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Maaseide BMT, Ofstad J, Erbe A, Jaspers VLB, Monclús L, Dehnhard N. Microplastics in faeces of European shags Gulosus aristotelis in central Norway. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 208:117026. [PMID: 39368150 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is an increasing problem in the marine environment, and microplastics are frequently ingested by wildlife, including seabirds. Faeces are an increasingly used matrix to quantify egested microplastics. We investigated microplastics in 36 faeces samples from chicks of European shags (Gulosus aristotelis) sampled at Sklinna, central Norway in 2021. Small particles <300 μm (62 %) dominated the material. Out of 465 particles measured with Raman spectroscopy, 32 were identified as microplastics (21 fragments, 4 fibres). 69.4 % of faecal samples contained microplastics, with on average 17 microplastic particles per g faeces dry weight. Sixteen of the 36 samples originated from siblings sampled within the same hour, and plastic loads of these samples were more similar to each other compared to those from other individuals. This suggests that a sample from one chick is representative for all siblings at a given moment in time and proofs parental transfer of MP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte M Torp Maaseide
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johannes Ofstad
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andreas Erbe
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Laura Monclús
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nina Dehnhard
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway.
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Zhang Y, Shi P, Cui L. Microplastics in riverine systems: Recommendations for standardized sampling, separation, digestion and characterization. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 207:116950. [PMID: 39243470 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116950] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a global concern, prompting numerous studies on MP detection. Due to the remaining methodological challenges, it affects the accuracy and reliability of MP's impact assessment on river systems. To address this, the establishment of standardized operating protocols is crucial, encompassing sampling, separation, digestion, and characterization methods. This study evaluates the current tools used for identifying and quantifying MPs in riverine ecosystems, aiming to offer harmonized guidelines for future protocols. Recommendations include adopting a consistent format for reporting MP concentrations and providing improved information on sampling, separation, and digestion for enhanced cross-study comparisons. The importance of quality assurance and quality control is also discussed. Furthermore, we highlight unresolved issues, proposing avenues for further investigation. Suggestions encompass standardizing river sampling methods, optimizing technical steps and analysis processes, and enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and comparability of detection data to advance our understanding of MPs in river environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Peng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, China.
| | - Lingzhou Cui
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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Langknecht T, Pelletier M, Robinson S, Burgess RM, Ho KT. The distribution of sediment microplastics assemblages is driven by location and hydrodynamics, not sediment characteristics, in the Gulf of Maine, USA. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116393. [PMID: 38669855 PMCID: PMC11162549 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116393] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MP) are found in marine sediments across the globe, but we are just beginning to understand their spatial distribution and assemblages. In this study, we quantified MP in Gulf of Maine, USA sediments. MP were extracted from 20 sediment samples, followed by polymer identification using Raman spectroscopy. We detected 27 polymer types and 1929 MP kg-1 wet sediment, on average. Statistical analyses showed that habitat, hydrodynamics, and station proximity were more important drivers of MP assemblages than land use or sediment characteristics. Stations closer to one another were more similar in their MP assemblages, tidal rivers had higher numbers of unique plastic polymers than open water or embayment stations, and stations closer to shore had higher numbers of MP. There was little evidence of relationships between MP assemblages and land use, sediment texture, total organic carbon, or contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy Langknecht
- ORAU c/o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA; Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Bureau of Natural Resources, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908, USA
| | - Marguerite Pelletier
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Sandra Robinson
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - Kay T Ho
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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Cowger W, Markley LAT, Moore S, Gray AB, Upadhyay K, Koelmans AA. How many microplastics do you need to (sub)sample? ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 275:116243. [PMID: 38522288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116243] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Analysis of microplastics in the environment requires polymer characterization as a confirmation step for suspected microplastic particles found in a sample. Material characterization is costly and can take a long time per particle. When microplastic particle counts are high, many researchers cannot characterize every particle in their sample due to time or monetary constraints. Moreover, characterizing every particle in samples with high plastic particle counts is unnecessary for describing the sample properties. We propose an a priori approach to determine the number of suspected microplastic particles in a sample that should be randomly subsampled for characterization to accurately assess the polymer distribution in the environmental sample. The proposed equation is well-founded in statistics literature and was validated using published microplastic data and simulations for typical microplastic subsampling routines. We report values from the whole equation but also derive a simple way to calculate the necessary particle count for samples or subsamples by taking the error to the power of negative two. Assuming an error of 0.05 (5 %) with a confidence interval of 95 %, an unknown expected proportion, and a sample with many particles (> 100k), the minimum number of particles in a subsample should be 386 particles to accurately characterize the polymer distribution of the sample, given the particles are randomly characterized from the full population of suspected particles. Extending this equation to simultaneously estimate polymer, color, size, and morphology distributions reveals more particles (620) would be needed in the subsample to achieve the same high absolute error threshold for all properties. The above proposal for minimum subsample size also applies to the minimum count that should be present in samples to accurately characterize particle type presence and diversity in a given environmental compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Win Cowger
- Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, 120 N Marina Drive Long Beach, CA 90803, USA; University of California, Riverside, USA.
| | | | - Shelly Moore
- Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, 120 N Marina Drive Long Beach, CA 90803, USA
| | | | | | - Albert A Koelmans
- Wageningen University, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, PO Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, the Netherlands
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Ali N, Khan MH, Ali M, Sidra, Ahmad S, Khan A, Nabi G, Ali F, Bououdina M, Kyzas GZ. Insight into microplastics in the aquatic ecosystem: Properties, sources, threats and mitigation strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169489. [PMID: 38159747 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169489] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Globally recognized as emergent contaminants, microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in aquaculture habitats and subject to intense management. Aquaculture systems are at risk of microplastic contamination due to various channels, which worsens the worldwide microplastic pollution problem. Organic contaminants in the environment can be absorbed by and interact with microplastic, increasing their toxicity and making treatment more challenging. There are two primary sources of microplastics: (1) the direct release of primary microplastics and (2) the fragmentation of plastic materials resulting in secondary microplastics. Freshwater, atmospheric and marine environments are also responsible for the successful migration of microplastics. Until now, microplastic pollution and its effects on aquaculture habitats remain insufficient. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic ecosystems. It highlights the sources and distribution of microplastics, their physical and chemical properties, and the potential ecological consequences they pose to marine and freshwater environments. The paper also examines the current scientific knowledge on the mechanisms by which microplastics affect aquatic organisms and ecosystems. By synthesizing existing research, this review underscores the urgent need for effective mitigation strategies and further investigation to safeguard the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisar Ali
- Key Laboratory for Palygorskite Science and Applied Technology of Jiangsu Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Mineral Salt Deep Utilization, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, PR China.
| | - Muhammad Hamid Khan
- Key Laboratory for Palygorskite Science and Applied Technology of Jiangsu Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Mineral Salt Deep Utilization, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, PR China
| | - Muhammad Ali
- Key Laboratory for Palygorskite Science and Applied Technology of Jiangsu Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Mineral Salt Deep Utilization, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, PR China
| | - Sidra
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Key Laboratory for Palygorskite Science and Applied Technology of Jiangsu Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Mineral Salt Deep Utilization, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, PR China
| | - Adnan Khan
- Key Laboratory for Palygorskite Science and Applied Technology of Jiangsu Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Mineral Salt Deep Utilization, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, PR China; Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan.
| | - Ghulam Nabi
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow, Poland
| | - Farman Ali
- Department of Chemistry, Hazara University, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mansehra 21300, Pakistan
| | - Mohamed Bououdina
- Department of Mathematics and Science, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - George Z Kyzas
- Hephaestus Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, International Hellenic University, 654 04 Kavala, Greece.
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Letwin NV, Gillespie AW, Ijzerman MM, Kudla YM, Csajaghy JD, Prosser RS. Characterizing the Microplastic Content of Biosolids in Southern Ontario, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 38116985 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The application of biosolids to agricultural land has been identified as a major pathway of microplastic (MP) pollution to the environment. Very little research, however, has been done on the MP content of biosolids within Canada. Fifteen biosolid samples from different treatment processes (liquid, dewatered, pelletized, and alkali-stabilized) were collected from 11 sources across southern Ontario to quantify and characterize the MP load within them. All samples exhibited MP concentrations ranging from 188 200 (±24 161) to 512 000 (±28 571) MPs/kg dry weight and from 4122 (±231) to 453 746 (±38 194) MPs/kg wet weight. Field amendment of these biosolids can introduce up to 3.73 × 106 to 4.12 × 108 MP/ha of agricultural soil. There was no significant difference in the MP concentrations of liquid, dewatered, and pelletized samples; but a reduction in MP content was observed in alkali-stabilized biosolids. Fragments composed 57.6% of the MPs identified, while 36.7% were fibers. In addition, MPs showed an exponential increase in abundance with decreasing size. Characterization of MPs confirmed that polyester was the most abundant, while polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyacrylamide, and polyurethane were present across the majority of biosolid samples. The results of the present study provide an estimate of the potential extent of MP contamination to agricultural fields through the amendment of biosolids. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-14. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V Letwin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adam W Gillespie
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Moira M Ijzerman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yaryna M Kudla
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joel D Csajaghy
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan S Prosser
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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