1
|
Alavian Petroody SS, Hashemi SH, Škrlep L, Mušič B, van Gestel CAM, Sever Škapin A. UV Light Causes Structural Changes in Microplastics Exposed in Bio-Solids. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4322. [PMID: 37960002 PMCID: PMC10647429 DOI: 10.3390/polym15214322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bio-solids (biological sludge) from wastewater treatment plants are a significant source of the emission of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. Weakening the structure of MPs before they enter the environment may accelerate their degradation and reduce the environmental exposure time. Therefore, we studied the effect of UV-A and UV-C, applied at 70 °C, on three types of MPs, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), that are commonly found in sewage sludge, using three shapes (fibers, lines, granules). The MPs were exposed to UV radiation in bio-solid suspensions, and to air and water as control. The structural changes in and degradation of the MPs were investigated using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and surface morphology was performed with SEM analysis. UV exposure led to the emergence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups in all of the PP samples. In PE and PET, these groups were formed only in the bio-solid suspensions. The presence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups increased with an increasing exposure time. Overall, UV radiation had the greatest impact on the MPs in the bio-solids suspension. Due to the surface-to-volume ratio of the tested samples, which influences the degradation rate, the fibers were more degraded than the other two plastic shapes. UV-A was slightly more effective at degrading the MPs than UV-C. These findings show that ultraviolet radiation in combination with an elevated temperature affects the structure of polymers in wastewater bio-solids, which can accelerate their degradation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Seyed Hossein Hashemi
- Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983963113, Iran; (S.S.A.P.); (S.H.H.)
| | - Luka Škrlep
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (L.Š.); (B.M.)
| | - Branka Mušič
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (L.Š.); (B.M.)
| | - Cornelis A. M. van Gestel
- Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Andrijana Sever Škapin
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (L.Š.); (B.M.)
- Faculty of Polymer Technology—FTPO, Ozare 19, 2380 Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ayala F, Rangel-Vega A, Quinde E, Reyes E, Zeta-Flores M, Tume-Ruiz J, De-la-Torre GE. Bibliometric review on microplastic contamination in the Pacific Alliance countries. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1369. [PMID: 37880459 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11990-4] [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: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics, capable of absorbing persistent organic compounds, heavy metals, and emerging pollutants, are of global concern due to their potential to alter the behavior and metabolism of biota. In Latin America, the Pacific Alliance, comprising Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile, stands out for its biological wealth and productive ecosystems, which account for 37% of the region's gross domestic product. The leaders of these countries expressed their concern about microplastic pollution and pledged to take joint action. We conducted an analysis of the scientific production of these countries and the collaborations of their researchers, focused on the period 2015-2023, using Scopus and SCImago. We observed that marine-coastal/wetland ecosystems are the most studied, with a focus on fish, and that Mexico leads in publications, followed by Colombia, Peru, and Chile. In addition, we note the absence of an inter-institutional group dedicated to microplastics research in these countries. We recommend promoting collaboration between academic institutions specialized in microplastic research and government agencies dedicated to the promotion of science and technology in the countries belonging to the Pacific Alliance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Ayala
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
| | - Antia Rangel-Vega
- Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Edgardo Quinde
- Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Eddy Reyes
- Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Martín Zeta-Flores
- Facultad de Ingeniería de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Juan Tume-Ruiz
- Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru
| | - Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre
- Grupo de Investigación de Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Sociedad, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
James BD, Karchner SI, Walsh AN, Aluru N, Franks DG, Sullivan KR, Reddy CM, Ward CP, Hahn ME. Formulation Controls the Potential Neuromuscular Toxicity of Polyethylene Photoproducts in Developing Zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:7966-7977. [PMID: 37186871 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Sunlight transforms plastic into water-soluble products, the potential toxicity of which remains unresolved, particularly for vertebrate animals. We evaluated acute toxicity and gene expression in developing zebrafish larvae after 5 days of exposure to photoproduced (P) and dark (D) leachates from additive-free polyethylene (PE) film and consumer-grade, additive-containing, conventional, and recycled PE bags. Using a "worst-case" scenario, with plastic concentrations exceeding those found in natural waters, we observed no acute toxicity. However, at the molecular level, RNA sequencing revealed differences in the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for each leachate treatment: thousands of genes (5442 P, 577 D) for the additive-free film, tens of genes for the additive-containing conventional bag (14 P, 7 D), and none for the additive-containing recycled bag. Gene ontology enrichment analyses suggested that the additive-free PE leachates disrupted neuromuscular processes via biophysical signaling; this was most pronounced for the photoproduced leachates. We suggest that the fewer DEGs elicited by the leachates from conventional PE bags (and none from recycled bags) could be due to differences in photoproduced leachate composition caused by titanium dioxide-catalyzed reactions not present in the additive-free PE. This work demonstrates that the potential toxicity of plastic photoproducts can be product formulation-specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D James
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Sibel I Karchner
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Anna N Walsh
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Neelakanteswar Aluru
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Diana G Franks
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Kallen R Sullivan
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Christopher M Reddy
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Collin P Ward
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Mark E Hahn
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Man S, Yin Z, Zhou S, Pameté E, Xu L, Bao H, Yang W, Mo Z, Presser V, Li X. Novel Sb-SnO 2 Electrode with Ti 3+ Self-Doped Urchin-Like Rutile TiO 2 Nanoclusters as the Interlayer for the Effective Degradation of Dye Pollutants. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202201901. [PMID: 36524753 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202201901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Stable and efficient SnO2 electrodes are very promising for effectively degrading refractory organic pollutants in wastewater treatment. In this regard, we firstly prepared Ti3+ self-doped urchin-like rutile TiO2 nanoclusters (TiO2-x NCs) on a Ti mesh substrate by hydrothermal and electroreduction to serve as an interlayer for the deposition of Sb-SnO2 . The TiO2-x NCs/Sb-SnO2 anode exhibited a high oxygen evolution potential (2.63 V vs. SCE) and strong ⋅OH generation ability for the enhanced amount of absorbed oxygen species. Thus, the degradation results demonstrated its good rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), alizarin yellow R (AYR), and methyl orange (MO) removal performance, with the rate constant increased 5.0, 1.9, 1.9, and 4.7 times, respectively, compared to the control Sb-SnO2 electrode. RhB and AYR degradation mechanisms are also proposed based on the results of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and quenching experiments. More importantly, this unique rutile interlayer prolonged the anode lifetime sixfold, given its good lattice match with SnO2 and the three-dimensional concave-convex structure. Consequently, this work paves a new way for designing the crystal form and structure of the interlayers to obtain efficient and stable SnO2 electrodes for addressing dye wastewater problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuaishuai Man
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Zehao Yin
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Shanbin Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Emmanuel Pameté
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Lei Xu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Hebin Bao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Zhihong Mo
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Volker Presser
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Saarland University, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarene - Saarland Center for Energy Materials and Sustainability, Saarland University, Campus D4 2, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Xueming Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang S, Sun K, Xiang H, Zhao Z, Shi Y, Su L, Tan C, Zhang L. Biochar-seeded struvite precipitation for simultaneous nutrient recovery and chemical oxygen demand removal in leachate: From laboratory to pilot scale. Front Chem 2022; 10:990321. [PMID: 36092653 PMCID: PMC9452965 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.990321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Refuse transfer station (RTS) leachate treatment call for efficient methods to increase nutrient recovery (NH4+−N and PO43−−P) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. In this study, the effects of various operational factors (seeding dose, pH, initial NH4+-N concentration, and reaction time) on biochar-seeded struvite precipitation were investigated at laboratory and pilot scales. Mealworm frass biochar (MFB) and corn stover biochar (CSB) were used as seeding materials to compare with traditional seed struvite. The maximum NH4+−N and PO43−−P recover efficiency of the MFB-seeded process reached 85.4 and 97.5%, higher than non-seeded (78.5 and 88.0%) and CSB-seeded (80.5 and 92.0%) processes and close to the struvite-seeded (84.5 and 95.1%) process. The MFB-seeded process also exhibited higher COD removal capacity (46.4%) compared to CSB-seeded (35.9%) and struvite-seeded (31.2%) processes and increased the average particle size of the struvite product from 33.7 to 70.2 μm for better sustained release. XRD, FT-IR, and SEM confirmed the orthorhombic crystal structure with organic matter attached to the struvite product. A pilot-scale test was further carried out in a custom-designed stirred tank reactor (20 L). In the pilot-scale test, the MFB-seeded process still spectacularly recovered 77.9% of NH4+−N and 96.1% of PO43−−P with 42.1% COD removal, which was slightly lower than the laboratory test due to insufficient and uniform agitation. On the whole, MFB-seeded struvite precipitation is considered to be a promising pretreatment method for rural RTS leachate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saier Wang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| | - Kechun Sun
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
- School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiming Xiang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhao
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Shi
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| | - Lianghu Su
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lianghu Su, ; Chaoqun Tan,
| | - Chaoqun Tan
- School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lianghu Su, ; Chaoqun Tan,
| | - Longjiang Zhang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Soares DMM, Procópio DP, Zamuner CK, Nóbrega BB, Bettim MR, de Rezende G, Lopes PM, Pereira ABD, Bechara EJH, Oliveira AG, Freire RS, Stevani CV. Fungal bioassays for environmental monitoring. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:954579. [PMID: 36091455 PMCID: PMC9452622 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.954579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental pollutants are today a major concern and an intensely discussed topic on the global agenda for sustainable development. They include a wide range of organic compounds, such as pharmaceutical waste, pesticides, plastics, and volatile organic compounds that can be found in air, soil, water bodies, sewage, and industrial wastewater. In addition to impacting fauna, flora, and fungi, skin absorption, inhalation, and ingestion of some pollutants can also negatively affect human health. Fungi play a crucial role in the decomposition and cycle of natural and synthetic substances. They exhibit a variety of growth, metabolic, morphological, and reproductive strategies and can be found in association with animals, plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. There are fungal strains that occur naturally in soil, sediment, and water that have inherent abilities to survive with contaminants, making the organism important for bioassay applications. In this context, we reviewed the applications of fungal-based bioassays as a versatile tool for environmental monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas M. M. Soares
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dielle P. Procópio
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RGCI-POLI-USP), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caio K. Zamuner
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bianca B. Nóbrega
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Monalisa R. Bettim
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo de Rezende
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro M. Lopes
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arthur B. D. Pereira
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Etelvino J. H. Bechara
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anderson G. Oliveira
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Renato S. Freire
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RGCI-POLI-USP), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cassius V. Stevani
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RGCI-POLI-USP), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Cassius V. Stevani,
| |
Collapse
|