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Rauert C, Wang X, Charlton N, Lin CY, Tang C, Zammit I, Jayarathne A, Symeonides C, White E, Christensen M, Ponomariova V, Mueller JF, Thomas KV, Dunlop S. Blueprint for the design, construction, and validation of a plastic and phthalate-minimised laboratory. J Hazard Mater 2024; 468:133803. [PMID: 38377910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Micro and nanosized plastics (MNPs), and a range of associated additive chemicals, have become pervasive contaminants that humans and the environment are exposed to everyday. However, one of the principal challenges in their analysis is adequate strategies to minimise background contamination. Here a blueprint for a specialised plastics and additive-minimised clean room laboratory built for this purpose is presented. Common laboratory construction materials (n = 23) were tested, including acoustic baffles, ceiling materials, floor materials, glazing rubber, and silicone sealant. The % polymer content ranged from 2-76% w/w while the sum concentration of six phthalates ranged from 0.81 (0.73-0.86) to 21000 (15000-27000) mg/kg, assigning many of these materials as inappropriate for use in a clean room environment. The final design of the laboratory consisted of three interconnected rooms, operated under positive pressure with the inner rooms constructed almost entirely of stainless steel. Background concentrations of MNPs and phthalates in the new laboratory were compared to two Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) laboratory environments, with concentrations of MNPs reduced by > 100 times and phthalates reduced by up to 120 times. This study reports the first known clean room of its kind and provides a blueprint for reference and use by future plastics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Rauert
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia.
| | - Xianyu Wang
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia.
| | - Nathan Charlton
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Chun-Yin Lin
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Cheng Tang
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian Zammit
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Ayomi Jayarathne
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Minderoo Centre - Plastics and Human Health, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
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