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Tarte JV, Johir MAH, Tra VT, Cai Z, Wang Q, Nghiem LD. Optimising microplastics analysis for quantifying and identifying microplastic fibres in laundry wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 952:175907. [PMID: 39218097 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Current methods for measuring microplastic fibres (MPF) are cumbersome, time consuming and unscalable for routine high throughput analysis. This study reports a method for rapidly extracting, quantifying and analysing MPFs in laundry wastewater with several key improvements which vastly enhance overall efficiency and scalability of analysis. FT-IR surveying is employed as a preliminary step in analysis to quickly determine what polymers are present in a sample prior to fluorescence treatment. Using random quadrating, whole 25 mm filter membranes were surveyed in <30 min with high recovery rates. In industrial laundry wastewater samples, polyester was the most common MPF, however acrylic, nylon, cotton and rayon were all ubiquitous. The study also demonstrates that an excitation wavelength of 365 nm was optimal for fluorescing PET fibres like polyester which were stained with Nile Red, but not 495 nm, which is commonly used in microplastic analysis. Finally, a custom ImageJ macro was written to automatically enumerate and describe MPFs on filter membranes using just a single stitched fluorescence image. In just a few seconds, concentrations of up to 40,000 fibres/L were analysed in industrial laundry wastewater samples with a lower particle size limit of 20 μm. This study highlights the need for more optimised and scalable analysis workflows which maintain high levels of reliability and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- James V Tarte
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Md Abu Hasan Johir
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Van-Tung Tra
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Zhengqing Cai
- National Engineering Research Centre of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
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Snekkevik VK, Cole M, Gomiero A, Haave M, Khan FR, Lusher AL. Beyond the food on your plate: Investigating sources of microplastic contamination in home kitchens. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35022. [PMID: 39170486 PMCID: PMC11336334 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35022] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Given that a substantial amount of time is spent in kitchens preparing food, the kitchen equipment used may be relevant in determining the composition and amount of microplastics ending up on our dinner plate. While previous research has predominantly focused on foodstuffs as a source of microplastics, we emphasise that micro- and nanoplastics are ubiquitous and likely originate from diverse sources. To address the existing knowledge gap regarding additional sources contributing to microplastics on our dinner plates, this review investigates various kitchen processes, utensils and equipment (excluding single-use items and foodstuffs) to get a better understanding of potential microplastic sources within a home kitchen. Conducting a narrative literature review using terms related to kitchenware and kitchen-affiliated equipment and processes, this study underscores that the selection of preparation tools, storage, serving, cooking, and cleaning procedures in our kitchens may have a significant impact on microplastic exposure. Mechanical, physical, and chemical processes occurring during food preparation contribute to the release of microplastic particles, challenging the assumption that exposure to microplastics in food is solely tied to food products or packaging. This review highlights diverse sources of microplastics in home kitchens, posing concerns for food safety and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Cole
- Marine Ecology & Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Alessio Gomiero
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Department of Climate & Environment, Mekjarvik 12, 4072, Randaberg, Norway
| | - Marte Haave
- SALT Lofoten AS, Pb. 91, Fiskergata 23, 8301, Svolvær, Norway
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Department of Climate & Environment, Nygårdsgt 112, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Farhan R. Khan
- Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Department of Climate & Environment, Nygårdsgt 112, 5008, Bergen, Norway
| | - Amy L. Lusher
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
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Auguste M, Leonessi M, Doni L, Oliveri C, Jemec Kokalj A, Drobne D, Vezzulli L, Canesi L. Polyester Microfibers Exposure Modulates Mytilus galloprovincialis Hemolymph Microbiome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8049. [PMID: 39125616 PMCID: PMC11312190 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) contamination in the aquatic environment is a cause of concern worldwide since MP can be taken up by different organisms, altering different biological functions. In particular, evidence is accumulating that MP can affect the relationship between the host and its associated microbial communities (the microbiome), with potentially negative health consequences. Synthetic microfibers (MFs) represent one of the main MPs in the marine environment, which can be accumulated by filter-feeding invertebrates, such as bivalves, with consequent negative effects and transfer through the food chain. In the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MFs, with a size distribution resembling that of an MF released from textile washing, have been previously shown to induce multiple stress responses. In this work, in the same experimental conditions, the effects of exposure to PET-MF (96 h, 10, and 100 μg/L) on mussel hemolymph microbiome were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. The results show that PET-MF affects the composition of bacterial communities at the phylum, family and genus level, with stronger effects at the lowest concentration tested. The relationship between MF-induced changes in hemolymph microbial communities and responses observed at the whole organism level are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Auguste
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Martina Leonessi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Lapo Doni
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Caterina Oliveri
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
| | - Anita Jemec Kokalj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.J.K.); (D.D.)
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.J.K.); (D.D.)
| | - Luigi Vezzulli
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Laura Canesi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.L.); (L.D.); (C.O.); (L.V.); (L.C.)
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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4
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Sheraz M, Han S, Lee KE, Yanilmaz M, Kwon M, Kim J, Sim J, Kim J. Innovative tarantula hair-inspired washing machine filters for enhanced microfiber capture. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171807. [PMID: 38521254 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic environments are being polluted by microplastics primarily originating from the washing of synthetic textiles. Microfibers (MF), which are microplastics in synthetic fibers, are consistently introduced into the environment with each domestic laundry cycle. To address this issue, we developed a specialized MF capture "barbed filter" (BF) by transforming PET monofilaments of different diameters (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mm) into structures that closely resemble the characteristics of tarantula urticating hairs. BFs feature sharp barbs that effectively capture and retain microfibers of diverse lengths, surpassing the performance of conventional control filters. The BFs had a retention efficiency of 88-91 %, while the CFs had an efficiency of 79-86 %. Our findings revealed that the barbed filter significantly outperformed the conventional control filter in capturing microfibers due to its smaller pore size, shorter pore distance, and unique filter shape. This design not only enhances the surface area and friction, facilitating microfibril strong entrapment but also minimizes the probability of microfibril passage through the filter. This research offers a promising solution for reducing microfibril release from laundry and textile industrial wastewater. The implementation of BFs in real life has the potential to significantly reduce microplastic pollution and promote a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshab Sheraz
- Advanced Textile R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Seri Han
- Advanced Textile R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Eun Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Meltem Yanilmaz
- Department of Textile Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34467, Turkey
| | - Miyeon Kwon
- Material & Component Convergence Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Ansan-si 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhea Kim
- Material & Component Convergence Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Ansan-si 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewoo Sim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Juran Kim
- Advanced Textile R&D Department, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea; HYU-KITECH Joint Department, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
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Jang YL, Jeong J, Eo S, Hong SH, Shim WJ. Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in greywater from a research vessel. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:122941. [PMID: 37979649 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122941] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
The discharge of greywater from ships, an uncounted sea-based source of microplastics (MPs), is a growing concern. Yet, empirical data on MPs from this source are currently limited. Here, the abundances and characteristics of MPs in greywater from a research vessel were investigated according to water usage type (e.g., galley, cabin, and laundry). The mean abundance of MPs was highest in greywater from the laundry (177,667 n/m3), followed by the cabins (133,833 n/m3) and galley (75,000 n/m3). However, no significant differences were found in the MP abundances among greywater types due to high variability of triplicate samples collected every five days. Fiber-type MPs accounted for 66% of the total MP abundance and fragment-type MPs for 34%. Microplastics in the size range of 100-200 μm exhibited the highest levels among size classes. The dominant polymer identified in all greywater samples was polyester (53%), followed by polypropylene (23%). Marine coating origin MPs (6%) were also observed in all types of greywater. The greywater generation rate during the cruise was 0.15 m3/person∙day. Annual MP emissions per person by the greywater discharge of the research vessel was estimated to be 4.1 × 106 n/person∙year (equivalent to 3.0 g/person∙year).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lee Jang
- Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongwook Jeong
- Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Soeun Eo
- Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hee Hong
- Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Joon Shim
- Ecological Risk Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Mondal I, Ghosh D, Biswas PK. Rebuttal to the Editor's letter related to "Cost-effective remedial to microfiber pollution from wash effluent in Kolkata and Ranaghat". CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 343:140204. [PMID: 37730022 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Mondal
- Department of Food Technology & Biochemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Debasis Ghosh
- Department of Food Technology & Biochemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Prasanta Kumar Biswas
- Department of Food Technology & Biochemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India.
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7
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Rathinamoorthy R, Raja Balasaraswathi S. Impact of quantification method on microfiber assessment - A comparative analysis between mass and count based methods. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 347:119040. [PMID: 37751666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119040] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Microfiber from textiles is one of the new anthropogenic pollutants which attracted a wide range of researchers. Domestic laundry, being the most common cause of microfiber release from textiles, is widely studied. Studies exhibit a broad range of quantities of microfibers owing to the distinct quantification methodologies employed due to their convenience and resource availability. Out of several such estimation processes, reporting microfiber quantity in numbers or mass (mg or g) is quite common with respect to the unit area or weight of the textile used. However, results reported by different literature vary significantly. Hence, this study aims to analyze the microfiber release from knitted polyester fabric using count- and mass-based methods. Four different fabrics were used for this study with three different counting processes from literature along with direct weight difference estimation. The results of the direct counting method showed that the average microfiber release of selected fabrics is 13.28-33.16 microfibers per sq.cm, whereas, the direct weight estimation showed an average weight of 0.0664 ± 0.0289 mg/sq.cm. The subsequent conversion showed a release of 887.89 ± 633.49 microfibers/sq.cm of the fabric. Further, the microfiber mass was also estimated using the number of microfiber count and found that a sq.cm of fabric releases up to 0.0010-0.0024 mg of microfibers. While comparing the results, the weight-based estimation showed a significantly higher microfiber release (41.3-42.9 times) than the direct counting method. The deposition of surfactants in detergents, contaminants from the water, atmospheric contaminants, and finishes released from the fabric can be the sources of additional weights noted in the direct mass estimation. As the weight-based method is quite simple and the fastest way to quantify the microfibers, future studies must focus on this area to reduce the error percentage in quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Rathinamoorthy
- Department of Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641004, India.
| | - S Raja Balasaraswathi
- Department of Fashion Technology, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641004, India
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8
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Cummins AM, Malekpour AK, Smith AJ, Lonsdale S, Dean JR, Lant NJ. Impact of vented and condenser tumble dryers on waterborne and airborne microfiber pollution. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285548. [PMID: 37224145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Laundering of textiles is a significant source of waterborne microfiber pollution, and solutions are now being sought to mitigate this issue including improvements in clothing technology and integration of filtration systems into washing machines. Vented tumble dryers are a potential source of airborne microfiber pollution, as their built-in lint filtration systems have been found to be inefficient with significant quantities of textile microfibers being released to the external environment through their exhaust air ducts. The present study is the first to evaluate the impact of condenser dryers, finding that they are significant contributors to waterborne microfiber pollution from the lint filter (if users clean this with water), the condenser and the condensed water. Microfiber release from drying of real consumer loads in condenser and vented tumble dryers was compared, finding that real loads release surprisingly high levels of microfibers (total 341.5 ± 126.0 ppm for those dried in a condenser dryer and 256.0 ± 74.2 ppm for those dried in a vented dryer), similar in quantity to microfibers produced during the first highly-shedding drying cycle of a new T-shirt load (total 321.4 ± 11.2 ppm) in a condenser dryer. Vented dryers were found to be significant contributors to waterborne microfiber pollution if consumers clean the lint filter with water in accordance with some published appliance usage instructions, as most (86.1 ± 5.5% for the real consumer loads tested) of the microfibers generated during vented tumble drying were collected on the lint filter. Therefore, tumble dryers are a significant source of waterborne and (for vented dryers) airborne microfiber pollution. While reducing the pore size of tumble dryer lint filters and instructing consumers to dispose of fibers collected on lint filters as municipal solid waste could help reduce the issue, more sophisticated engineering solutions will likely be required to achieve a more comprehensive solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M Cummins
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Adam K Malekpour
- Procter & Gamble, Newcastle Innovation Center, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Smith
- Procter & Gamble, Newcastle Innovation Center, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne Lonsdale
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - John R Dean
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Neil J Lant
- Procter & Gamble, Newcastle Innovation Center, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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Zhang R, Jia X, Wang K, Lu L, Li F, Li J, Xu L. Characteristics, sources and influencing factors of atmospheric deposition of microplastics in three different ecosystems of Beijing, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 883:163567. [PMID: 37094671 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
As the research on microplastics (MPs) has intensified, more attention has been paid to MPs deposition in the atmosphere. This study further explores and compares the characteristics, the possible sources and influencing factors of deposition of MPs in three different ecosystems: forest, agricultural and residential area in Beijing. It was found that the deposited plastics were mostly white or black fibres, with PET and RY as the main MPs types. The range of deposition fluxes was 67.06-461.02 item·m-2·d-1, with highest deposition in residential area and lowest in forest, significant differences in MPs characteristics between environments. Based on MPs composition and shape, combined with backward trajectory analysis, the main sources of MPs were found to be textiles. Deposition of MPs was found to be influenced by environmental and meteorological factors. Factors such as gross domestic product and population density had a significant impact on the deposition flux, while wind played a diluting role for atmospheric MPs. The study investigated the characteristics of MPs in different ecosystems which may help to understand the transport patterns of MPs and is of great importance for the management of MPs pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixuan Zhang
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Xiaoxu Jia
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and `, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Luli Lu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Fang Li
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and `, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Li Xu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; Risk Assessment Lab for Agro-products (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture, China.
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