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Maharjan KK, Dhungel RP. First-ever study uncovers microplastic contamination in Nepalese table salt. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34621. [PMID: 39082014 PMCID: PMC11284381 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous studies on microplastic contamination in table salt worldwide, research focusing on Nepalese table salts is remarkably lacking. This study aims to address this gap by investigating microplastic contamination in salt samples collected from all seven provincial zones of Nepal. Our objective is to comprehensively assess the presence and characteristics of microplastics in salt sold within local markets across the country. Five salt packaging companies utilized by Nepalese consumers were identified. The collected salt samples were digested with Fenton's reagent to extract microplastics, which were then observed under a digital microscope. Using an OMAX stereomicroscope at 30× magnification and an OMAX A3503S digital camera, each microplastic was carefully identified and quantified. FTIR analysis was conducted to identify the polymer types. All tested salt samples (100 %) from both Nepalese and Indian packaging companies contained microplastics. Microplastic abundance exhibits variability among the samples, ranging from 80 to 1040 microplastics per kilogram of salt. The average value stands at 381 ± 219 microplastics per kilogram of salt sample. The distribution of microplastic concentrations within the salt samples reveals that the majority fall within the 301-400 microplastics per kilogram salt range, constituting 33 % of the total samples. Color analysis showed diverse contamination sources, while microplastic shapes included fibers (56 %), films (17 %), fragments (16 %) and pellets (11 %). Polymer type analysis confirmed the presence of polyethylene and polypropylene in tested microplastics. The study estimated that Nepalese individuals ingest an average of 1853 microplastics annually, indicating significant exposure from salt consumption. Surprisingly, factors such as storage conditions, date of salt packaging and thickness of packaging material did not significantly affect microplastic presence in the samples, suspecting manufacturing processes as the primary contributors to contamination. Therefore, the raw materials and purification practices for salt need improvement, as existing methods are insufficient to eliminate microplastics. These findings emphasize the need for further research and mitigation efforts to address microplastic contamination in Nepalese salt and its potential health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishor Kumar Maharjan
- Department of Environmental Science, Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
| | - Ram Prasad Dhungel
- NEA Engineering Company (NES) Limited, Trade Tower building, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Chanpiwat P, Damrongsiri S. From Sea Water to Salt Crystals: An Onsite Investigation of Microplastics in a Conventional Sea Salt Farming System. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:300. [PMID: 38990399 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02079-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated microplastic (MP) contamination in conventional sea salt farming systems. Various crude sea salt samples (n = 22) that were traditionally produced were collected from salt farms and local vendors. Salt water (n = 15), macroalgae (n = 6), and clay of pond floors (n = 6) were collected from ponds subjected to different production (stabilization, evaporation, and concentration and crystallization concentration) processes. All samples were analyzed for MP abundance and characteristics. The potential sources of MP contamination in the salt were also investigated. The mean abundance of MPs in the salt water and clay of pond floor increased progressively throughout the production process and reached its highest level in the concentration and crystallization ponds (7400 MP particles/m3 in salt water and 19,336 MP particles/m2 in the clay of the pond floor). A maximum of 26,500 MP particles/kg of macroalgal material indicated the potential sink of MPs on the surface of the algae. Approximately 34-2377 MP particles/kg salt were found in the crude sea salt samples. However, the mean abundance (378 MP particles/kg of salt) indicated nonsignificant impacts of different harvesting processes on MP contamination. Most MP size distributions, shapes and polymer types in the salts were similar to those found in the salt water, macroalgae and clay of the pond floor. Approximately 99% of the MPs were fragments that were suspected to be decomposed from larger plastic debris and plastic machinery and tools used at the salt farm. Similar patterns of polymer distribution, in which PP > PE > PET > PS, were found for all samples studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penradee Chanpiwat
- Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Seelawut Damrongsiri
- Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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Borah P, Kshiar N, Reang D, Jyoti Nath A, Kumar Baruah K. Incidence of microplastic contamination in fishes of the Ramsar Wetland, Loktak - The world's only floating lake from the Indian Himalayan region. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 358:120928. [PMID: 38652990 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120928] [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: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous, and their widespread prevalence in the ecosphere has generated concerns about their potential effects on terrestrial and aquatic organisms. However, studies pertaining to ecologically sensitive freshwater ecosystems, such as Ramsar wetlands, is scarce. Therefore, the study was conducted in Loktak, the world's only floating lake, and one of the largest wetland in the Indian Himalayan region. The wetland's degradation and pollution have resulted its inclusion in the Montreux Record, underscoring the need for studying this eco-sensitive freshwater system. This work investigated the (i) abundance, morphotype and size of microplastics in fish, and (ii) chemical composition of the microplastics consumed and accumulated in the fish of Loktak lake. Fish samples representing eight species were collected and analyzed for microplastics. Results revealed that ∼91% of the sampled fish ingested microplastics. Fragment was identified as the predominant morphotype (∼82%). Plastic polymers including polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were detected. The occurrence of heavy metals - chlorine (Cl), palladium (Pd), sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) suggests their adhesion on the microplastics. The occurrence of microplastics in fish indicates pollution in the lake and poses a potential health risks to humans through consumption. Therefore, implementing comprehensive management approaches is imperative to mitigate this emerging pollution and uphold the ecological integrity of the Ramsar site. Substantial information on microplastics and their potential human exposure through fish consumption, particularly in the Indian Himalayan region, remains to be assessed, underscoring the need for extensive study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallabi Borah
- Department of Environmental Science, Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India.
| | - Naphibaniarlin Kshiar
- Department of Environmental Science, Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India.
| | - Demsai Reang
- Department of Environmental Science, Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India.
| | - Arun Jyoti Nath
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar-788011, India.
| | - Kushal Kumar Baruah
- Department of Environmental Science, Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati-781035, India.
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K S V, Prapanchan VN, Selvan VNI, Karmegam N, Kim W, Barcelo D, Govarthanan M. Microplastics, their abundance, and distribution in water and sediments in North Chennai, India: An assessment of pollution risk and human health impacts. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2024; 263:104339. [PMID: 38564944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Plastic particles, measuring <5 mm in size, mainly originate from larger plastic debris undergoing degradation, fragmenting into even smaller fragments. The goal was to analyze the spatial diversity and polymer composition of microplastics (MPs) in North Chennai, South India, aiming to evaluate their prevalence and features like composition, dimensions, color, and shape. In 60 sediment samples, a combined count of 1589 particles were detected, averaging 26 particles per 5 g-1 of dry sediment. The water samples from the North Chennai vicinity encompassed a sum of 1588 particles across 71 samples, with an average of 22 items/L. The majority of MPs ranged in size from 1 mm to 500 μm. The ATR-FTIR results identified the predominant types of MPs as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene in sediment and water. The spatial variation analysis revealed high MPs concentration in landfill sites, areas with dense populations, and popular tourist destinations. The pollution load index in water demonstrated that MPs had contaminated all stations. Upon evaluating the polymeric and pollution risks, it was evident that they ranged from 5.13 to 430.15 and 2.83 to 15,963.2, which is relatively low to exceedingly high levels. As the quantity of MPs and hazardous polymers increased, the level of pollution and corresponding risks also escalated significantly. The existence of MPs in lake water, as opposed to open well water, could potentially pose a cancer risk for both children and adults who consume it. Detecting MPs in water samples highlights the significance of implementing precautionary actions to alleviate the potential health hazards they create.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh K S
- Centre for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V N Prapanchan
- Department of Geology, Anna University, Chennai 600025, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - V N Indhiya Selvan
- Department of Geography, University of Madras, Chennai 600025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Natchimuthu Karmegam
- PG and Research Department of Botany, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Salem 636007, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Woong Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Damia Barcelo
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Chemistry and Physics Department, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Muthusamy 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, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600077, India.
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Fatema K, Islam MJ, Sarker MAI, Elahi KS, Alam MJ, Hasan SJ, Rashid H. Occurrence of microplastics in fish gastrointestinal tracts belongs to different feeding habits from the Bangladesh coast of the Bay of Bengal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:24329-24343. [PMID: 38443534 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32681-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The Bay of Bengal (BoB) is home to a range of commercially important species with different food habits and feeding features. Microplastic (MP) contamination in the fish of BoB, like in many other marine environments, is a significant environmental concern. The study aimed to investigate the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of selected commercial marine fishes from the Bangladesh coast of the BoB. Six fish species (Escualosa thoracata, Tenualosa ilisha, Johnius belangerii, Trichiurus lepturus, Planiliza parsia, and Mystus gulio) were investigated (n = 120) following hydrogen peroxide digestion, and floatation (saline solution) protocols. After analyses, a total number of 696 MPs (dimension 0.3 to 5 mm) were identified. Moreover, the highest occurrence of MPs in fish GITs was found in planktivorous fish (average of 7.7 items/individual), followed by omnivorous (average of 5.2 items/individual), and carnivorous fish (average of 4.6 items/individual) (p < 0.001). However, planktivorous E. thoracata showed the highest number of MPs per g of GIT (average of 30.99 items/g GIT), whereas T. ilisha showed the lowest count (average of 0.77 items/g GIT). Different types of MPs (fibers (19 to 76%), fragments (6 to 61%), films (8 to 35%), microbeads (0 to 5%), and foams (0 to 2%)) were also observed. In terms of the color of MPs, the transparent, black, green, and blue types were the most common. Polymers were found as polyethylene (35 to 43%), polyethylene terephthalate (28 to 35%), polyamide (20 to 31%), and polystyrene (0 to 7%). The study provides a significant incidence of MPs in fish from the Bangladesh part of the BoB, which is very concerning. Therefore, long-term research is indispensable to ascertain the variables affecting the presence of MPs in fish, their origins, and their potential effects on the BoB fisheries. Stringent policies on plastic use and disposal should be strongly urged in this coastal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaniz Fatema
- Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
- Department of Fisheries Management, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, 5200, Bangladesh
| | - Md Jakiul Islam
- Department of Fisheries Technology and Quality Control, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ashraful Islam Sarker
- Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
- Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kazi Shahrukh Elahi
- Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Md Jahangir Alam
- Department of Fisheries Management, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Shanur Jahedul Hasan
- Marine Station, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
| | - Harunur Rashid
- Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh.
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Mubin AN, Islam ARMT, Hasan M, Islam MS, Ali MM, Siddique MAB, Alam MS, Rakib MRJ, Islam MS, Momtaz N, Senapathi V, Idris AM, Malafaia G. The path of microplastics through the rare biodiversity estuary region of the northern Bay of Bengal. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2024; 260:104271. [PMID: 38056088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2023.104271] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to its harmful effects on ecosystems and human health, microplastic (MP) pollution has become a significant environmental problem on a global scale. Although MPs' pollution path and toxic effects on marine habitats have been examined worldwide, the studies are limited to the rare biodiversity estuary region of Hatiya Island from the northern Bay of Bengal. This study aimed to investigate the MP pollution path and its influencing factors in estuarine sediments and water in rare biodiversity Hatiya Island in the northern Bay of Bengal. Sixty water and sediment samples were collected from 10 sampling sites on the Island and analyzed for MPs. The abundance of MPs in sediment ranged from 67 to 143 pieces/kg, while the abundance in water ranged from 24.34 to 59 pieces/m3. The average concentrations of MPs in sediment and water were 110.90 ± 20.62 pieces/kg and 38.77 ± 10.09 pieces/m3, respectively. Most identified MPs from sediment samples were transparent (51%), while about 54.1% of the identified MPs from water samples were colored. The fragment was the most common form of MP in both compartments, with a value of 64.6% in sediment samples and 60.6% in water samples. In sediment and water samples, almost 74% and 80% of MP were <0.5 mm, respectively. Polypropylene (PP) was the most abundant polymer type, accounting for 51% of all identified polymers. The contamination factor, pollution load index, polymer risk score, and pollution risk score values indicated that the study area was moderately polluted with MPs. The spatial distribution patterns and hotspots of MPs echoed profound human pathways. Based on the results, sustainable management strategies and intervention measures were proposed to reduce the pollution level in the ecologically diverse area. This study provides important insights into evaluating estuary ecosystem susceptibility and mitigation policies against persistent MP issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Al-Nure Mubin
- Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh
| | - Abu Reza Md Towfiqul Islam
- Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh; Department of Development Studies, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh.
| | - Mehedi Hasan
- Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh
| | - Md Saiful Islam
- Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Mir Mohammad Ali
- Department of Aquaculture, Sher - e - Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Md Abu Bakar Siddique
- Institute of National Analytical Research and Service (INARS), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Sha Alam
- Institute of Mining, Mineralogy & Metallurgy (IMMM), Bangladesh Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR), Joypurhat 5900, Bangladesh
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad Saiful Islam
- Fiber and Polymer Research Division, BCSIR Laboratories Dhaka, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Nasima Momtaz
- Biological Research Division, BCSIR Laboratories Dhaka, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
| | | | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Goiânia, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
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Siddique MAM, Uddin A, Hossain MS, Rahman SMA, Rahman MS, Kibria G, Malafaia G. "Microplastic seasoning": A study on microplastic contamination of sea salts in Bangladesh. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115863. [PMID: 38039574 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115863] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated microplastics (MPs) in commercial sea salts from Bangladesh. The presence of MPs in the 18 sea salt bands was 100 %, where the mean MPs abundance was 471.67 MPs/kg, ranging between 300 and 670 MPs/kg. The maximum number of MPs in the 300-1500 μm size class was significantly higher than the 1500-3000 μm and 3000-5000 μm size class. The most dominant color was black. Fibers and foams were the dominant shapes. The highest number of MPs was 41 %, obtained from coarse salt grains. Four types of polymers were mainly identified from the analyzed samples: PP, PE, PET, and PA. The mean polymer risk index value among these sea salts was 539 to 1257. The findings of this study can be helpful for consumers, salt industries, and policymakers to be aware of or reduce MP contamination levels in sea salts during production and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Abdul Momin Siddique
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrogenases, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic; Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh.
| | - Azad Uddin
- Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh
| | - Md Soliman Hossain
- Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh
| | - Shahriar Md Arifur Rahman
- Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh; Department of Natural Resource and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - M Safiur Rahman
- Water Quality Research Laboratory, Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Center, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, 4-Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Shahbag, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | | | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, G.O., Brazil.
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Talukdar A, Kundu P, Bhattacharjee S, Dey S, Dey A, Biswas JK, Chaudhuri P, Bhattacharya S. Microplastics in mangroves with special reference to Asia: Occurrence, distribution, bioaccumulation and remediation options. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166165. [PMID: 37574065 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166165] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are a new and lesser-known pollutant that has intrigued the interest of scientists all over the world in recent decades. MP (<5mm in size) can enter marine environments such as mangrove forests in a variety of ways, interfering with the health of the environment and organisms. Mangroves are now getting increasingly exposed to microplastic contamination due to their proximity to human activities and their position as critical transitional zones between land and sea. The present study reviews the status of MPs contamination specifically in mangrove ecosystems situated in Asia. Different sources and characteristics of MPs, subsequent deposition of MPs in mangrove water and sediments, bioaccumulation in different organisms are discussed in this context. MP concentrations in sediments and organisms were higher in mangrove forests exposed to fishing, coastal tourism, urban, and industrial wastewater than in pristine areas. The distribution of MPs varies from organism to organism in mangrove ecosystems, and is significantly influenced by their morphometric characteristics, feeding habits, dwelling environment etc. Mangrove plants can accumulate microplastics in their roots, stem and leaves through absorption, adsorption and entrapment helping in reducing abundance of microplastic in the surrounding environment. Several bacterial and fungal species are reported from these mangrove ecosystems, which are capable of degrading MPs. The bioremediation potential of mangrove plants offers an innovative and sustainable approach to mitigate microplastic pollution. Diverse mechanisms of MP biodegradation by mangrove dwelling organisms are discussed in this context. Biotechnological applications can be utilized to explore the genetic potential of the floral and faunal species found in the Asian mangroves. Detailed studies are required to monitor, control, and evaluate MP pollution in sediments and various organisms in mangrove ecosystems in Asia as well as in other parts of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pritha Kundu
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar 803116, India
| | - Shrayan Bhattacharjee
- Ecosystem and Ecology Laboratory, Post-graduate Department of Zoology, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara, Kolkata 700118, India
| | - Satarupa Dey
- Department of Botany, Shyampur Siddheswari Mahavidyalaya, Howrah 711301, West Bengal, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Jayanta Kumar Biswas
- Enviromicrobiology, Ecotoxicology & Ecotechnology Research Laboratory (3E-MicroToxTech Lab), Department of Ecological Studies, and International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal 741235, India
| | - Punarbasu Chaudhuri
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, West Bengal, India
| | - Sayan Bhattacharya
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar 803116, India.
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Balabantaray SR, Singh PK, Pandey AK, Chaturvedi BK, Sharma AK. Forecasting global plastic production and microplastic emission using advanced optimised discrete grey model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:123039-123054. [PMID: 37980320 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30799-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution has become a prominent and pressing environmental concern within the realm of pollution. In recent times, microplastics have entered our ecosystem, especially in freshwater. In the contemporary global landscape, there exists a mounting apprehension surrounding the manifold environmental and public health issues that have emerged as a result of the substantial accumulation of microplastics. The objective of the current study is to employ an enhanced grey prediction model in order to forecast global plastic production and microplastic emissions. This study compared the accuracy level of the four grey prediction models, namely, EGM (1,1, α, θ), DGM (1,1), EGM (1,1), and DGM (1,1, α) models, to evaluate the accuracy levels. As per the estimation of the study, DGM (1,1, α) was found to be more suitable with higher accuracy levels to predict microplastic emission. The EGM (1,1, α, θ) model has slightly better accuracy than the DGM (1,1, α) model in predicting global plastic production. Various accuracy measurement tools (MAPE and RMSE) were used to determine the model's efficiency. There has been a gradual growth in both plastic production and microplastic emission. The current study using the DGM (1,1, α) model predicted that microplastic emission would be 1,084,018 by 2030. The present study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers in formulating effective strategies to address the complex issues arising from the release of microplastics into the environment and the continuous production of plastic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alok Kumar Pandey
- Centre for Integrated Rural Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | | | - Aditya Kumar Sharma
- School of Liberal Arts and Management, DIT University, Makka Wala, Uttarakhand, India
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Hossain MB, Yu J, Nur AAU, Banik P, Jolly YN, Mamun MA, Paray BA, Arai T. Distribution, characterization and contamination risk assessment of microplastics in the sediment from the world's top sediment-laden estuary. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118472. [PMID: 37384995 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have gained a serious attention as an emerging contaminant throughout the world because of their persistence and possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and human well-being. However, knowledge on MPs contamination from sub-tropical coastal systems is limited, and no study has been conducted on the MPs contamination in sediment from one of the highest sediment-laden estuaries, Meghna River, in the world. This is the first study to examine the quantity, morpho-chemical characteristics and contamination risk level of MPs from this large scale river. MPs were extracted from the sediment samples of 10 stations along the banks of the estuary by density separation, and then characterized using a stereomicroscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The incidence of MPs varied from 12.5 to 55 item/kg dry sediment with an average of 28.67 ± 10.80 item/kg. The majority (78.5%) of the MPs were under 0.5 mm in size, with fibers being the most (74.1%) prevalent MPs type. Polypropylene (PP) was found to be the predominant polymer (53.4%), followed by polyethylene (PE, 20%), polystyrene (PS, 13.3%), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 13.3%). The highest occurrence of PP indicted the MPs in the estuary might be originated from clothing and dying industries, fishing nets, food packages, and pulp industries. The sampling stations were contaminated with MPs as shown by the contamination factor (CF) values and pollutant load index (PLI), both of which were >1. This study exposed new insights on the status of MPs in the sediments of the Meghna River, laying the groundwork for future research. The findings will contribute to estimate the global share of MPs to the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Belal Hossain
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh.
| | - Jimmy Yu
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - As-Ad Ujjaman Nur
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Partho Banik
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Yeasmin N Jolly
- Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Al- Mamun
- Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Bilal Ahamad Paray
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Takaomi Arai
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
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11
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Haque MK, Uddin M, Kormoker T, Ahmed T, Zaman MRU, Rahman MS, Rahman MA, Hossain MY, Rana MM, Tsang YF. Occurrences, sources, fate and impacts of plastic on aquatic organisms and human health in global perspectives: What Bangladesh can do in future? ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:5531-5556. [PMID: 37382719 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01646-0] [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: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Bangladesh is not an exception to the growing global environmental problem of plastic pollution. Plastics have been deemed a blessing for today's world thanks to their inexpensive production costs, low weight, toughness, and flexibility, but poor biodegradability and massive misuse of plastics are to blame for widespread contamination of the environmental components. Plastic as well as microplastic pollution and its adverse consequences have attracted significant investigative attention all over the world. Plastic pollution is a rising concern in Bangladesh, but scientific studies, data, and related information are very scarce in numerous areas of the plastic pollution problem. The current study examined the effects of plastic and microplastic pollution on the environment and human health, and it examined Bangladesh's existing knowledge of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems in light of the rapidly expanding international research in this field. We also made an effort to investigate the current shortcomings in Bangladesh's assessment of plastic pollution. This study proposed several management approaches to the persistent plastic pollution problem by analyzing studies from industrialized and emerging countries. Finally, this work pushed investigators to investigate Bangladesh's plastic contamination thoroughly and develop guidelines and policies to address the issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Kamrul Haque
- Institute of Bangabandhu War of Liberation Bangladesh Studies, National University, Dhaka, 1209, Bangladesh
| | - Minhaz Uddin
- Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Tapos Kormoker
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, New Territories, 999077, Hong Kong.
| | - Tareq Ahmed
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Science, University of London, Birkbeck, UK
| | - Md Rahat Uz Zaman
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3100, Bangladesh
| | - M Safiur Rahman
- Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Shahbag, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ashekur Rahman
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Yeamin Hossain
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Masud Rana
- Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Yiu Fai Tsang
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, New Territories, 999077, Hong Kong
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12
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Tajwar M, Hasan M, Shreya SS, Rahman M, Sakib N, Gazi MY. Risk assessment of microplastic pollution in an industrial region of Bangladesh. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17949. [PMID: 37483706 PMCID: PMC10359874 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the high potential for microplastics (MPs) pollution in Bangladesh, the presence of MPs in the industrial region has largely been unexplored in Bangladesh. So, this study was conducted to determine whether MP pollution is prevalent in the industrial soil of Bangladesh and the extent of its toxicity. To examine MPs, a total of 12 soil samples were collected from the industrial region of Narayanganj, and a stereoscopic microscope was used to visually identify the MPs. Prior to that the technique of density separation and sieving was applied to extract MPs from those 12 soil samples. Among the twelve investigated samples, a total of 151 MPs (Mean: 12.6 ± 7.9 particles kg-1) were identified, which were mostly white and ranged in size from 0.5 to 1 mm. Different types of MPs according to their shapes such as fibers (60.3%), fragments (19.2%), films (10.6%), and foam (9.9%) have been detected. 7 MPs (Mean: 0.58 ± 0.79) have been found in 3 urban farmland sites, 15 MPs (Mean: 1.87 ± 1.81) in two near metropolitan areas, and 129 MPs (Mean: 4.6 ± 4.39) in 7 industrial locations. Five polymers were identified by μ-FTIR, among which Polyamide predominated, followed by Polypropylene. According to risk assessments, the region falls under hazard categories II and III, suggesting a moderate to high risk. This paper gives thorough information on the toxicity of MP in an industrial location; therefore, it may be useful in the development of effective methods to address environmental issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahir Tajwar
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Oceanography, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | | | - Mahfuzur Rahman
- Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh
| | - Nazmus Sakib
- Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka, 1215, Bangladesh
| | - Md Yousuf Gazi
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
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13
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Hossain MB, Yu J, Ujjaman Nur AA, Banik P, Jolly YN, Mamun MA, Arai T, Albeshr MF. Microplastics in surface water from a mighty subtropical estuary: First observations on occurrence, characterization, and contamination assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 226:115594. [PMID: 36907342 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115594] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Estuarine contamination by Microplastics (MPs) is a mater of serious concern since these areas offer the society valuable ecosystem, economic, and recreational services such as breeding and feeding ground for fish, carbon fixation, nutrients recycling and port development. The Meghna estuary, located along the Bengal delta coast, provides livelihoods for thousands of peoples in Bangladesh, and served as breeding ground for national fish, Hilsha shad. Therefore, knowledge and understanding on any kind of pollution including MPs of this estuary is essential. In this study, the abundance, characteristics and contamination assessment of MPs from the surface water of a Meghna estuary were investigated for the first time. The results demonstrated that MPs were present in all samples and the abundance ranged from 33.33 to 316.67 item/m3 with a mean value of 128.89 ± 67.94 item/m3. Morphological analyses resulted in four types of MPs such as fibers (87%), fragments (6%), foam (4%), and films (3%) with the majority of these being colored (62%) and smaller (<0.5 mm) in size (88%). On the other hand, FTIR analysis for chemical characteristics confirmed five types of polymers, including polythene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polythene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The area was determined to be moderately to severely contaminated with MPs based on contamination factor (CF) values (6.18 ± 2.08 to 2.50 ± 1.0) and the pollutant load index (PLI) value (1.94 ± 0.33) as these values were > 3-6 for CF, and >1 for PLI. These results can be utilized to develop policy for the protection of this important environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Belal Hossain
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia; Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh.
| | - Jimmy Yu
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - As-Ad Ujjaman Nur
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh
| | - Partho Banik
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh
| | - Yeasmin N Jolly
- Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Al- Mamun
- Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Takaomi Arai
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Mohammed Fahad Albeshr
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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14
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Thiele CJ, Grange LJ, Haggett E, Hudson MD, Hudson P, Russell AE, Zapata-Restrepo LM. Microplastics in European sea salts - An example of exposure through consumer choice and of interstudy methodological discrepancies. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 255:114782. [PMID: 36934543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics are contaminants of emerging concern, not least due to their global presence in marine surface waters. Unsurprisingly, microplastics have been reported in salts harvested from numerous locations. We extracted microplastics from 13 European sea salts through 30% H2O2 digestion and filtration over 5-µm filters. Filters were visually inspected at magnifications to x100. A subsample of potential microplastics was subjected to Raman spectroscopy. Particle mass was estimated, and human dose exposure calculated. After blank corrections, median concentrations were 466 ± 152 microplastics kg-1 ranging from 74 to 1155 items kg-1. Traditionally harvested salts contained fewer microplastics than most industrially harvested ones (t-test, p < 0.01). Approximately 14 µg of microplastics (< 12 particles) may be absorbed by the human body annually, of which a quarter may derive from a consumer choosing sea salt. We reviewed existing studies, showing that targeting different particle sizes and incomplete filtrations hinder interstudy comparison, indicating the importance of method harmonisation for future studies. Excess salt consumption is detrimental to human health; the hazardousness of ingesting microplastics on the other hand has yet to be shown. A portion of microplastics may enter sea salts through production processes rather than source materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Thiele
- Centre for Environmental Science, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
| | - Laura J Grange
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK; Currently at School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK
| | - Emily Haggett
- Centre for Environmental Science, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Malcolm D Hudson
- Centre for Environmental Science, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Philippa Hudson
- Philippa Hudson, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
| | - Andrea E Russell
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Lina M Zapata-Restrepo
- Centre for Environmental Science, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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15
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Özçifçi Z, Basaran B, Akçay HT. Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in table salts: Turkey. Food Chem Toxicol 2023; 175:113698. [PMID: 36889431 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the characterization of microplastics of table salts (n = 36) was determined by FT - IR. Then, individuals' exposure to microplastics from table salt consumption was calculated with a deterministic model, and finally, a risk assessment of table salt was performed using the polymer risk index. On average, 44 ± 26, 38 ± 40, 28 ± 9, and 39 ± 30 microplastics/kg were detected in rock salts (n = 16), lake salts (n = 12), sea salts (n = 8), and all salts (n = 36). Microplastics with 10 different polymer types (CPE, VC-ANc, HDPE, PET, Nylon-6, PVAc, EVA, PP, PS, Polyester), 7 different colors (black, red, colorless, blue, green, brown, white, gray), and 3 different shapes (fiber, granulated, film) were found in table salts. The daily, annual and lifetime (70-year) exposures to microplastics from table salt consumption in 15+-year-old individuals (general) were calculated to be 0.41 microplastic particles/day, 150 microplastic particles/year and 10,424 microplastic particles/70-year, respectively. The average microplastic polymer risk index of all table salts was calculated as 182 ± 144 and the risk level is in the medium. In order to minimize microplastic contamination in table salts, protective measures should be taken at the source of the salt, and production processes should be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehra Özçifçi
- Department of Chemistry Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey
| | - Burhan Basaran
- Department of Tea Agriculture and Processing Technology, Pazar Vocational School, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey.
| | - Hakkı Türker Akçay
- Department of Chemistry Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey
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16
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Hasan J, Dristy EY, Mondal P, Hoque MS, Sumon KA, Hossain MAR, Shahjahan M. Dried fish more prone to microplastics contamination over fresh fish - Higher potential of trophic transfer to human body. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 250:114510. [PMID: 36608564 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114510] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Globally, microplastics (MPs) contamination in aquatic organisms is emerging as an alarming phenomenon. In the present study, we investigated MPs in three commercially important fishes (Bombay duck Harpadon nehereus, ribbon fish Trichiurus lepturus and hairfin anchovy Setipinna phasa) in fresh and dried conditions collected from two sites (Chattogram and Kuakata) of the Bay of Bengal. It was evident that fresh T. lepturus ingested highest amount of MPs through the gills (6.41 mps/g) from Chattogram followed by in the gastrointestinal tract, GIT (6.20 mps/g) and in the muscle (1.20 mps/g) from Kuakata. Among the fresh fishes, H. nehereus from Kuakata accumulated highest amount of MPs (0.21 mps/g), while S. phasa from Kuakata contained the least amount of MPs (0.06 mps/g). On the other hand, among the dried fishes, T. lepturus from Kuakata contained highest amount of MPs (46.00 mps/g), while S. phasa from Kuakata retained lowest amount of MPs (2.17 mps/g). Strangely, all the dried fishes showed significantly higher amount of MPs compared to fresh fishes from both the locations. Fiber was the most dominant type of shape of MPs which accounted 66 %, followed by fragment (27.38 %), microbeads (3.59 %), film (1.48 %), foam (1.31 %) and pellet (0.25 %). Size-wise, the major portion (39.66 %) of MPs was present to be in size range less than 0.5 mm followed by 37.67 % in the size range of 0.5-1.0 mm group and rest 22.67 % within 1.0-5.0 mm. Red (41.55 %) colored MPs was the most prominent, followed by brown (22.11 %), blue (16.32 %), pink (11.69 %), purple (5.10 %), and green (2.25 %). Among polymer types, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was the most common (38 %), followed by polystyrene (PS-22 %), polyvinyl chloride (PVC-16 %), polyamide (PA-13 %) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA-9 %). The present study confirms high occurrence of MPs in the dried fishes over the fresh fishes from the Bay of Bengal, with high potential of trophic transfer to the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jabed Hasan
- Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Evana Yesmin Dristy
- Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Pronoy Mondal
- Department of Fisheries Technology, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Md Sazedul Hoque
- Department of Fisheries Technology, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Kizar Ahmed Sumon
- Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Mostafa Ali Reza Hossain
- Department of Fish Biology and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Md Shahjahan
- Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.
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17
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Al Nahian S, Rakib MRJ, Kumar R, Haider SMB, Sharma P, Idris AM. Distribution, characteristics, and risk assessments analysis of microplastics in shore sediments and surface water of Moheshkhali channel of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158892. [PMID: 36411599 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158892] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution in various ecosystems has gained significant attention across the globe. Due to ubiquitous abundance, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at regional scales are polluted via uncontrolled anthropogenic actions. Therefore, this study investigates microplastic pollution and distribution in sediments and surface water of the Moheshkhali channel of Bangladesh, Bay of Bengal, along with their shape, size, color, and polymeric analysis. It has been observed that both sediments and surface water are significantly contaminated with microplastics at 14 sediments and 12 surface water sampling sites. 291 particles of microplastic were observed in two quadrants, separated 10-m away from each other, across 14 sediment sampling sites, with average concentrations registered in the range of 6.66 to 138.33 particles/m2. At the same time, 163 particles were observed across 12 sampling sites in the surface water, ranging from 0 to ~0.1 particles/m3. Various shapes, like films, fragments, fiber/lines, foams, and pellets (resins), were observed extensively in the Moheshkhali channel. Besides, various risk assessments, like contamination factors, polymeric risk assessment, pollution risk index, and pollution load index, were analyzed for each sampling site across the channel. Pollution load index (PLI) of shore sediments and surface water were 2.51 and 1.67, respectively, indicating significant pollution in the Moheshkhali channel. This research investigation provides insight into anthropogenic activities and baseline microplastic pollution in the Moheshkhali channel of Bangladesh, which helps to prepare robust strategies for conservation and management to deal with such environmental issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Al Nahian
- Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Ramu, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, Bihar, India
| | | | - Prabhakar Sharma
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, 61431 Abha, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
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18
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Mohamadi S, Madadi R, Rakib MRJ, De-la-Torre GE, Idris AM. Abundance and characterization of personal protective equipment (PPE) polluting Kish Island, Persian Gulf. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 854:158678. [PMID: 36099950 PMCID: PMC9464308 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158678] [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: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental threats the world is facing nowadays, which was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, multiple reports of single-use plastics driven by the pandemic, namely personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g., face masks and gloves), contaminating coastal areas have been published. However, most studies focused solely on counting and visually characterizing this type of litter. In the present study, we complement conventional reports by characterizing this type of litter through chemical-analytical techniques. Standardized sampling procedures were carried out in Kish Island, The Persian Gulf, resulting in an average density of 2.34 × 10-4 PPE/m2. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy confirmed the polymeric composition of weathered face masks and showed the occurrence of additional absorption bands associated with the photooxidation of the polymer backbone. On the other hand, the three layers of typical surgical face masks showed different non-woven structures, as well as signs of physical degradation (ruptures, cracks, rough surfaces), possibly leading to the release of microplastics. Furthermore, elemental mapping through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the middle layer of the masks allocated more elements of external origin (e.g., Na, Cl, Ca, Mg) than the outer and inner layers. This is likely to the overall higher surface area of the middle layer. Furthermore, our evidence indicates that improperly disposed PPE is already having an impact on a number of organisms in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sedigheh Mohamadi
- Environmental Research Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reyhane Madadi
- Environmental Research Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | - Gabriel E De-la-Torre
- Grupo de Investigación de Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Sociedad, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru.
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
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19
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Ujjaman Nur AA, Hossain MB, Banik P, Choudhury TR, Liba SI, Umamaheswari S, Albeshr MF, Senapathi V, Arai T, Yu J. Microplastic contamination in processed and unprocessed sea salts from a developing country and potential risk assessment. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136395. [PMID: 36096307 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136395] [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: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic environments, microplastics (MPs) are pervasive which could have a considerable negative impact on the environment, organisms and pose a risk to human health. However, knowledge about the exposure and ecological risk of MPs in the coastal ecosystems of developing countries is limited. In this study, we analyzed salt samples from five commonly consumed processed and unprocessed sea salts of different commercial brands originated from 15 salt pans in Bangladesh to assess the abundance, characteristics and potential risks of MPs. The quantities of MPs in unprocessed salts (average 195 ± 56 item/kg) were higher than those in the processed salts (average 157 ± 34 item/kg). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant (p < 0.05) differences among the average numbers of MPs in both processed and unprocessed salts. MP levels in this study were 2-3 times higher than those reported from some other countries. Fiber-shaped and transparent MPs were dominant in both cases. MPs less than 0.5 mm in size were the most abundant in both unprocessed (58.2%) and processed (62.2%) salts. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed five types of polymers, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET-35%), polypropylene (PP-27.5%), polyethylene (PE-25%), polystyrene (PS-10%), and Nylon (2.5%) in the studied salts. The sea salts were classified as potential hazard index (PHI) levels IV to V, indicating serious MP contamination, whereas potential ecological risk factor (Ei), potential ecological risk index (RI), and pollutant load index (PLI) indicated moderate levels of pollution of MPs. Domestic and municipal wastewater effluents to Bay of Bengal and fishing activities may attributed to presence of MPs in the sea salt. These findings can be used by consumers, salt industries and policy makers to reduce MPs levels during consumption, production and policymaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- As-Ad Ujjaman Nur
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Sonapur, Bangladesh
| | - M Belal Hossain
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Sonapur, Bangladesh; School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Partho Banik
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Sonapur, Bangladesh
| | - Tasrina Rabia Choudhury
- Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Samia Islam Liba
- Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - S Umamaheswari
- Department of Zoology, Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohammed Fahad Albeshr
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Takaomi Arai
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, University Brunei Darussalam, Jala Tungku Link, Gadong BE, 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Jimmy Yu
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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20
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Assessment of microplastic as contaminants in the coal mine area of an industrial region, Barapukuria, Bangladesh. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11666. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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21
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Al Nahian S, Rakib MRJ, Haider SMB, Kumar R, Walker TR, Khandaker MU, Idris AM. Baseline marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island, Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 183:114091. [PMID: 36087485 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Baseline marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island, Bay of Bengal, were assessed. Seventy-two transects (100-150 m) along 12 km of coastline were surveyed for litter items every two weeks for two months. The most abundant items were polythene bags, food wrappers, plastic bottles/caps, straws, styrofoam, plastic cups, plastic fragments, fishing nets, clothes, and rubber buoys. Tourism, local markets, hotels, domestic waste, and fishing activities were primary sources of marine litter. According to the mean clean coast index (CCI), all transects were clean, of which 11.3 % and 14.1 % of sandy beaches and rocky shores with sandy beaches were reported dirty, respectively. Northern Saint Martin Island comprised sandy beaches (2.8 %) and was extremely dirty. In addition, plastic abundance index (PAI) analysis showed that 24 % of sites, out of 72 sites, were under "very high abundance", 33 % were "high abundance", 33 % showed "moderate abundance", and 4 % were classified as "low abundance". Establishing baseline results of marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island may help improve island conservation and mitigation strategies (e.g., improved waste management, beach cleaning activities to raise public awareness, local government litter reduction policies, and increase local pro-environmental behavioral change).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Al Nahian
- Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Ramu, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | | | - Rakesh Kumar
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar 803116, India
| | - Tony R Walker
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of General Educational Development, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, Daffodil International University, DIU Rd, Dhaka 1341, Bangladesh
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, 61431 Abha, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
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22
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Sarker S, Huda ANMS, Niloy MNH, Chowdhury GW. Trophic transfer of microplastics in the aquatic ecosystem of Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155896. [PMID: 35569670 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Globally microplastics (MPs) contaminations have been widely reported across the large number of organisms in the marine ecosystem. Consequently, trophic transfer of MPs inferred to occur across the organisms of marine food webs. However, scientific evidence on trophic transfer of MPs across the marine organisms is very limited. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the transfer of MPs across the trophic levels in the marine ecosystem. We sampled individuals of different species of primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and quaternary consumers from the aquatic ecosystem of Sundarbans mangrove forest from June 2021 to December 2021. This study found that marine organisms in the aquatic ecosystem of Sundarbans mangrove forest are contaminated with MPs. The abundance of MPs in collected samples varied between 0.56 ± 0.25 items/individual and 6.06 ± 1.20 items/individual. Maximum MPs was recorded as 5.5 ± 1.21 items/individual in predators followed by 5.1 ± 0.85, 4.5 ± 0.39, 1.2 ± 0.26, 1.1 ± 0.28 and 1.01 ± 0.25 in filter feeders, browsers, deposit feeders, selective planktivores and variable feeders, respectively. Maximum MPs abundance was encountered in quaternary consumers (4.17 items/individual) followed by tertiary consumers (3.17 items/individual), secondary consumers (2.74 items/individual) and primary consumers (0.56 items/individual). We found that MPs abundance increases with the increase of trophic levels (R2 = 0.64, p < 0.001) which indicates that transfer of MPs across different trophic levels and also showed the evidence of biomagnification of MPs in successive trophic levels. Our study is the first report of trophic transfer of MPs in sub-tropical mangrove ecosystem and will serve as a guideline to understand the MPs pollution in the coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrata Sarker
- Department of Oceanography, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh
| | - A N M Samiul Huda
- Department of Oceanography, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh
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23
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Hossain MJ, AftabUddin S, Akhter F, Nusrat N, Rahaman A, Sikder MNA, Monwar MM, Chowdhury MSN, Jiang S, Shi H, Zhang J. Surface water, sediment, and biota: The first multi-compartment analysis of microplastics in the Karnafully river, Bangladesh. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 180:113820. [PMID: 35689937 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Karnafullly River, which flows through Chattogram and falls into the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, is vulnerable to microplastic contamination. In this study, we looked at microplastics in the Karnafully River's surface water (5 sites), sediment (9 sites), and biota (4 species). Microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.57 ± 0.07 to 6.63 ± 0.52 items/L in surface water, 143.33 ± 3.33 to 1240 ± 5.77 items/kg dry weight in sediment, and 5.93 ± 0.62 to 13.17 ± 0.76 items/species in biota. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was found in the concentration of MPs in the Karnafully River's sediment, biota, and surface water. High percentage of fiber-shaped and small-sized MPs (<1 mm) were detected throughout the samples. Water and sediment MPs were often transparent/white and blue, whereas biota MPs were mostly black and red, indicating a color preference during biological uptake. The Bay of Bengal received 61.3 × 109 microplastic items per day. The feeding zone of biota influenced the level of microplastics, with a trend of pelagic > demersal > benthic > benthopelagic. Polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate were the most abundant polymer. Using the average fish intake rate in Bangladesh, we computed a possible consumption of 4015-7665 items of MPs/person/year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jaker Hossain
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Sheikh AftabUddin
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh.
| | - Farjana Akhter
- Department of Oceanography, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
| | - Nabila Nusrat
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
| | - Atikur Rahaman
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
| | | | - Md Mostafa Monwar
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
| | | | - Shan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Huahong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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24
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Hatami T, Rakib MRJ, Madadi R, De-la-Torre GE, Idris AM. Personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution in the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed inland water body in the world. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153771. [PMID: 35182619 PMCID: PMC8848538 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a still ongoing international health and sanity crisis. In the current scenario, the actions taken by the national authorities and the public prioritized measures to control the transmission of the virus, such as social distancing, and face mask-wearing. Unfortunately, due to the debilitated waste management systems and incorrect disposal of single-use face masks and other types of personal protective equipment (PPE), the occurrence of these types of items has led to the exacerbation of marine plastic pollution. Although various studies have focused on surveying marine coasts for PPE pollution, studies on inland water are largely lacking. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the present study assessed PPE pollution in the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed inland water body in the world by following standard monitoring procedures. The results concerning the density (1.02 × 10-4 PPE/m2) composition (face masks represented 95.3% of all PPE) of PPE are comparable to previous studies in marine waters. However, a notable decrease in the occurrence of PPE was observed, probably to behavioral and seasonality reasons. The possible consequences of PPE pollution were discussed, although much more research is needed regarding the ecotoxicological aspects of secondary PPE contaminants, such as microplastics and chemical additives. It is expected that face mask mandates will be eventually halted, and PPE will stop being emitted to the environment. However, based on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 scenario, several recommendations for coastal solid waste management are provided. These are proposed to serve during and after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Hatami
- School of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | - Reyhane Madadi
- Environmental Research Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gabriel E De-la-Torre
- Grupo de Investigación de Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Sociedad, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru.
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
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25
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Abedin MJ, Khandaker MU, Uddin MR, Karim MR, Uddin Ahamad MS, Islam MA, Arif AM, Minhaz Hossain SM, Sulieman A, Idris AM. Amassing the Covid-19 driven PPE wastes in the dwelling environment of Chittagong Metropolis and associated implications. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 297:134022. [PMID: 35202672 PMCID: PMC8859812 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the Covid-19 driven indiscriminate disposal of PPE wastes (mostly face mask and medical wastes) in Chittagong metropolitan area (CMA), Bangladesh. Based on the field monitoring, the mean PPE density (PPE/m2± SD) was calculated to be 0.0226 ± 0.0145, 0.0164 ± 0.0122, and 0.0110 ± 0.00863 for July, August, and September 2021, respectively (during the peak time of Covid-19 in Bangladesh). Moreover, gross information on PPE waste generation in the city was calculated using several parameters such as population density, face mask acceptance rate by urban population, total Covid-19 confirmed cases, quarantined and isolated patients, corresponding medical waste generation rate (kg/bed/day), etc. Moreover, the waste generated due to face mask and other PPEs in the CMA during the whole Covid-19 period (April 4, 2020 to September 5, 2021) were calculated to be 64183.03 and 128695.75 tons, respectively. It has been observed that the negligence of general people, lack of awareness about environmental pollution, and poor municipal waste management practices are the root causes for the contamination of the dwelling environment by PPE wastes. As a result, new challenges have emerged in solid waste management, which necessitates the development of an appropriate waste management strategy. The ultimate policies and strategies may help to achieve the SDG goals 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 15, and increase public perception on the use and subsequent disposal of PPEs, especially face masks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jainal Abedin
- Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12121, Thailand
| | - Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Md Ripaj Uddin
- Institute of National Analytical Research and Service (INARS), BCSIR, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Rezaul Karim
- Department of Chemistry, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Chattogram, 4349, Bangladesh
| | | | - Md Ariful Islam
- Department of Chemistry, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Chattogram, 4349, Bangladesh
| | - Abu Mohammad Arif
- One Health Institute, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, 4225, Bangladesh
| | - Syed Md Minhaz Hossain
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Premier University, Chattogram, 4000, Bangladesh
| | - A Sulieman
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 422, Alkharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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26
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Al Nahian S, Rakib MRJ, Haider SMB, Kumar R, Mohsen M, Sharma P, Khandaker MU. Occurrence, spatial distribution, and risk assessment of microplastics in surface water and sediments of Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 179:113720. [PMID: 35561514 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and have caused substantial concern worldwide. This study surveyed the presence of MPs in surface water and sediments across the coastal area of Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal. MPs were collected following the standard protocol and identified as various types like expanded polystyrene, foam, filaments, fragments, lines, fibres, and paint flakes. Total MPs pollution in beach sediment was 317 particles/kg across 14 sampling sites, varied from 11 to 10589 particles/m2 of dry sediment and 0.95 particles/m3, having ~2 to 19 particles/30 min trawl in coastal surface water samples. Most of the frequent MPs in beach sediments ranged from 1.0 to 2.0 mm, whereas the fragments were predominant in sediment and surface water samples. MPs distribution revealed that different shapes were dominant at different sites within the Island. The calculated pollution risk index due to the presence of MPs indicated that the sediment and surface water samples were under the low-risk category. However, polymeric risk assessment and contamination factors suggest that the coastline is significantly polluted, as high pollution load indices (PLI >1) were observed for sediments and coastal surface water samples. This work provides the detailed MPs data in the coastal environment of Saint Martin Island for the first time; hence it may be helpful to develop proper strategies to deal with environmental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Al Nahian
- Environmental Oceanography and Climate Division, Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | - Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider
- Environmental Oceanography and Climate Division, Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Mohamed Mohsen
- Department of Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11884, Egypt; CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Prabhakar Sharma
- School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, Bihar, India
| | - Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
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27
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De-la-Torre GE, Pizarro-Ortega CI, Dioses-Salinas DC, Castro Loayza J, Smith Sanchez J, Meza-Chuquizuta C, Espinoza-Morriberón D, Rakib MRJ, Ben-Haddad M, Dobaradaran S. Are we underestimating floating microplastic pollution? A quantitative analysis of two sampling methodologies. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 178:113592. [PMID: 35349867 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in the water column of several aquatic ecosystems. Thus, the sampling methodology is considered as a basic factor influencing MPs abundance. In this baseline, a total of 67 investigations were chosen to conduct a quantitative analysis between two sampling methods: Trawl and bulk. The aim is to report a general overview of the MPs abundance and characteristic differences based on the sampling procedures and provide methodological recommendations. MPs abundance reported by bulk studies is 3500 higher than trawl studies. Furthermore, the morphological types and polymers abundances were statistically affected by the type of sampling tool. Conversely, MPs size ranges were significantly different between sampling procedures, suggesting that trawling underestimates the smaller MPs fractions. The analysis confirms that the sampling methods should be selected based on the research objectives. In this sense, it is recommended to combine both types of sampling procedures to obtain comprehensive data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Carolina Meza-Chuquizuta
- Unidad de Investigación de Ecosistemas Marinos-Grupo Aves Marinas, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
| | - Dante Espinoza-Morriberón
- Facultad de Ingeniería Ambiental y de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional del Callao (UNAC), Av. Juan Pablo II 306, Bellavista 07011, Provincia Constitucional del Callao, Peru; Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Tecnológica del Perú (UTP), Jirón Hernán Velarde 260, Cercado de Lima, 15046 Lima, Peru
| | - Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mohamed Ben-Haddad
- Laboratory of Aquatic Systems, Marine and Continental Environments (AQUAMAR), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Morocco
| | - Sina Dobaradaran
- Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, Germany
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28
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Rakib MRJ, Ertaş A, Walker TR, Rule MJ, Khandaker MU, Idris AM. Macro marine litter survey of sandy beaches along the Cox's Bazar Coast of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh: Land-based sources of solid litter pollution. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113246. [PMID: 34952406 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Macro-sized marine litter (>2.5 cm) was collected, characterized, and enumerated along the Cox's Bazar Coast, Bangladesh. Marine litter abundance was converted to density (number of items/m2). Beach cleanliness was evaluated using the clean-coast index (CCI). Plastic polythene bags were the most abundant litter items, followed by plastic cups. Total marine litter abundance was 54,401 ± 184 items. Major sources of marine litter were from tourism, fishery and residential activities. Of 10 sites surveyed, two were classified as dirty, two were moderate, four were clean and two were very clean using the CCI. Marine litter pollution along the Cox's Bazar Coast represents a potential threat to coastal and marine environments. This baseline study will help to establish mitigation strategies that are urgently required to reduce marine litter pollution along the Cox's Bazar Coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Refat Jahan Rakib
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh.
| | - Alperen Ertaş
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Tony R Walker
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Michael J Rule
- Independent Researcher, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mayeen Uddin Khandaker
- Centre for Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, 61431 Abha, Saudi Arabia; Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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