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Zhou D, Cai Y, Yang Z. Transport of polystyrene microplastics in bare and iron oxide-coated quartz sand: Effects of ionic strength, humic acid, and co-existing graphene oxide. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174270. [PMID: 38925391 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This research explored the effects of widely utilized nanomaterial graphene oxide (GO) and organic matter humic acid (HA) on the transport of microplastics under different ionic solution strengths in bare sand and iron oxide-coated sand. The results found transport of polystyrene microplastics (PS) did not respond to the presence of HA in sand that contains large amounts of iron oxide. Compared to bare quartz sand, ionic strength had little effect: <20 % of PS passed through Fe sand columns. There was a significant promotion of PS transport in the presence of GO, however, which can be attributed to the increased surface electronegativity of PS and steric hindrance. Moreover, GO combined with HA significantly promoted the transport of PS in the Fe sand, and transport further increased when the concentration of HA increased from 5 to 10 mg/L. Interestingly, the degree of this increase exactly corresponded to the change in the surface charge of the microplastics, demonstrating that electrostatic interaction dominated the PS transport. Further results indicated that co-existing pollutants had significant impacts on the transport of microplastics under various conditions by altering the surface characteristics of the plastic particles and the spatial steric hindrance within porous media. This research will offer insights into predicting the transport and fate of microplastics in complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanpeng Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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2
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Chen Z, Elektorowicz M, An C, Tian X, Wang Z, Yang X, Lyu L. Revealing the Freezing-Induced Alteration in Microplastic Behavior and Its Implication for the Microplastics Released from Seasonal Ice. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39031076 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c05322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Ice can serve as a significant temporary repository and conveyance mechanism for microplastics (MPs). MPs present in the water column can become entrapped within developing ice formations, subsequently being sequestered and transported by ice floes. With changing temperatures, MPs stored in ice can be released back into the environment, while freezing conditions can alter the properties of MPs, ultimately affecting the fate of MPs in the environment. Freezing of MPs in freshwater ice results in the aggregation of MP particles due to physical compression, leading to an increase in particle size once the MPs are released from the ice. The freezing-induced aggregation enhances buoyancy effects, accelerating the settling/rising velocity of MPs in water. Additionally, freezing can lead to enhanced surface wetting alterations, thus improving the dispersion of hydrophobic MPs. The presence of salt in the water can mitigate the effect of freezing on MPs due to the formation of a brine network within the ice structure, which reduces the pressure on MPs entrapped by ice. In cold regions, numerous MPs undergo freezing and thawing, re-entering the water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikun Chen
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Maria Elektorowicz
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Xuelin Tian
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Linxiang Lyu
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
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3
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Vohl S, Kristl M, Stergar J. Harnessing Magnetic Nanoparticles for the Effective Removal of Micro- and Nanoplastics: A Critical Review. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:1179. [PMID: 39057856 PMCID: PMC11279442 DOI: 10.3390/nano14141179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The spread of micro- (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment has become a significant environmental concern, necessitating effective removal strategies. In this comprehensive scientific review, we examine the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a promising technology for the removal of MPs and NPs from water. We first describe the issues of MPs and NPs and their impact on the environment and human health. Then, the fundamental principles of using MNPs for the removal of these pollutants will be presented, emphasizing that MNPs enable the selective binding and separation of MPs and NPs from water sources. Furthermore, we provide a short summary of various types of MNPs that have proven effective in the removal of MPs and NPs. These include ferromagnetic nanoparticles and MNPs coated with organic polymers, as well as nanocomposites and magnetic nanostructures. We also review their properties, such as magnetic saturation, size, shape, surface functionalization, and stability, and their influence on removal efficiency. Next, we describe different methods of utilizing MNPs for the removal of MPs and NPs. We discuss their advantages, limitations, and potential for further development in detail. In the final part of the review, we provide an overview of the existing studies and results demonstrating the effectiveness of using MNPs for the removal of MPs and NPs from water. We also address the challenges that need to be overcome, such as nanoparticle optimization, process scalability, and the removal and recycling of nanoparticles after the completion of the process. This comprehensive scientific review offers extensive insights into the use of MNPs for the removal of MPs and NPs from water. With improved understanding and the development of advanced materials and methods, this technology can play a crucial role in addressing the issues of MPs and NPs and preserving a clean and healthy environment. The novelty of this review article is the emphasis on MNPs for the removal of MPs and NPs from water and a detailed review of the advantages and disadvantages of various MNPs for the mentioned application. Additionally, a review of a large number of publications in this field is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Janja Stergar
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia; (S.V.); (M.K.)
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Umeh OR, Ophori DU, Ibo EM, Eke CI, Oyen TP. Groundwater systems under siege: The silent invasion of microplastics and cock-tails worldwide. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 356:124305. [PMID: 38830527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) contamination is one of the significant escalating environmental concerns worldwide, and this stems from the increasing production and unlawful disposal of plastic materials. Regretfully, the synthesis of plastic materials is expected to triple in the upcoming years. Nevertheless, MPs pollution in marine, aquatic, and terrestrial settings has received much attention, unlike in groundwater systems. This study exhaustively reviewed varying degrees of recent publications in various search engines and provided a detailed state of current knowledge and research progress vis-à-vis MPs and cock-tail pollution in groundwater systems. Evidently, groundwater sources are severely contaminated as a result of growing anthropogenic activities and vertical movement of MPs and cock-tails from the atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic environments, however, fewer researchers have fixated their attention on estimating the occurrence of MPs in groundwater resources, while sufficient information regarding their sources, sampling methods, abundance, transport pathways, fate, modeling techniques, appropriate and adequate data, sorption properties, separation from other environmental media, toxicity, and remedial measures are extensively lacking. In addition, MPs may combine with other toxic emerging contaminants to improve migration and toxicity; however, no research has been conducted to fully understand cock-tail migration mechanisms and impacts in groundwater systems. Over time, groundwater may be regarded as the primary sink for MPs, if effective actions are neglected. Overall, this study detected a lack of concern and innumerable voids in this field; hence, vital and nascent research gaps were identified for immediate, advanced, and interdisciplinary research investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odera R Umeh
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
| | - Duke U Ophori
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
| | - Eziafakaego M Ibo
- Department of Environmental Management, Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute, Ibadan, Oyo State, 200002, Nigeria.
| | - Chima I Eke
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
| | - Toritseju P Oyen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA.
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Li F, Huang D, Wang G, Cheng M, Chen H, Zhou W, Xiao R, Li R, Du L, Xu W. Microplastics/nanoplastics in porous media: Key factors controlling their transport and retention behaviors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171658. [PMID: 38490411 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Till now, microplastics/nano-plastics(M/NPs) have received a lot of attention as emerging contaminant. As a typical but complex porous medium, soil is not only a large reservoir of M/NPs but also a gateway for M/NPs to enter groundwater. Therefore, the review of the factors controlling the transport behavior of M/NPs in porous media can provide important guidance for the risk assessment of M/NPs in soil and groundwater. In this study, the key factors controlling the transport behavior of M/NPs in porous media are systematically divided into three groups: (1) nature of M/NPs affecting M/NPs transport in porous media, (2) nature of flow affecting M/NPs transport in porous media, (3) nature of porous media affecting M/NPs transport. In each group, the specific control factors for M/NPs transport in porous media are discussed in detail. In addition to the above factors, some substances (colloids or pollutants) present in natural porous media (such as soil or sediments) will co-transport with M/NPs and affect its mobility. According to the different properties of co-transported substances, the mechanism of promoting or inhibiting the migration behavior of M/NPs in porous media was discussed. Finally, the limitations and future research directions of M/NPs transport in porous media are pointed out. This review can provide a useful reference for predicting the transport of M/NPs in natural porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Danlian Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.
| | - Guangfu Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Min Cheng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Haojie Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ruihao Xiao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ruijin Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Li Du
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wenbo Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
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6
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Liu Y, Gu G, Lu J, Zhu L, Chen Q, Kim H, Wang J, Ji P, Cai L. Decreased transport of nano- and micro-plastics in the presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids in saturated quartz sand. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171195. [PMID: 38408673 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and nano- and micro-plastics (NPs and MPs) are both widely distributed in terrestrial systems. To better understand the influence of LMWOAs on the transport of NPs and MPs, the effects of 0.5 mM citric- (CA), malic- (MA), and tartaric- (TA) acid on the transport of nano- (0.51 μm, PS NPs) and micro- (1.1 μm, PS MPs) polystyrene particles (2 mg L-1) in saturated quartz sand were investigated. All three LMWOAs decreased the transport of PS NPs and MPs, regardless of ionic composition or strength (0.1-10 mM NaCl and 0.1-1 mM CaCl2). Further investigation revealed that the interfacial interactions between PS-quartz sand surfaces and PS-PS were altered by LMWOAs. LMWOAs adsorbed to quartz sand surfaces could serve as new deposition sites, as evidenced by the decreased transport of PS NPs and MPs in quartz sand that was subjected to pre-equilibration with selected MA, the low inhibition of PS transport with low concentrations of LMWOAs (0.1 mM), and also the adsorption of LMWOAs onto quartz sand surfaces by batch experiments. Meanwhile, the adsorption of LMWOAs on PS, hydrodynamic measurement and visual TEM observation together clarified the slight aggregation of PS NPs and MPs in suspensions, inducing the subsequent decrease in transport. Among them, the adsorption of LMWOAs onto quartz sand surfaces was found to be the main factor dominating the decreased transport of both PS NPs and MPs in saturated quartz sand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Genyao Gu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Jizhe Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Luxiang Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Quanyuan Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Hyunjung Kim
- Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiajun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organic Compound Pollution Control Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, 333 Nanchen Road, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Peng Ji
- Innovation Center for Textile Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China
| | - Li Cai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China.
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7
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Feng Q, Chen Z, Huang G, An C, Yang X, Wang Z. Prolonged drying impedes the detachment of microplastics in unsaturated substrate: Role of flow regimes. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 252:121246. [PMID: 38340454 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121246] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The detachment of microplastics (MPs) from porous media under different moisture conditions and flow regimes has garnered limited attention within the research community. The present study investigates the detachment of MPs from porous media under wet and dry conditions combined with steady and transient flow. For both the wet and dry conditions, the increase in flow rates is found to decrease the detachment of hydrophobic polyethylene of two sizes and of hydrophilic polymethylmethacrylate. Intermittent flow is found to result in effluent peaks and a higher rate of MP detachment compared to steady flow. The ionic strength of inflow drops in a stepwise manner, leading to abrupt peaks followed by a tail corresponding to the arrival of each ionic strength front. Each step increase in flow rate leads to a steep peak followed by slow release over several pore volumes. Although transient flow facilitates the detachment of MPs, drying significantly impedes the detachment of MPs irrespective of flow regime. Ultraviolet weathering of MPs for 60 days weakens the inhibition effect of drying on hydrophilic polymethylmethacrylate, facilitating their detachment. Furthermore, the release of MPs decreases markedly with an increase in air-drying duration from 0 h to 72 h. Hydrus-1D two-site kinetic models are used to successfully simulate time-dependent processes, implying that drying heightens the energy barrier for MPs to detach. Our analysis confirms the significance of moisture in determining the remobilization of MPs, providing valuable insights concerning the fate of MPs in unsaturated substrate under prolonged drought conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Feng
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Guohe Huang
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada.
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
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Zhang M, Hou J, Xia J, Wu J, You G, Miao L. Statuses, shortcomings, and outlooks in studying the fate of nanoplastics and engineered nanoparticles in porous media respectively and borrowable sections from engineered nanoparticles for nanoplastics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:169638. [PMID: 38181944 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
This review discussed the research statuses, shortcomings, and outlooks for the fate of nanoplastics (NPs) and engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in porous media and borrowable sections from ENPs for NPs. Firstly, the most important section was that we reviewed the research statuses on the fate of NPs in porous media and the main influencing factors, and explained the influencing mechanisms. Secondly, in order to give NPs a reference of research ideas and influence mechanisms, we also reviewed the research statuses on the fate of ENPs in porous media and the factors and mechanisms influencing the fate. The main mechanisms affecting the transport of ENPs were summarized (Retention or transport modes: advection, diffusion, dispersion, deposition, adsorption, blocking, ripening, and straining; Main forces and actions: Brownian motion, gravity, electrostatic forces, van der Waals forces, hydration, filtration, bridging; Affecting elements of the forces and actions: the ENP and media grain surface functional groups, size, shape, zeta potential, density, hydrophobicity, and roughness). Instead of using the findings of ENPs, thorough study on NPs was required because NPs and ENPs differed greatly. Based on the limited existing studies on the NP transport in porous media, we found that although the conclusions of ENPs could not be applied to NPs, most of the influencing mechanisms summarized from ENPs were applicable to NPs. Combining the research thoughts of ENPs, the research statuses of NPs, and some of our experiences and reflections, we reviewed the shortcomings of the current studies on the NP fate in porous media as well as the outlooks of future research. This review is very meaningful for clarifying the research statuses and influence mechanisms for the NP fate in porous media, as well as providing a great deal of inspiration for future research directions about the NP fate in porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Hou
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jun Xia
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoxiang You
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingzhan Miao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China
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9
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Okoffo ED, Thomas KV. Quantitative analysis of nanoplastics in environmental and potable waters by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 464:133013. [PMID: 37988869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics are emerging environmental contaminants, but their presence in environmental and potable water remains largely understudied due to the absence of quantitative analytical methods. In this study, we developed and validated a pretreatment method that combines hydrogen peroxide digestion and Amicon® Stirred Cell ultrafiltration (at 100 kDa, approximately 10 nm) with subsequent detection by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS). This method allows for the simultaneous identification and quantification of nine selected nanoplastic types, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), nylon 6, and nylon 66, in environmental and potable water samples based on polymer-specific mass concentration. Limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 0.44 µg/L, demonstrating the method's ability to quantitatively detect nanoplastics in environmental and potable water samples. Most of the selected nanoplastics were detected at concentrations of between 0.04 and 1.17 µg/L, except for PC, which was consistently below the limit of detection (<0.44 µg/L). The prevalent polymer components in the samples were PE (0.10 - 1.17 µg/L), PET (0.06 - 0.91 µg/L), PP (0.04 - 0.79 µg/L), and PS (0.06 - 0.53 µg/L) nanoplastics. The presented analytical method offers an accurate means to identify, quantify, and monitor nanoplastics in complex environmental and potable water samples. It fills gaps in our understanding of nanoplastic pollution levels, providing a valuable methodology and crucial reference data for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvis D Okoffo
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
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10
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Rogers NMK, Wiesner MR. Methods for the Characterization of the Colloidal Properties of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2843:25-35. [PMID: 39141292 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4055-5_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) are extracellular vesicles secreted by either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. These BMVs typically possess a diameter between 20 and 250 nm. Due to their size, when these BMVs are suspended in another medium, they could be constituents of a colloidal system. It has been hypothesized that investigating BMVs as colloidal particles could help characterize BMV interactions with other environmentally relevant surfaces. Developing a more thorough understanding of BMV interactions with other surfaces would be critical for developing predictive models of their environmental fate. However, this bio-colloidal perspective has been largely overlooked for BMVs, despite the wealth of methods and expertise available to characterize colloidal particles. A particular strength of taking a more colloid-centric approach to BMV characterization is the potential to quantify a particle's attachment efficiency (α). These values describe the likelihood of attachment during particle-particle or particle-surface interactions, especially those interactions which are governed by physicochemical interactions (such as those described by DLVO and xDLVO theory). Elucidating the influence of physical and electrochemical properties on these attachment efficiency values could give insights into the primary factors driving interactions between BMVs and other surfaces. This chapter details methods for the characterization of BMVs as colloids, beginning with size and surface charge (i.e., electrophoretic mobility/zeta potential) measurements. Afterward, this chapter will address experimental design, especially column experiments, targeted for BMV investigation and the determination of α values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M K Rogers
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Porter School of Earth and Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mark R Wiesner
- Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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11
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Xing Y, Li J, Yang J, Li J, Pang W, Martin FL, Xu L. Application of spectrochemical analysis with chemometrics to profile biochemical alterations in nanoplastic-exposed HepG 2 cells. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 336:122309. [PMID: 37543068 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Humans are routinely exposed to nanoplastics (NPs) in various ways, and this exposure presents a significant health risk. Nevertheless, there remain gaps in our knowledge, particularly in the mechanisms of toxicity of NPs with different surface charges at very low environmental concentrations. Herein, a spectrochemical approach was used to profile the cytotoxicity of NPs with different surface charges in HepG2 cells. It was found that all three NPs can cause some biomolecular alterations in cells, affecting cellular lipids, proteins, amino acids, and genetic material. Of these, PS and PS-COOH led to a non-linear dose-response, which may be related to a biphasic dose-response, whereas PS-NH2 led to a linear dose-response with a gradual increase in toxicity with increasing exposure concentration. In addition, the spectroscopic results showed that surface modifications led to cellular biochemical changes and caused adverse biological effects, with PS-NH2 exhibiting higher toxicity compared to PS or PS-COOH along with an inhibition of cell proliferation. Surprisingly PS-COOH, although considered the least toxic NP, appears to cause DNA damage. Overall, the toxic effects of different surface-modified NPs in cells were detected for the first time by applying spectrochemical techniques, and these findings provide important data towards understanding the emerging widespread environmental pollution of NPs and their effects on humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xing
- 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 Modeling, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Junyi Li
- National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute, Suzhou, 215128, China
| | - Weiyi Pang
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
| | - Francis L Martin
- Biocel Ltd, Hull, HU10 7TS, UK; Department of Cellular Pathology, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Whinney Heys Road, Blackpool, FY3 8NR, UK
| | - Li Xu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.
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12
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Dong Z, Chen Z, Rui J, Li W, Qiu Y. Size effect of graphene oxide from quantum dot to nanoflake on the mobility of nanoplastics in seawater-saturated sand. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120491. [PMID: 37598569 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Marine sedimentary environment serves as an important sink of terrigenous nanoplastics (NP) and graphene oxides (GO). In this study, we discovered that GO of varying sizes exhibited distinct binding modes with 200 nm NP in 35 practical salinity unit (PSU) seawater, resulting in varying impacts on the mobility of NP in porous media. GO-8, with a size of 8±2 nm, firmly adhered to the surface of NP and formed stable primary heterogeneous aggregates, which promoted NP mobility and increased the mass recovery of effluent (Meff) from 24.74% to 31.08%. GO-250 (246±10 nm) partly enveloped NP and only slightly increased the volume of heteroaggregates, which had minimal effect on NP transport. Conversely, GO-850 (855±55 nm) wrapped numerous NP particles to form large secondary heteroaggregates that clung to sand surfaces, providing additional attachment sites for NP, resulting in complete inhibition of NP mobility in porous media (Meff = 0%). In brackish water with 3.5 PSU, all GO-8, GO-250 and GO-850 achieved enhanced mobility of NP, with Meff increasing from 50.35% to 85.62%, 69.45% and 75.41%, respectively. The results indicate that GO size effects on NP mobility are also salinity-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Dong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Municipal Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd of CERC Shanghai Group, Shanghai, 201906, China; China Railway Engineering Group Co., Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Zheng Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Junnan Rui
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Weiying Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yuping Qiu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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13
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Feng Q, An C, Chen Z, Lee K, Wang Z. Identification of the driving factors of microplastic load and morphology in estuaries for improving monitoring and management strategies: A global meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 333:122014. [PMID: 37336353 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Estuaries are one of the primary pathways for transferring microplastics (MPs) from the land to the ocean. A comprehensive understanding of the load, morphological characteristics, driving factors, and potential risks of MPs in estuaries is imperative to inform reliable management in this critical transboundary area. Extracted from 135 publications, a global meta-analysis comprising 1477 observations and 124 estuaries was conducted. MP abundance in estuaries was tremendously variable, reaching a mean of 21,342.43 ± 122,557.53 items/m3 in water and 1312.79 ± 6295.73 items/kg in sediment. Fibers and fragments take up a majority proportion in estuaries. Polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene are the most detected MP types. Around 68.73% and 85.51% of MPs detected in water and sediment are smaller than 1 μm. The redundancy analysis revealed that the explanatory factors influencing the morphological characteristics of MPs differed between water and sediment. Regression analysis shows that MP abundance in water is significantly inversely correlated with mesh/filter size, per capita plastic waste, and the Human Development Index, whereas it is significantly positively correlated with population density and share of global mismanaged plastic waste. MP abundance in sediment significantly positively correlated with aridity index and probability of plastic entering the ocean, while significantly negatively correlated with mesh/filter size. Analysis based on Geodector identified that the extraction method, density of flotation fluid, and sampling depth are the top three explanatory factors for MP abundance in water, while the share of global mismanaged plastic waste, the probability of plastic being emitted into the ocean, and population density are the top three explanatory factors for MP abundance in sediment. In the studied estuaries, 46.75% of the water and 2.74% of the sediment are categorized into extremely high levels of pollution, while 73.08% of the water and 43.48% of the sediment belong to class V of the potential ecological index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Feng
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada.
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecosystem Science, Ottawa, K1A 0E6, Canada
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8, Canada
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14
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Rogers NMK, Hicks E, Kan C, Martin E, Gao L, Limso C, Hendren CO, Kuehn M, Wiesner MR. Characterizing the Transport and Surface Affinity of Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Yeast and Bacteria in Well-Characterized Porous Media. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13182-13192. [PMID: 37606695 PMCID: PMC10483924 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03700] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bounded, nanosized particles, produced and secreted by all biological cell types. EVs are ubiquitous in the environment, operating in various roles including intercellular communication and plant immune modulation. Despite their ubiquity, the role of EV surface chemistry in determining transport has been minimally investigated. Using the zeta (ζ)-potential as a surrogate for surface charge, this work considers the deposition of EVs from the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and two bacterial species, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas fluorescens, in well-characterized porous medium under various background conditions shown to influence the transport of other environmental colloidal particles: ionic strength and humic acid concentration. The affinity of S. cerevisiae EVs for the porous medium (glass beads) appeared to be sensitive to changes in ionic strength, as predicted by colloid stability (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek or DLVO) theory, and humic acid concentration, while P. fluorescens EVs deviated from DLVO predictions, suggesting that mechanisms other than charge stabilization may control the deposition of P. fluorescens. Calculations of attachment efficiency from these deposition studies were used to estimate EV transport using a clean-bed filtration model. Based on these calculations, EVs could be transported through such homogeneous porous media up to 15 m.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M. K. Rogers
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Porter School of Earth and Environmental
Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ethan Hicks
- Center
for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Department of
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke
University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Christopher Kan
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Ethan Martin
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Lijia Gao
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Clariss Limso
- Department
of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Christine Ogilvie Hendren
- Department
of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Research Institute for Environment,
Energy and Economics, Appalachian State
University, Boone, North Carolina 28608, United States
| | - Meta Kuehn
- Department
of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Mark R. Wiesner
- Center
for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Department of
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke
University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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15
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Du T, Shao S, Qian L, Meng R, Li T, Wu L, Li Y. Effects of photochlorination on the physicochemical transformation of polystyrene nanoplastics: Mechanism and environmental fate. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120367. [PMID: 37499544 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
With the increasingly severe plastic pollution, the environmental behavior and effects of nanoplastics (NPs) have attracted much attention. The transformation of NPs in natural and engineered environments (e.g., photooxidation, disinfection) can significantly alter the physicochemical properties and thus affect the fate and toxicity of NPs. However, how solar irradiation with free chlorine, an inevitable process once NPs enter the environment from wastewater treatment plants, affects the physicochemical properties of NPs is still unclear. In this study, the behavior and mechanism of polystyrene (PS) NPs transformation in the solar/chlorine process were evaluated. The results demonstrated that solar irradiation significantly enhanced the physicochemical transformation of PS NPs during chlorination, including chain scission, surface oxidation, and organic release. In addition, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and reactive species quenching experiments showed that chain scission and surface oxidation of PS NPs were primarily caused by direct oxidation of hydroxyl radicals and ozone, while reactive chlorine species played an indirect role. Moreover, photochlorination-induced changes in the properties of PS NPs enhanced the colloidal stability in synthetic wastewater solution and toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans. These findings reveal an important transformation behavior of nanoplastics in the environment and emphasize the importance of accounting for photochlorination to accurately assess the ecological risk of nanoplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Du
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
| | - Song Shao
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Liwen Qian
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Ru Meng
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Tong Li
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lijun Wu
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yao Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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16
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Pencik O, Durdakova M, Molnarova K, Kucsera A, Klofac D, Kolackova M, Adam V, Huska D. Microplastics and nanoplastics toxicity assays: A revision towards to environmental-relevance in water environment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 454:131476. [PMID: 37172431 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution poses a serious risk to the oceans, freshwater ecosystems, and land-based agricultural production. Most plastic waste enters rivers and then reaches the oceans, where its fragmentation process begins and the forming of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs). These particles increase their toxicity by the exposition to external factors and binding environmental pollutants, including toxins, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), halogenated hydrocarbons (HHCs), and other chemicals, which further and cumulatively increase the toxicity of these particles. A major disadvantage of many MNPs in vitro studies is that they do not use environmentally relevant microorganisms, which play a vital role in geobiochemical cycles. In addition, factors such as the polymer type, shapes, and sizes of the MPs and NPs, their exposure times and concentrations must be taken into account in in vitro experiments. Last but not least, it is important to ask whether to use aged particles with bound pollutants. All these factors affect the predicted effects of these particles on living systems, which may not be realistic if they are insufficiently considered. In this article, we summarize the latest findings on MNPs in the environment and propose some recommendations for future in vitro experiments on bacteria, cyanobacteria, and microalgae in water ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Pencik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Durdakova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katarina Molnarova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Attila Kucsera
- Department of Molecular Biology and Radiobiology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Klofac
- Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Kolackova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Huska
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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17
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Yuan R, Salam M, Miao X, Yang Y, Li H, Wei Y. Potential disintegration and transport of biochar in the soil-water environment: A case study towards purple soil. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 222:115383. [PMID: 36716806 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biochar has been widely applied in soil and water. However, the fate and transport of biochar are not yet fully understood. Here, biochar's disintegration, transport, and the effect of temperature on biochar transport in soil (purple soil)-water systems were investigated. The results showed that the potentially transportable components (PTC) of biochar for corn straw, wheat straw, rice straw, rice husk and wood biochar reached 6.22-7.60%, 5.96-12.29%, 11.77-12.45%, 5.34-6.26% and 5.08-6.14% by mass, respectively. An external force (ultrasound exposure) intensified the physical disintegration, including colloidal and nanoparticles from larger particles, thereby increasing the transport potential. The mass recovery rates of PTC for rice straw biochar after penetrating through soil at 5, 20 and 35 °C reached 44.25%, 32.97% and 10.98%, respectively, which was supported by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory results. Elevated temperatures increased the hydrodynamic average diameter of PTC, and the Zeta potential of PTC and soil at 35 °C were less negative than those at 5 and 20 °C. As a result, biochar's transportability decreases with increasing temperature in the soil-water system, during which the enhanced PTC aggregation and the decreased electrostatic repulsion between biochar and soil particles played a crucial role. The increase in electrical conductivity in the soil-water system may be the main reason for the decrease in electrostatic repulsion at higher temperatures. The findings are helpful for an in-depth understanding of the environmental fate and managing the transport risk of biochar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Muhammad Salam
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Xiaojun Miao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yongchuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Hong Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Yanyan Wei
- Cultivation Base of Guangxi Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment and Agro-Products Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agri-bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.
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18
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Li M, He L, Hsieh L, Rong H, Tong M. Transport of plastic particles in natural porous media under freeze-thaw treatment: Effects of porous media property. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 442:130084. [PMID: 36206711 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles would alter physical and chemical properties of soil and thus influence the transport of plastic particles (one type of emerging contaminant with great concerns). This study was designed to investigate the effects of FT treatment on the mobility of plastic particles (nanoplastics as representative) in columns packed with natural soils (i.e. loamy sand and sandy soil, quartz sand employed as comparison). We found that FT treatment of different types of porous media would induce different transport behaviors of plastic particles. Specifically, FT treatment of quartz sand did not affect plastic particles mobility. While FT treatment of loamy sand and sandy soil increased plastic particles transport. The increased pore sizes and disintegration of small soil particles from soils (the detached soil would serve as mobile vehicle for the transport of plastic particle) led to the facilitated mobility of plastic particles in two types of soils after FT treatment. The presence of preferential flow paths induced by FT treatment also drove to the enhanced mobility of plastic particles in sandy soil with FT treatment. This study clearly showed that the mobility of model plastic particles in two types of natural soils was greatly enhanced by FT treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China; Currently at Department of Forensic Science, Fujian Police College, Fuzhou 350007, PR China
| | - Lei He
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Lichun Hsieh
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Haifeng Rong
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Meiping Tong
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
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19
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Dilxat D, Liang T, Wang Y, Habibul N. Insights into the interaction mechanism of ofloxacin and functionalized nano-polystyrene. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 284:121792. [PMID: 36088742 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nano-plastics (NPs), an emerging contaminant in the environment, have a larger specific surface area and can act as a carrier of other contaminants. Thus, insights into the interaction mechanisms between NPs and other pollutants are crucial for the assessment of environmental impacts of NPs in the ecosystems. In this study, the interaction mechanism between NPs and ofloxacin (OFL) were investigated via kinetics, fluorescence quenching, and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS). The adsorption kinetics of OFL on carboxyl-modified polystyrene (PS-COOH) and amine modified polystyrene (PS-NH2) closely fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R2 = 0.99). Adsorption kinetics indicated that chemical adsorption is dominant mechanism, and the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the electronic interaction, π-π, and H-binding were also involved in the adsorption process. OFL showed strong fluorescence quenching in the presence of NPs. Stern-Volmer quenching was negatively related with the temperature, which was dominated by the static type of quenching. 2DCOS indicated that the π-π conjugation was dominant in the interaction process, and the interaction process was dependent on the solution pH and salinity. Overall, this work provides new insights into the interaction mechanism of NPs and antibiotics in the aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilnur Dilxat
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Energy Storage and Photoelectrocatalytic Materials, Urumqi 830054, China
| | - Ting Liang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Energy Storage and Photoelectrocatalytic Materials, Urumqi 830054, China
| | - Yun Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Energy Storage and Photoelectrocatalytic Materials, Urumqi 830054, China
| | - Nuzahat Habibul
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Energy Storage and Photoelectrocatalytic Materials, Urumqi 830054, China.
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20
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Pradel A, Catrouillet C, Gigault J. The environmental fate of nanoplastics: What we know and what we need to know about aggregation. NANOIMPACT 2023; 29:100453. [PMID: 36708989 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2023.100453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The presence of nanoplastics in the environment has been proven. There is now an urgent need to determine how nanoplastics behave in the environment and to assess the risks they may pose. Here, we examine nanoplastic homo- and heteroaggregation, with a focus on environmentally relevant nanoplastic particle models. We made a systematic analysis of experimental studies, and ranked the environmental relevance of 377 different solution chemistries, and 163 different nanoplastic particle models. Since polymer latex spheres are not environmentally relevant (due to their monodisperse size, spherical shape, and smooth surface), their aggregation behavior in natural conditions is not transferable to nanoplastics. A few recent studies suggest that nanoplastic particle models that more closely mimic incidentally produced nanoplastics follow different homoaggregation pathways than latex sphere particle models. However, heteroaggregation of environmentally relevant nanoplastic particle models has seldom been studied. Despite this knowledge gap, the current evidence suggests that nanoplastics may be more sensitive to heteroaggregation than previously expected. We therefore provide an updated hypothesis about the likely environmental fate of nanoplastics. Our review demonstrates that it is essential to use environmentally relevant nanoplastic particle models, such as those produced with top-down methods, to avoid biased interpretations of the fate and impact of nanoplastics. Finally, it will be necessary to determine how the heteroaggregation kinetics of nanoplastics impact their settling rate to truly understand nanoplastics' fate and effect in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Pradel
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Charlotte Catrouillet
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France; Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Julien Gigault
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France; TAKUVIK CNRS/Université Laval, IRL 3376, G1V 0A6 Québec, Canada.
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21
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Feng LJ, Shi ZL, Duan JL, Han Y, Sun XD, Ma JY, Liu XY, Zhang HX, Guo N, Song C, Zong WS, Yuan XZ. Using colloidal AFM probe technique and XDLVO theory to predict the transport of nanoplastics in porous media. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 311:136968. [PMID: 36283429 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The plastic concentration in terrestrial systems is orders of magnitude higher than that found in marine ecosystems, which has raised global concerns about their potential risk to agricultural sustainability. Previous research on the transport of nanoplastics in soil relied heavily on the qualitative prediction of the mean-field extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory (XDLVO), but direct and quantitative measurements of the interfacial forces between single nanoplastics and porous media are lacking. In this study, we conducted multiscale investigations ranging from column transport experiments to single particle measurements. The maximum effluent concentration (C/C0) of amino-modified nanoplastics (PS-NH2) was 0.94, whereas that of the carboxyl-modified nanoplastics (PS-COOH) was only 0.33, indicating PS-NH2 were more mobile than PS-COOH at different ionic strengths (1-50 mM) and pH values (5-9). This phenomenon was mainly attributed to the homogeneous aggregation of PS-COOH. In addition, the transport of PS-NH2 in the quartz sand column was inhibited with the increase of ionic strength and pH, and pH was the major factor governing their mobility. The transport of PS-COOH was inhibited with increasing ionic strength and decreasing pH. Hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity-mediated interactions and particle heterogeneity strongly interfered with interfacial forces, leading to the qualitative prediction of XDLVO, contrary to experimental observations. Through the combination of XDLVO and colloidal atomic force microscopy, accurate and quantitative interfacial forces can provide compelling insight into the fate of nanoparticles in the soil environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Feng
- College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, PR China; Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Conservation, Hengshui, Heibei 053000, PR China
| | - Zong-Lin Shi
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Conservation, Hengshui, Heibei 053000, PR China; Department of Life Science, Hengshui College, Hengshui, Heibei, 053000, PR China
| | - Jian-Lu Duan
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Yi Han
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Xiao-Dong Sun
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Jing-Ya Ma
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yu Liu
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Huan-Xin Zhang
- College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, PR China
| | - Ning Guo
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Chao Song
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Wan-Song Zong
- College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, PR China.
| | - Xian-Zheng Yuan
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment (ISFREE), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China.
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22
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Lai Y, Dong L, Sheng X, Li Q, Li P, Hao Z, Yu S, Liu J. Swelling-Induced Fragmentation and Polymer Leakage of Nanoplastics in Seawater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17694-17701. [PMID: 36480640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) have been successively detected in different environmental matrixes and have aroused great concern worldwide. However, the fate of NPs in real environments such as seawater remains unclear, impeding their environmental risk assessment. Herein, multiple techniques were employed to monitor the particle number concentration, size, and morphology evolution of polystyrene NPs in seawater under simulated sunlight over a time course of 29 days. Aggregation was found to be a continuous process that occurred constantly and was markedly promoted by light irradiation. Moreover, the occurrence of NP swelling, fragmentation, and polymer leaching was evidenced by both transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The statistical results of different transformation types suggested that swelling induces fragmentation and polymer leakage and that light irradiation plays a positive but not decisive role in this transformation. The observation of fragmentation and polymer leakage of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinyl chloride) NPs suggests that these transformation processes are general for NPs of different polymer types. Facilitated by the increase of surface functional groups, the ions in seawater could penetrate into NPs and then stretch the polymer structure, leading to the swelling phenomenon and other transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujian Lai
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lijie Dong
- Division of Chemical Metrology and Analytical Chemistry, National Institute of Metrology, China, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xueying Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemical Engineering and Environment, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Qingcun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Zhineng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Sujuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jingfu Liu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
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23
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Keerthana Devi M, Karmegam N, Manikandan S, Subbaiya R, Song H, Kwon EE, Sarkar B, Bolan N, Kim W, Rinklebe J, Govarthanan M. Removal of nanoplastics in water treatment processes: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 845:157168. [PMID: 35817120 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics are drawing a significant attention as a result of their propensity to spread across the environment and pose a threat to all organisms. The presence of nanoplastics in water is given attention nowadays as the transit of nanoplastics occurs through the aquatic ecosphere besides terrestrial mobility. The principal removal procedures for macro-and micro-plastic particles are effective, but nanoparticles escape from the treatment, increasing in the water and significantly influencing the society. This critical review is aimed to bestow the removal technologies of nanoplastics from aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on the treatment of freshwater, drinking water, and wastewater, as well as the importance of transit and its impact on health concerns. Still, there exists a gap in providing a collective knowledge on the methods available for nanoplastics removal. Hence, this review offered various nanoplastic removal technologies (microorganism-based degradation, membrane separation with a reactor, and photocatalysis) that could be the practical/effective measures along with the traditional procedures (filtration, coagulation, centrifugation, flocculation, and gravity settling). From the analyses of different treatment systems, the effectiveness of nanoplastics removal depends on various factors, source, size, and type of nanoplastics apart from the treatment method adopted. Combined removal methods, filtration with coagulation offer great scope for the removal of nanoplastics from drinking water with >99 % efficiency. The collected data could serve as base-line information for future research and development in water nanoplastics cleanup.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Keerthana Devi
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - N Karmegam
- Department of Botany, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Salem 636 007, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - S Manikandan
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Subbaiya
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, The Copperbelt University, Riverside, Jambo Drive, P O Box 21692, Kitwe, Zambia
| | - Hocheol Song
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eilhann E Kwon
- Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Binoy Sarkar
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia
| | - Woong Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; International Research Centre of Nanotechnology for Himalayan Sustainability (IRCNHS), Shoolini University, Solan 173212, Himachal Pradesh, India; Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - M Govarthanan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600 077, India.
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24
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Wang L, Hu Z, Yin H, Bradford SA, Luo J, Hou D. Aging of colloidal contaminants and pathogens in the soil environment: Implications for nanoplastic and COVID-19 risk mitigation. SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 39:SUM12849. [PMID: 36711026 PMCID: PMC9874619 DOI: 10.1111/sum.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal contaminants and pathogens are widely distributed in soil, whose tiny sizes and distinct surface properties render unique environmental behaviours. Because of aging, colloids can undergo dramatic changes in their physicochemical properties once in the soil environment, thus leading to diverse or even unpredictable environmental behaviour and fate. Herein, we provide a state-of-art review of colloid aging mechanisms and characteristics and implications for risk mitigation. First, we review aging-induced formation of colloidal contaminants and aging-associated changes. We place a special focus on emerging nanoplastic (NP) contaminants and associated physical, chemical, and biological aging processes in soil environments. Second, we assess aging and survival features of colloidal pathogens, especially viruses. Viruses in soils may survive from several days to months, or even several years in groundwater, depending on their rates of inactivation and the reversibility of attachment. Furthermore, we identify implications for risk mitigation based on aging mechanisms. Hotspots of (photo)chemical aging of NPs, including plastic gauzes at construction sites and randomly discarded plastic waste in rural areas, are identified as area requiring greater research attention. For COVID-19, we suggest taking greater care in regions where viruses are persist for long periods, such as cold climate regions. Soil amendment with quicklime (CaO) may act as an effective means for pathogen disinfection. Future risk mitigation of colloidal contaminants and pathogens relies on a better understanding of aging mechanisms and more sophisticated models accurately depicting processes in real soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuwei Wang
- School of EnvironmentTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhongtao Hu
- School of EnvironmentTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Faculty of ScienceThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Hanbing Yin
- School of EnvironmentTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- College of Environmental Science and EngineeringBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Scott A. Bradford
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research ServiceSustainable Agricultural Water Systems UnitDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jian Luo
- School of Civil and Environmental EngineeringGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Deyi Hou
- School of EnvironmentTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
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25
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Kumar R, Ivy N, Bhattacharya S, Dey A, Sharma P. Coupled effects of microplastics and heavy metals on plants: Uptake, bioaccumulation, and environmental health perspectives. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155619. [PMID: 35508241 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution has severe ecological and environmental concerns because of its enormous production and discharge in natural ecosystems worldwide. Microplastics interact with heavy metals and metalloids like arsenic, chromium, copper, cadmium, and lead in soil and can cause detrimental effects on soil structure and microbial activities and subsequently impact the plants and human health. This article focuses on microplastic translocation from soil to plants together with heavy metals. Microplastic exposure impacts biomass, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll content, root and shoot length in the plants through apoplastic and symplastic pathways. Microplastics can also indirectly affect the plant growth by changing soil nutrient content and microbial community structure. At the same time, microplastics can absorb heavy metals and increase phytotoxicity in plants. However, the current knowledge about the coupled effect of heavy metals and microplastics bioaccumulation in plants is limited. It is postulated that heavy metals and microplastics collectively impact the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, and induction of reactive oxygen species in plants. This work also outlines the environmental health perspectives based on microplastic and heavy metals toxicity and provides a guideline for future research on the coupled effects of heavy metals and microplastics on plants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Nishita Ivy
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Sayan Bhattacharya
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, India
| | - Prabhakar Sharma
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, 803116, Bihar, India.
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26
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Migration Behavior and Influencing Factors of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Phenanthrene in Soil around Typical Oilfields of China. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10081624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Petroleum spills and land contamination are becoming increasingly common around the world. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other pollutants found in petroleum are constantly migrating underground, making their migration in soil a hot research topic. Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate the migratory process of petroleum hydrocarbons in petroleum-polluted soil to clarify its ecological and environmental risks. In this study, Phenanthrene (PHE) was used as a typical pollutant of PAHs. The soil was gathered from three typical oilfields in China, and a soil column apparatus was built to simulate the vertical migration of PHE in the soil. The migration law and penetration effect of PHE in various environmental conditions of soil were investigated by varying the ionic strength (IS), pH, particle size, and type of soil. According to the literature, pH has no discernible effect on the migration of PHE. The migration of PHE was adversely and positively linked with changes in IS and soil particle size, respectively. The influence of soil type was mainly manifested in the difference of organic matter and clay content. In the Yanchang Oilfield (YC) soil with the largest soil particle size and the least clay content, the mobility of PHE was the highest. This study may reveal the migration law of PAHs in soils around typical oilfields, establish a new foundation for PAH migration in the soil, and also provide new ideas for the management and control of petroleum pollution in the soil and groundwater.
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27
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Koutnik VS, Leonard J, Brar J, Cao S, Glasman JB, Cowger W, Ravi S, Mohanty SK. Transport of microplastics in stormwater treatment systems under freeze-thaw cycles: Critical role of plastic density. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 222:118950. [PMID: 35964509 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Stormwater treatment systems remove and accumulate microplastics from surface runoff, but some of them can be moved downward to groundwater by natural freeze-thaw cycles. Yet, it is unclear whether or how microplastic properties such as density could affect the extent to which freeze-thaw cycles would move microplastics in the subsurface. To examine the transport and redistribution of microplastics in the subsurface by freeze-thaw cycles, three types of microplastics, with density smaller than (polypropylene or PP), similar to (polystyrene or PS), or greater than (polyethylene terephthalate or PET) water, were first deposited on the top of packed sand-the most common filter media used in infiltration-based stormwater treatment systems. Then the columns were subjected to either 23 h of drying at 22 ⁰C (control) or freeze-thaw treatment (freezing at -20 ⁰C for 6 h and thawing at 22 ⁰C for 17 h) followed by a wetting event. The cycle was repeated 36 times, and the effluents were analyzed for microplastics. Microplastics were observed in effluents from the columns that were contaminated with PET and subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. Comparison of the distribution of microplastics in sand columns at the end of 36 cycles confirmed that freeze-thaw cycles could disproportionally accelerate the downward mobility of denser microplastics. Using a force balance model, we show that smaller microplastics (<50 µm) can be pushed at higher velocity by the ice-water interface, irrespective of the density of microplastics. However, plastic density becomes critical when the size of microplastics is larger than 50 µm. The coupled experimental studies and theoretical framework improved the understanding of why denser microplastics such as PET and PVC may move deeper into the subsurface in the stormwater treatment systems and consequently elevate groundwater pollution risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera S Koutnik
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jamie Leonard
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jaslyn Brar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shangqing Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joel B Glasman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Win Cowger
- Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Sujith Ravi
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sanjay K Mohanty
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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28
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He L, Li M, Wu D, Guo J, Zhang M, Tong M. Freeze-thaw cycles induce diverse bacteria release behaviors from quartz sand columns with different water saturations. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118683. [PMID: 35716413 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria present in natural environment especially those in cold regions would experience freeze-thaw (FT) process during day-night and season turns. However, knowledge about the influence of FT on bacteria release behaviors in porous media was limited. In present study, the bacteria release behaviors from quartz sand columns without and with 1 and 3 FT treatment cycles under three water saturations (θ=100%, 90%, and 60%) were investigated. We found that for all three water saturated columns without FT treatment, negligible bacteria released from columns via background salt solution elution, while the subsequent release of bacteria from sand columns via low ionic strength (IS) solution elution decreased with decreasing column water saturations. More importantly, we found unlike the negligible bacteria release in columns without FT treatment, for columns with high saturations (θ=100% and 90%), FT treatment could promote bacteria release with background salt solution elution. Moreover, for high saturated columns, FT treatment would decrease subsequent bacteria release with low IS solution elution. This phenomenon was more obvious with increasing FT treatment cycles. In contrast, FT treatment had negligible influence on bacteria release from columns with lower saturation (θ=60%). The decreased bacterial sizes, the loss of bacterial flagella, as well as the change of local configuration of porous media (via changing water into ice and ice back into water) during the FT processes contributed to increased bacteria release via background salt solution elution from high saturated sand columns. While, the reduced amount of bacteria being retained at secondary energy minima drove to the subsequently decreased bacteria release via low IS solution elution. The results of this study clearly showed that for porous media with high saturations, FT cycles would increase the risk of bacteria detaching from porous media with flushing by the background solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei He
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meng Li
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Dan Wu
- Beijing Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jia Guo
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental, Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Mengya Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meiping Tong
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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29
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Ling X, Yan Z, Lu G. Vertical transport and retention behavior of polystyrene nanoplastics in simulated hyporheic zone. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 219:118609. [PMID: 35598467 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ecological risk of microplastics (MPs) usually depends on their environmental behavior, however, few studies focused on the impact of hydrodynamic perturbations on the fate of MPs in hyporheic zone. This study chose quartz sand (250-425 μm) as simulated porous medium to investigate the transport of 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) under hydrodynamic factors, including flow rates (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mL/min), flow orientations (up-flow, down-flow, and horizontal-flow), and water saturations (50%, 80%, and 100%), as well as different salinities and temperatures. The breakthrough curves (BTCs) and retained profiles (RPs) of PSNPs were compared and analyzed by Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Due to the small size and moderate density of PSNPs, as well as high flow rates, the flow orientation exhibited little effect on the PSNP transport. However, high flow rate, low salinity, high water saturation, and low temperature would facilitate the mobility of PSNPs. The increase in salinity from zero to 35 PSU (practical salinity units) caused the compression of electrical double layer and weakened the electrostatic repulsion between PSNPs and sands, which dramatically decreased the penetration rate from 100% to zero. Especially, the lower energy barrier of PSNPs-PSNPs at 3.5 and 35 PSU (16.45 kBT and zero, respectively) facilitated the adsorption of PSNPs on sand via ripening mechanism. Due to the strong adsorption of PSNPs by sand at high salinity, the effect of flow rate on PSNP transport was more pronounced at low salinity. The mobility of PSNPs at 0.035 PSU was enhanced by 41.4%-75.3% as the flow rate increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mL/min, which was contributed from the reversible deposition in lower secondary energy minimum depth at low salinity and the stronger hydrodynamic drag force generated by the high flow rate. However, the sufficient molecular diffusion at low flow rate promoted the occupation of PSNPs on adsorption sites. In addition, the penetration rate of PSNPs decreased by 25.0% as the water saturation decreased from 100% to 50%, indicating that the film straining at the air-water interface would hinder the transport of PSNPs. Finally, temperature increase impeded the penetration of PSNPs by 6.26%-23.1% via blocking mechanism. Our results suggest that low-salinity, high-flow river systems may be at greater risk of MPs contamination due to enhanced vertical transport capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ling
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Zhenhua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China.
| | - Guanghua Lu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
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30
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Zhang B, Xu D, Wan X, Wu Y, Liu X, Gao B. Comparative analysis of microplastic organization and pollution risk before and after thawing in an urban river in Beijing, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154268. [PMID: 35247407 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urban rivers are potential sinks for microplastic (MP) contamination in the environment. However, the footprint of MPs in urban rivers is not well understood because it is influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors. This study focused on the occurrence, pollution risk, and potential sources of MPs in surface water and sediments before and after thawing in Shahe River, Beijing. The size distribution, morphological characteristics and polymer types of MPs were analyzed using a micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the average abundance of MP obviously increased after river thawing, from 1772 ± 1668 items·m-3 to 3877 ± 2517 items·m-3 in surface water and 4776 ± 4817 items·kg-1 to 14,004 ± 5371 items·kg-1 in sediments. The MP polymer types were more diverse after thawing. The main MP type in surface water changed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to polypropylene (PP). Moreover, PP was the most common type in sediments. Small-sized MPs (SMPs, 10-300 μm) were dominant in Shahe River, with the proportion increasing from 48.5% to 83.3% in surface water and from 84.3% to 94.4% in sediments after thawing. Although the MP pollution risk increased after thawing, it was still low in the Shahe River. Unfortunately, changes in polymer types caused by thawing and the emergence of toxic polymers increased the ecological risk in the urban river. These results revealed the information of MP contamination before and after thawing, and highlighted the barrier influence of river icing on the migration of MPs. Overall, the results presented a new perspective on the environmental behavior of microplastics in urban rivers, suggesting that the occurrence and dominance of SMPs and the emergence of toxic polymers in urban environmental media require close attention in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baohao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China; School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
| | - Dongyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Xiaohong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Yazun Wu
- School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
| | - Xiaoru Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Bo Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China.
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31
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Feng Q, Chen Z, Greer CW, An C, Wang Z. Transport of Microplastics in Shore Substrates over Tidal Cycles: Roles of Polymer Characteristics and Environmental Factors. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8187-8196. [PMID: 35658111 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tidal zones providing habitats are particularly vulnerable to microplastic (MP) pollution. In this study, the effects of tidal cycles on the transport of MPs (4-6 μm polyethylene, PE1; 125 μm polyethylene, PE2; and 5-6 μm polytetrafluoroethylene, PFTE) in porous media combined with various environmental and MPs properties were systemically investigated. The results indicated that smaller substrate sizes exhibited higher retention percentages compared to those of larger substrate sizes under different tidal cycles. In terms of the size of MPs, a larger size (same density) was found to result in enhanced retention of MPs in the column. As the number of tidal cycles increased, although the transport of MPs from the substrate to the water phase was enhanced, PE1 was washed out more with the change in water level, compared to PTFE. Additionally, more MPs were retained in the column with the increase of salinity and the decrease of flow velocity under the same tidal cycles. Ultraviolet and seawater aged PE1 showed enhanced transport, while aged PTFE showed enhanced retention under the same tidal cycles. These results can help understand the MP behaviors in the shoreline environment and provide support for future cleanup and sampling in tidal zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Feng
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Charles W Greer
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal H9X 3V9, Canada
- Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada
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Viaroli S, Lancia M, Re V. Microplastics contamination of groundwater: Current evidence and future perspectives. A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153851. [PMID: 35176372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater is a primary water source which supplies more than 2 billion people. The increasing population and urbanization of rural areas stresses and depletes the groundwater systems, reducing the groundwater quality. Among the emerging contaminants, microplastics (MPs) are becoming an important issue due to their persistency in the environment. Seepage through the pores and fractures as well as the interaction with colloidal aggregates can partially affect the MPs dynamics in the subsoil, making the detection of the MPs in the groundwater systems challenging. Based on literature, a critical analysis of MPs in groundwater is presented from a hydrogeological point of view. In addition, a review of the MPs data potentially affecting the groundwater systems are included. MPs in groundwater may have several sources, including the atmosphere, the interaction with surface water bodies, urban infrastructures, or agricultural soils. The characterization of both the groundwater dynamics and the heterogeneity of MPs is suggested, proposing a new framework named "Hydrogeoplastic Model". MPs detection methods aimed at characterizing the smaller fragments are necessary to clarify the fate of these contaminants in the aquifers. This review also aims to support future research on MP contamination in groundwater, pointing out the current knowledge and the future risks which could affect groundwater resources worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Viaroli
- Sciences Department, Roma Tre University, Largo S. L. Murialdo 1, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Michele Lancia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Xueyuan Road, 1088, Shenzhen, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Xueyuan Road, 1088, Shenzhen, China
| | - Viviana Re
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Song J, Zeng Y, Liu Y, Jiang W. Retention of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide in porous media: Diffusion-attachment, interception-attachment and straining. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 431:128635. [PMID: 35278966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation, deposition and retention of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were investigated systematically to estimate their mobility in the environment. RGO aggregates faster than GO, resulting in weaker diffusive transfer and a lower deposition rate on oxide surfaces. In NaCl, the critical deposition concentration of RGO (CDCRGO) is smaller than CDCGO on the SiO2 surface, indicating that RGO achieves favorable deposition at lower ionic strength. In CaCl2, Ca2+ bridging causes close CDCGO and CDCRGO. The retention process was observed in the photolithographic SiO2 and Al2O3 micromodels. GO and RGO particles approach collectors mainly via interception before attachment. The interactive forces have a limited effect on the particle retention. The larger RGO aggregates cause greater extent interception and straining, resulting in lower mobility than GO in porous media. The mobility of GO and RGO show different trends in quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and in micromodels because the interception and straining mechanisms exist in pore space. Micromodel observation confirms the processes of interception and straining. The combination of QCM-D and micromodel experiments provides the connection of diffusion-attachment, interception-attachment and straining, which comprehensively explains the higher mobility of GO than RGO in porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Song
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yuxuan Zeng
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
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Dong S, Zhou M, Su X, Xia J, Wang L, Wu H, Suakollie EB, Wang D. Transport and retention patterns of fragmental microplastics in saturated and unsaturated porous media: A real-time pore-scale visualization. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 214:118195. [PMID: 35193078 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The environmental behaviors of microplastics (MPs) have garnered ever-increasing attention globally. To overcome the limitations of commonly used "black box", a real-time pore-scale visualization system including microscope, charge coupled device (CCD) microscope camera, and flow cell (connected with pump and sample collector) was used to unravel the transport and retention mechanisms of fragmental microplastics (FMPs) in saturated and unsaturated porous media. The breakthrough curves (BTCs) of effluent concentrations from the flow cells were used to quantitatively analyze FMPs transport. The videos gathered from different transport scenarios indicated that FMPs can move along with the bulk flow in porous media, but also move around the sand surfaces via sliding, rolling, and saltating patterns. The FMPs were retained in porous media mainly via deposition and straining in saturated porous media. Interestingly, little FMPs were captured by the air-water interface in unsaturated conditions. The mobility of FMPs varied with environmental factors, which became lower at higher solution ionic strength (IS), smaller grain size, and lower water content in porous media. Flow rate barely affected the transport of FMPs under 0.1 mM IS with the mass recovery rate ranging between 65.8 and 67.5%, but significantly enhanced FMPs mobility under 10 mM IS through reducing the moving rate. The IS and grain size showed a more significant effect on the transport of FMPs in unsaturated porous media. Our findings, for the first time, visually deciphered the transport and retention patterns of MPs with fragmental shapes on pore-scale, expanding our current knowledge of the fate and transport of more realistic MPs in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunan Dong
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.
| | - Mengzhu Zhou
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Xiaoting Su
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Jihong Xia
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Huiyi Wu
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Emmanuel B Suakollie
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Dengjun Wang
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States
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Xu Y, Ou Q, Jiao M, Liu G, van der Hoek JP. Identification and Quantification of Nanoplastics in Surface Water and Groundwater by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4988-4997. [PMID: 35373559 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) are currently considered an environmental pollutant of concern, but the actual extent of NP pollution in environmental water bodies remains unclear and there is not enough quantitative data to conduct proper risk assessments. In this study, a pretreatment method combining ultrafiltration (UF, 100 kDa) with hydrogen peroxide digestion and subsequent detection with pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was developed and used to identify and quantify six selected NPs in surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW), including poly(vinylchloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The results show that the proposed method could detect NPs in environmental water samples. Nearly all selected NPs could be detected in the surface water at all locations, while PVC, PMMA, PS, and PET NPs were frequently below the detection limit in the groundwater. PP (32.9-69.9%) and PE (21.3-44.3%) NPs were the dominant components in both surface water and groundwater, although there were significant differences in the pollution levels attributed to the filtration efficiency of riverbank, with total mass concentrations of 0.283-0.793 μg/L (SW) and 0.021-0.203 μg/L (GW). Overall, this study quantified the NPs in complex aquatic environments for the first time, filling in gaps in our knowledge about NP pollution levels and providing a useful methodology and important reference data for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085 Beijing, P. R. China
- Section of Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Qin Ou
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085 Beijing, P. R. China
- Section of Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Meng Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085 Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Gang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100085 Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Jan Peter van der Hoek
- Section of Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
- Waternet, Department Research & Innovation, P.O. Box 94370, 1090 GJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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36
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Wang D, Zhang J, Cao R, Zhang Y, Li J. The detection and characterization techniques for the interaction between graphene oxide and natural colloids: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:151906. [PMID: 34838546 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151906] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The high dispersibility of graphene oxide (GO) and the universality of natural colloids (clay minerals, (hydr)oxides of Al, Fe, silica, etc.) make them interact easily. Many kinds of analytical methods have been used to study the interaction between GO and natural colloids. This review provides a comprehensive overview of analytical methods for the detection and quantification of interaction process. We highlighted the influence of the most relevant environmental factors (ionic strength, pH, etc.) on batch experiment, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring measurements, and column experiments. Besides, the benefits and drawbacks of spectroscopic, microscopic techniques, theoretical models, calculation and time-resolved dynamic light scattering methods also have discussed in this work. This review can give some guidance to researchers in their selection and combination of the technique for the research of the interaction between GO and natural colloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- De Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Ruya Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Yingzi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Jiaxing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, PR China.
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37
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Alimi OS, Claveau-Mallet D, Kurusu RS, Lapointe M, Bayen S, Tufenkji N. Weathering pathways and protocols for environmentally relevant microplastics and nanoplastics: What are we missing? JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 423:126955. [PMID: 34488100 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
To date, most studies of microplastics have been carried out with pristine particles. However, most plastics in the environment will be aged to some extent; hence, understanding the effects of weathering and accurately mimicking weathering processes are crucial. By using microplastics that lack environmental relevance, we are unable to fully assess the risks associated with microplastic pollution in the environment. Emerging studies advocate for harmonization of experimental methods, however, the subject of reliable weathering protocols for realistic assessment has not been addressed. In this work, we critically analysed the current knowledge regarding protocols used for generating environmentally relevant microplastics and leachates for effects studies. We present the expected and overlooked weathering pathways that plastics will undergo throughout their lifecycle. International standard weathering protocols developed for polymers were critically analysed for their appropriateness for use in microplastics research. We show that most studies using weathered microplastics involve sorption experiments followed by toxicity assays. The most frequently reported weathered plastic types in the literature are polystyrene>polyethylene>polypropylene>polyvinyl chloride, which does not reflect the global plastic production and plastic types detected globally. Only ~10% of published effect studies have used aged microplastics and of these, only 12 use aged nanoplastics. This highlights the need to embrace the use of environmentally relevant microplastics and to pay critical attention to the appropriateness of the weathering methods adopted moving forward. We advocate for quality reporting of weathering protocols and characterisation for harmonization and reproducibility across different research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olubukola S Alimi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Dominique Claveau-Mallet
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada; Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Rafael S Kurusu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Mathieu Lapointe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Stéphane Bayen
- Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University, Lakeshore, Ste Anne de Bellevue, 21111, Canada
| | - Nathalie Tufenkji
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada.
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38
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Yasir AM, Ma J, Ouyang X, Zhao J, Zhao Y, Weng L, Islam MS, Chen Y, Li Y. Effects of selected functional groups on nanoplastics transport in saturated media under diethylhexyl phthalate co-contamination conditions. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131965. [PMID: 34449324 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The production and degradation of plastic remains can result in nanoplastics (NPs) formation. However, insufficient information regarding the environmental behaviors of NPs impedes comprehensive assessment of their significant threats. In this study, the transport behavior of unmodified NPs (PSNPs), carboxyl-modified NPs (PSNPs-COOH), and amino-modified NPs (PSNPs-NH2) was investigated using column experiments in the presence and absence of goethite (GT) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Quantum chemical computation was performed to reveal the transport mechanisms. The results showed that GT decreased the transport of NPs and the presence of DEHP decreased it further. Van der Waals forces and small electrostatic interactions coexisted between the PSNPs and GT and caused deposition. Ligand exchange caused greater deposition of PSNPs-COOH on GT-coated sand than that of PSNPs. Although hydrogen bonding existed between the DEHP and NPs with functional groups, an increase in the positive charge and chemical heterogeneity of the collector was the main reason for DEHP promoting the deposition of NPs. Because of low absolute negative zeta potential values, PSNPs-NH2 was sensitive to chemical heterogeneity, and thus fully deposited (over 96.9%) in GT and GT-DEHP-coated columns. Generally, the deposition of NPs due to chemical heterogeneity was more significant than that due to the formation of chemical bonds and van der Waals, electrostatic, and hydrogen interactions. Our results highlight that the surface charge and functional groups significantly influence the transport behaviors of NPs and elucidate the fate of NPs in the terrestrial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arafat Md Yasir
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China.
| | - Xiaoxue Ouyang
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Junying Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Safety Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Liping Weng
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Md Shafiqul Islam
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Yali Chen
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Factors Control of Agro-Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China; Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China
| | - Yongtao Li
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
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Alice P, Maud G, Dominique B, Julien G. Micro- and nanoplastic transfer in freezing saltwater: implications for their fate in polar waters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1759-1770. [PMID: 34610635 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00280e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastic debris accumulates in the Arctic by way of oceanic and atmospheric circulation. High concentrations of microplastics (1 μm to 5 mm) have been measured, and nanoplastics (<1 μm) are expected to be abundant as well. However, little is known about the mobility of micro- and nanoplastics at the seawater/ice interface. This study investigates the fate of micro- and nanoplastics during sea-ice formation. A novel experimental approach simulates the growth of sea ice by progressively freezing a saline solution. After different durations of freezing, the concentrations of NaCl, natural organic matter, microplastics, and nanoplastics were measured in the ice and liquid. Micro- and nanoplastic distribution coefficients between saltwater and ice were determined, reflecting their behavior during congelation sea-ice growth. The results show that microplastics are retained in ice while nanoplastics are expulsed from it. Furthermore, natural organic matter plays a crucial role in stabilizing nanoplastics at this interface. These results raise new questions concerning the impact of micro- and nanoplastics in fragile polar environments and the analytical strategy to detect them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradel Alice
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
- TAKUVIK, CNRS, Université Laval - IRL 3376, G1V A06, Québec, Canada.
| | - Gautier Maud
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Bavay Dominique
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Gigault Julien
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France.
- TAKUVIK, CNRS, Université Laval - IRL 3376, G1V A06, Québec, Canada.
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40
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Li M, Zhang X, Yi K, He L, Han P, Tong M. Transport and deposition of microplastic particles in saturated porous media: Co-effects of clay particles and natural organic matter. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 287:117585. [PMID: 34147776 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Natural colloids such as clays and natural organic matter (NOM) are universally present in environments, which could interact with microplastics (MPs) and thus alter the fate and transport of MPs in porous media. The co-effects of clays and NOM on MPs transport in saturated porous media were systematically explored at both low and high ionic strength (IS) conditions. Specifically, bentonite and humic acid (HA) were employed as representative clays and NOM. 5 mM NaCl and 1 mM CaCl2 solutions were used as low IS conditions, while 25 mM NaCl and 5 mM CaCl2 solutions were employed as high IS conditions. We found that formation of MPs-bentonite heteroaggregates had great effects on MPs transport under different conditions. Without HA, the small MPs-bentonite heteroaggregates formed under low IS increased MPs transport via serving as mobile carriers, while larger MPs-bentonite heteroaggregates formed at high IS led to the decreased MPs mobility. When both HA and bentonite were copresent in MPs suspension, we found that HA could inhibit the formation of larger sized MPs-bentonite heteroaggregates. Particularly, when the two types of natural colloids copresent in MPs suspensions, MPs transport behaviors were similar to those with only bentonite present in MPs suspensions at low IS, while MPs transport was greatly increased at high IS comparing with those only with bentonite in suspensions. Clearly, without HA in suspensions, bentonite played the dominant role on MPs transport under all examined conditions concerned in this study. Instead, when both HA and bentonite copresent in MPs suspensions, MPs transport was mainly controlled by bentonite at low IS, while both bentonite and HA had major contributions at high IS. The results showed that under solution conditions concerned in present study, MPs mobility in porous media would be greatly affected (either enhanced or inhibited) by the two types of natural colloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China
| | - Xiangwei Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China
| | - Kexin Yi
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China
| | - Lei He
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China
| | - Peng Han
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China
| | - Meiping Tong
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China.
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41
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Ren Z, Gui X, Xu X, Zhao L, Qiu H, Cao X. Microplastics in the soil-groundwater environment: Aging, migration, and co-transport of contaminants - A critical review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 419:126455. [PMID: 34186423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic contamination in soil has received increasing attention since excessive plastic debris has been emitted directly into the terrestrial environment. Once released into the terrestrial environment, microplastics can be aged via photo- and thermally-initiated oxidative degradation, hetero-aggregation, and bioturbation. Aging affects the physiochemical properties of microplastics with the increase of surface roughness and oxygen-containing groups, which could enhance the sorption and mobility of microplastics in the soil and groundwater environment. However, the interactions among aging, sorption, and transport of microplastics in the terrestrial system have not been unveiled. This review clarifies the key processes of microplastics transport pathways in soil and groundwater ecosystems influenced by aging and sorption under various scenarios. Co-transport of microplastics and sorbed contaminants are also addressed to help understand the risks associated with heavy metals, organic contaminants, and engineered nanoparticles in the soil environment. Overall, this review elaborates the most pressing research limitations on the present literature and highlights the future perspectives to investigate the possible broad transport pathways of microplastics in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefan Ren
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiangyang Gui
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoyun Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hao Qiu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xinde Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Shanghai 200092, China.
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42
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Effect of Physical Characteristics and Hydrodynamic Conditions on Transport and Deposition of Microplastics in Riverine Ecosystem. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13192710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic disposal into riverine ecosystems is an emergent ecological hazard that mainly originated from land-based sources. This paper presents a comprehensive review on physical processes involved in microplastics transport in riverine ecosystems. Microplastic transport is governed by physical characteristics (e.g., plastic particle density, shape, and size) and hydrodynamics (e.g., laminar and turbulent flow conditions). High-density microplastics are likely to prevail near riverbeds, whereas low-density particles float over river surfaces. Microplastic transport occurs either due to gravity-driven (vertical transport) or settling (horizontal transport) in river ecosystems. Microplastics are subjected to various natural phenomena such as suspension, deposition, detachment, resuspension, and translocation during transport processes. Limited information is available on settling and rising velocities for various polymeric plastic particles. Therefore, this paper highlights how appropriately empirical transport models explain vertical and horizontal distribution of microplastic in riverine ecosystems. Microplastics interact, and thus feedback loops within the environment govern their fate, particularly as these ecosystems are under increasing biodiversity loss and climate change threat. This review provides outlines for fate and transport of microplastics in riverine ecosystems, which will help scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in better monitoring and mitigating microplastics pollution.
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43
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Ling X, Yan Z, Liu Y, Lu G. Transport of nanoparticles in porous media and its effects on the co-existing pollutants. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 283:117098. [PMID: 33857878 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117098] [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: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nanomaterials are widely used in daily life owing to their superior characteristics. The release and transport of nanoparticles (NPs) in the environment is inevitable during their entire life cycle, posing a risk to the aquatic environment. Thus, considerable attention has been focused on the fate and behavior of NPs in porous media, as well as the co-transport of NPs with other pollutants. In this review, current knowledge about the retention and transport behavior of NPs in porous media is summarized. NP transport in porous media is dominated by various internal and external factors, including the characteristics of NPs, porous media, and water flow. Generally, NPs with high density, small particle size, and surface coating are easily transported in porous media with the characteristics of large size, smooth surface, and low water saturation. Meanwhile, high pH and velocity, low temperature, and natural organic matter-containing fluids are also conducive to NP transport. Aggregation, adsorption, straining, and blocking are the primary mechanisms by which NPs affect the transport of co-existing pollutants in porous media. Current research on NP transport has been performed predominantly using modal porous media (e.g., sand and glass beads); however, there is a large gap between simulated and natural porous media. Further studies should focus on the transport, fate, and interaction of NPs and coexistent pollutants in natural porous media, as well as the coupling mechanisms under actual environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ling
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Zhenhua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China.
| | - Yuxuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Guanghua Lu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
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44
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Xu Y, Ou Q, He Q, Wu Z, Ma J, Huangfu X. Influence of dissolved black carbon on the aggregation and deposition of polystyrene nanoplastics: Comparison with dissolved humic acid. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 196:117054. [PMID: 33770677 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved black carbon (DBC), widely found in soil and water environments is likely to affect the transport of nanoplastics in aquatic environments. The aggregation and deposition behaviors of fresh and aged polystyrene nanoplastics (PSs) with and without DBC in NaCl solution were investigated by time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring equipment (QCM-D) techniques. The results suggest that DBC can screen the surface charges of PSs by interacting with PSs through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions and π-π interactions, although they were negatively charged. DBC promoted the aggregation of PSs under relatively low ionic strengths, and it minimally affected the stability of PSs under high ionic strength. Deposition experiments showed that both DBC in salt solution and DBC adsorption on silica surface facilitated the deposition of fresh PSs while HA inhibited both deposition processes. After aging, PSs were more stable, and the effects of DBC and HA were weakened. This study investigated the influence mechanism of DBC on the aggregation and deposition behaviors, which provides new insights into the stability and transport of PSs in complex aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Urban Construction and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China; Section of Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Qin Ou
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Urban Construction and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China
| | - Qiang He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Urban Construction and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China
| | - Zhengsong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Urban Construction and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology 150001, China
| | - Xiaoliu Huangfu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Urban Construction and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University 400044, China.
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