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, and 17α-Ethinylestradiol, pose serious threats to public health and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. In addressing human health concerns and remediation techniques, this review critically evaluates conventional methods for removing ECs from complex matrices. The diverse physiochemical properties of surrounding environments facilitate the partitioning of ECs into sediments and other organic phases, resulting in carcinogenic, teratogenic, and estrogenic effects through active catalytic interactions and mechanisms mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptors. The proactive toxicity of ECs mixture complexation and, in part, the yet-to-be-identified environmental mixtures of ECs represent a blind spot in current literature, necessitating conceptual frameworks for assessing the toxicity and risks with individual components and mixtures. Lastly, this review concludes with an in-depth exploration of future scopes, knowledge gaps, and challenges, emphasizing the need for a concerted effort in managing ECs and other organic pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayaraman Sethuraman Sudarsan
- School of Energy and Environment, NICMAR (National Institute of Construction Management and Research) University, Pune 411045, India
| | - Kanika Dogra
- School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Nirav P Raval
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Sciences, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh 522 240, India
| | - Mats Leifels
- Division Water Quality and Health, Karl Landsteiner University for Health Sciences, Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Strasse 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Santanu Mukherjee
- School of Agriculture, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan 173229, India.
| | - Mrugesh H Trivedi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, KSKV Kachchh University, Bhuj-Kachchh, Gujarat 370001, India
| | - Mayur Shirish Jain
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, 453552, India
| | - Jian Zang
- School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Damià Barceló
- School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Chemistry and Physics Department, University of Almeria, Ctra Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Jürgen Mahlknecht
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64849, Mexico
| | - Manish Kumar
- School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64849, Mexico.
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3
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Rao G, Qiao B, Zhong G, Li T, Su Q, Wu S, Tang Z, Hu L. Arsenic and polystyrene-nano plastics co-exposure induced testicular toxicity: Triggers oxidative stress and promotes apoptosis and inflammation in mice. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:264-276. [PMID: 37705229 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Co-existing of polystyrene-nano plastics (PSNPs) and arsenic (As) in the environment caused a horrendous risk to human health. However, the potential mechanism of PSNPs and As combination induced testicular toxicity in mammals has not been elucidated. Therefore, we first explore the testicular toxicity and the potential mechanism in male Kunming mice exposed to As or/and PSNPs. Results revealed that compared to the As or PSNPs group, the combined group showed more significant testicular toxicity. Specifically, As and PSNPs combination induced irregular spermatozoa array and blood-testis barrier disruption. Simultaneously, As and PSNPs co-exposure also exacerbated oxidative stress, including increasing the MDA content, and down-regulating expression of Nrf-2, HO-1, SOD-1, and Trx. PSNPs and As combination also triggered testicular apoptosis, containing changes in apoptotic factors (P53, Bax, Bcl-2, Cytc, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3). Furthermore, co-exposed to As and PSNPs aggravated inflammatory damage characterized by targeted phosphorylation of NF-κB and degradation of I-κB. In summary, our results strongly confirmed As + PSNPs co-exposure induced the synergistic toxicity of testis through excessive oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation, which could offer a new sight into the mechanism of environmental pollutants co-exposure induced male reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan Rao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Canine Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Guangzhou General Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoxin Qiao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gaolong Zhong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tong Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Su
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaofeng Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaoxin Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lianmei Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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Khaleel R, Valsan G, Rangel-Buitrago N, Warrier AK. Microplastics in the marine environment of St. Mary's Island: implications for human health and conservation. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1034. [PMID: 37568065 PMCID: PMC10421776 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics have now been identified as a class of emerging pollutants and is considered as a threat to aquatic organisms. This baseline paper investigated the distribution, composition, and potential ecological risks of microplastic (MP) pollution on St. Mary's Island, revealing an average abundance of 0.218 particles/L in water samples. Blue fibres and white foams were the primary MPs identified, and fishing activities and packaging were the main sources of pollution. Six types of polymers were identified: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) indicated a medium environmental risk for the island. Additionally, it was discovered that MPs' surfaces contained dangerous substances that could endanger aquatic life. The research emphasizes the significance of implementing measures such as responsible disposal, management, elimination, regulatory policies, and local administration techniques to mitigate the impact of MP pollution on the island's shores and marine biota. This research provides a baseline for monitoring MP contamination and underscores the need for continuous investigation to assess their impacts on marine life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rizwan Khaleel
- Department of Sciences, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Gokul Valsan
- Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Nelson Rangel-Buitrago
- Programa de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Anish Kumar Warrier
- Centre for Climate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Microbial community shifts induced by plastic and zinc as substitutes of tire abrasion. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18684. [PMID: 36333419 PMCID: PMC9636222 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22906-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic environments serve as a sink for anthropogenic discharges. A significant part of the discharge is tire wear, which is increasingly being released into the environment, causing environmental disasters due to their longevity and the large number of pollutants they contain. Main components of tires are plastic and zinc, which therefore can be used as substitutes for tire abrasion to study the effect on microbial life. We investigate environmentally realistic concentrations of plastic and zinc on a freshwater microeukaryotic community using high-throughput sequencing of the 18S V9 region over a 14-day exposure period. Apart from a generally unchanged diversity upon exposure to zinc and nanoplastics, a change in community structure due to zinc is evident, but not due to nanoplastics. Evidently, nanoplastic particles hardly affect the community, but zinc exposure results in drastic functional abundance shifts concerning the trophic mode. Phototrophic microorganisms were almost completely diminished initially, but photosynthesis recovered. However, the dominant taxa performing photosynthesis changed from bacillariophytes to chlorophytes. While phototrophic organisms are decreasing in the presence of zinc, the mixotrophic fraction initially benefitted and the heterotrophic fraction were benefitting throughout the exposure period. In contrast to lasting changes in taxon composition, the functional community composition is initially strongly imbalanced after application of zinc but returns to the original state.
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Changfu Y, Jiani G, Yidi Y, Yijin L, Yiyao L, Yu F. Interface behavior changes of weathered polystyrene with ciprofloxacin in seawater environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113132. [PMID: 35305981 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113132] [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: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With the progress of research on micro-nano plastics, the weathering degradation process in the natural environment has gradually become the focus of academic discussion. This study adopted the Fenton immersion method to accelerate the simulation of the weathering process of microplastics in nature, and explored the interface behavior of the weathered microplastics and hydrophilic antibiotics. It was found that the weathered polystyrene (PS) has a smaller crystallinity, increased oxygen-containing functional groups, and cracks appear on the surface, making it more likely to be weathered. At the same time, the rougher surface and stronger hydrophilicity of the weathered PS particles made it easier to adsorb hydrophilic antibiotics. Subsequent studies showed that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin (CIP·HCl) by weathered PS is much larger than that of original PS particles, whose maximum adsorption is 5.45 mg/g in the isotherm experiments. We found that the adsorption behavior of weathered PS particles with CIP in seawater would be weakened in the real seawater environment and humic acid, which might be due to the competitive adsorption of CIP by various ions. Further studies have shown that changes in the ionic strength and pH of the solution also affected the adsorption behavior to varying degrees. The results of dynamic adsorption were the same as the static adsorption, and the adsorption rate and capacity of weathered PS particles were enhanced compared with the original particles. The results of this article not only provided a data reference for studying the weathering process of microplastics but also helped to explore the ultimate fate of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Changfu
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai, 201306, PR China
| | - Guan Jiani
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai, 201306, PR China
| | - Yang Yidi
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai, 201306, PR China
| | - Liu Yijin
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, No 999, Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai, 201306, PR China
| | - Li Yiyao
- 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.
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Do VM, Dang TT, Le XTT, Nguyen DT, Phung TV, Vu DN, Pham HV. Abundance of microplastics in cultured oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from Danang Bay of Vietnam. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 180:113800. [PMID: 35659663 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study focuses on determination of quantity, shape, size and polymer types of microplastics in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) cultured in Danang Bay, Vietnam. Visual verification and chemical identification of microplastics was carried out by μFT-IR spectra using Nicolet iN10 MX Infrared Imaging Microscope. The average abundance of microplastic in oysters was 1.88 ± 1.58 particles/g (wet weight) and 18.54 ± 10.08 particles/individual. The prevalent shape of microplastics included three main forms as fragment, fiber and bead corresponding to 73.71; 25.84 and 0.45%, respectively. Additionally, the size of microplastics was a range of 22.4-1318.8 μm, and the most common size was less than 100 μm, accounted for 77.30%. Fifteen polymer types were detected while Nylon was the most abundant polymer type with 50.56%. In this study, microplastics accumulation with their abundance and polymeric structures could be considered as reliable evidence for further studies on assessment of their potential risk to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van Manh Do
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
| | - Thi Thom Dang
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Xuan Thanh Thao Le
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Duy Thanh Nguyen
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Thi Vi Phung
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety Control (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Dinh Ngo Vu
- Viet Tri University of Industry, 9 Tien Son street, Tien Cat Sub-district, VietTri City, Phu Tho Province, Viet Nam
| | - Hung Viet Pham
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety Control (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
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Maddela NR, Ramakrishnan B, Kakarla D, Venkateswarlu K, Megharaj M. Major contaminants of emerging concern in soils: a perspective on potential health risks. RSC Adv 2022; 12:12396-12415. [PMID: 35480371 PMCID: PMC9036571 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra09072k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil pollution by the contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) or emerging contaminants deserves attention worldwide because of their toxic health effects and the need for developing regulatory guidelines. Though the global soil burden by certain CECs is in several metric tons, the source-tracking of these contaminants in soil environments is difficult due to heterogeneity of the medium and complexities associated with the interactive mechanisms. Most CECs have higher affinities towards solid matrices for adsorption. The CECs alter not only soil functionalities but also those of plants and animals. Their toxicities are at nmol to μmol levels in cell cultures and test animals. These contaminants have a higher propensity in accumulating mostly in root-based food crops, threatening human health. Poor understanding on the fate of certain CECs in anaerobic environments and their transfer pathways in the food web limits the development of effective bioremediation strategies and restoration of the contaminated soils and endorsement of global regulatory efforts. Despite their proven toxicities to the biotic components, there are no environmental laws or guidelines for certain CECs. Moreover, the information available on the impact of soil pollution with CECs on human health is fragmentary. Therefore, we provide here a comprehensive account on five significantly important CECs, viz., (i) PFAS, (ii) micro/nanoplastics, (iii) additives (biphenyls, phthalates), (iv) novel flame retardants, and (v) nanoparticles. The emphasis is on (a) degree of soil burden of CECs and the consequences, (b) endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity, (c) genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, and (d) soil health guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naga Raju Maddela
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Técnica de Manabí Portoviejo 130105 Ecuador
- Instituto de Investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí Portoviejo 130105 Ecuador
| | | | - Dhatri Kakarla
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC 27599 USA
| | - Kadiyala Venkateswarlu
- Formerly Department of Microbiology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University Anantapuramu 515003 India
| | - Mallavarapu Megharaj
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia
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Li Y, Peng L, Fu J, Dai X, Wang G. A microscopic survey on microplastics in beverages: the case of beer, mineral water and tea. Analyst 2022; 147:1099-1105. [PMID: 35226027 DOI: 10.1039/d2an00083k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
It has been reported that microplastics exist ubiquitously in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Microplastic surveys on diverse daily foods with high consumption possibly containing microplastics have essential implications in clarifying the contamination routes, health risk assessment, and thereby preventing food pollution. Given the dependence of microplastic pollution on the regional environment, production and transportation, it further remains an open question on the number, size distribution and type of microplastics in foods from different countries worldwide. Here, we show that daily drinks produced worldwide, including beer, mineral water and tea, are all polluted with microplastics without exception. The number of microplastics investigated in this work lies in the range of 20-80 mL-1 for the beers, 10 mL-1 for the bottled mineral water, and 200-500 g-1 for the tea leaves. Quasi-spherical particles and irregular fragments dominate the shape of microplastics in beer and mineral water, whereas tea leaves carry numerous microplastic fibers. By identification through Raman spectroscopy, we observed the presence of polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics in beers, PP in bottled mineral water, and polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in tea leaves. Possible contamination sources include raw materials, atmosphere, and tools and containers that release microplastics. Given the facile adsorption of heavy metals and antibiotics to microplastics in beverages, public concern may arise regarding the accumulation of microplastics through the food chain and their synergetic harmful effect. Thus, our results should inspire further efforts that may contribute to the elimination and removal of microplastics from foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Li
- College of Food Science & Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan, Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Lin Peng
- College of Food Science & Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan, Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Jianxin Fu
- College of Food Science & Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan, Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Xueli Dai
- College of Food Science & Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan, Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Guoqing Wang
- College of Food Science & Engineering, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan, Road, Qingdao 266003, China. .,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266237, China
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10
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Vaid M, Mehra K, Gupta A. Microplastics as contaminants in Indian environment: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:68025-68052. [PMID: 34648156 PMCID: PMC8514609 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16827-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The increased production and consumption scale of plastic items has led to the generation of microplastics (MPs), an emerging class of contaminants, in our environment. MPs are plastic particles less than 5 mm in size and could originate due to primary and secondary sources. The primary ones are generated as such in the MP size range while the secondary MPs are a result of fragmentation of larger plastic particles which eventually enters the aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments. The increasing concern of MP pollution in every compartment of our environment is being globally explored, with relatively fewer studies in India. Among the total studies published on MP prevalence in the Indian environments, marine systems have received significantly higher attention compared to the other compartments like freshwater, atmosphere, terrestrial and human consumables. This review article is an effort to present current understanding of MP pollution in aquatic systems, terrestrial systems, atmosphere and human consumables of India by reviewing available scientific literature. Along with this, the review also focuses on identification of the gap areas in current knowledge and highlights way forward for future research. This would further help in meeting the goals of this emergent pollutant management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Vaid
- University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka Sector 16C, New Delhi, 110078, India
| | - Komal Mehra
- University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka Sector 16C, New Delhi, 110078, India
| | - Anshu Gupta
- University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka Sector 16C, New Delhi, 110078, India.
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Zhu D, Li G, Wang HT, Duan GL. Effects of nano- or microplastic exposure combined with arsenic on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 281:130998. [PMID: 34289636 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The soil protistan community makes important contributions to the ecological functions of soil. However, our knowledge of the effects of pollutants, especially plastic particles, on the soil protistan community is still very limited compared to our knowledge on other soil microbes, such as bacterial and fungi. In this study, we revealed the effects of combined and single pollution caused by arsenic (As) and microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) on bacterial, fungal and protistan communities. Our results revealed that combined pollution through As and MPs/NPs distinctly affected the composition and structure of the soil protistan communities (P < 0.05), but in the case of bacteria, only some families were altered, and there was no impact on fungi. Changes of soil protistan communities might be mainly due to As pollution, and MPs/NPs exposure increased this detrimental effect. Further, As + MPs exposure greatly increased the abundance of soil protistan parasites, and As + NPs exposure caused an evident decrease in the abundance of soil protistan consumers (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that combined pollution by As and MPs/NPs can affect the ecological functions of soil by altering soil protistan communities. These results will help enhance our understanding of the impact of plastic particles on soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
| | - Gang Li
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Hong-Tao Wang
- College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China; Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions (Henan University), Ministry of Education, Kaifeng, 475004, China.
| | - Gui-Lan Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
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Zhu T, Cao Z, Singh RP, Cheng H, Chen M. In silico prediction of polyethylene-aqueous and air partition coefficients of organic contaminants using linear and nonlinear approaches. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 289:112437. [PMID: 33812149 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive sampling is very attractive for use in determining chemicals concentrations. Crucial to the measurement is the coefficient (KPE) describing partitioning between LDPE and environmental matrices. 255, 117 and 190 compounds were collected for the development of datasets in three different matrices, i.e., water, air and seawater, respectively. Further, 3 pp-LFER models and 9 QSPR models based on classical multiple linear regression (MLR) coupled with prevalent nonlinear algorithms (artificial neural network, ANN and support vector machine, SVM) were performed to predict LDPE-water (KPE-W), LDPE-air (KPE-A) and LDPE-seawater (KPE-SW) partition coefficients. These developed models have satisfying predictability (R2adj: 0.805-0.966, 0.963-0.991 and 0.817-0.941; RMSEtra: 0.233-0.565, 0.200-0.406 and 0.260-0.459) and robustness (Q2ext: 0.840-0.943, 0.968-0.984 and 0.797-0.842; RMSEext: 0.308-0.514, 0.299-0.426 and 0.407-0.462) in three datasets (water, air and seawater), respectively. In particular, the reasonable mechanism interpretations revealed that the molecular size, hydrophobicity, polarizability, ionization potential, and molecular stability were the most relevant properties, for governing chemicals partitioning between LDPE and environmental matrices. The application domains (ADs) assessed here exhibited the satisfactory applicability. As such, the derived models can act as intelligent tools to predict unknown KPE values and fill the experimental gaps, which was further beneficial for the construction of enormous and reliable database to facilitate a distinct understanding of the distribution for organic contaminants in total environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyi Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Zaizhi Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, Jiangsu, China
| | | | - Haomiao Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming Chen
- School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
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