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Kallenbach EMF, Eriksen TE, Hurley RR, Jacobsen D, Singdahl-Larsen C, Friberg N. Plastic recycling plant as a point source of microplastics to sediment and macroinvertebrates in a remote stream. Microplast nanoplast 2022; 2:26. [PMID: 36532855 PMCID: PMC9734615 DOI: 10.1186/s43591-022-00045-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Microplastic is now ubiquitous in freshwater, sediment and biota, globally. This is as a consequence of inputs from, for example, waste mismanagement, effluents from wastewater treatment plants and surface runoff from agricultural areas. In this study, we investigated point source pollution of plastic to an upland stream, originating from a recycling plant that recycles polyethylene film in a remote area of Norway. Sediment (~2 kg) and macroinvertebrates (549 individuals in total) were sampled at one site upstream and two sites downstream of the recycling plant to study microplastic deposition and food web uptake. In total, 340 microplastic films were identified through a combination of visual and µFTIR analysis in the sediment samples. This corresponded to a concentration of 0.23 (± 0.057) items per g sediment upstream of the plastic recycling plant and 0.45 (± 0.017) and 0.58 (± 0.34) items per g downstream. The dominant plastic polymer was polyethylene, which increased significantly downstream of the plastic recycling plant. This indicates the role of the plastic recycling plant as a point source for microplastic in this catchment. Among the three sites investigated, a fairly constant concentration of polypropylene was found, indicating a diffuse source of polypropylene films across the catchment possibly relating to low-intensity agricultural land-use. Low levels of polyethylene were also observed upstream, which may be linked to either local or longer-distance atmospheric transport. Despite the considerable presence of microplastic in sediments, concentrations in macroinvertebrates were extremely low with only a single microplastic particle identified in the total of 549 macroinvertebrates-belonging to three different feeding groups-investigated. Our study suggests that: 1) microplastic pollution can be transferred to remote areas as unintended losses from recycling facilities, 2) remote areas with limited land-use pressure still have detectable levels of microplastic and 3) microplastic is only taken up by stream macroinvertebrates to a limited degree despite relatively high sediment concentrations, and thus there are no strong indications for ecological risks posed by microplastic to this ecological group at this location. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43591-022-00045-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie M. F. Kallenbach
- NIVA Denmark Water Research, Njalsgade 76, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
- University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | | | | | - Dean Jacobsen
- University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | | | - Nikolai Friberg
- NIVA Denmark Water Research, Njalsgade 76, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
- University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- NIVA, Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
- Water@Leeds, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
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Okoffo ED, Donner E, McGrath SP, Tscharke BJ, O'Brien JW, O'Brien S, Ribeiro F, Burrows SD, Toapanta T, Rauert C, Samanipour S, Mueller JF, Thomas KV. Plastics in biosolids from 1950 to 2016: A function of global plastic production and consumption. Water Res 2021; 201:117367. [PMID: 34182349 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are ubiquitous contaminants that leak into the environment from multiple pathways including the use of treated sewage sludge (biosolids). Seven common plastics (polymers) were quantified in the solid fraction of archived biosolids samples from Australia and the United Kingdom from between 1950 and 2016. Six plastics were detected, with increasing concentrations observed over time for each plastic. Biosolids plastic concentrations correlated with plastic production estimates, implying a potential link between plastics production, consumption and leakage into the environment. Prior to the 1990s, the leakage of plastics into biosolids was limited except for polystyrene. Increased leakage was observed from the 1990s onwards; potentially driven by increased consumption of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride. We show that looking back in time along specific plastic pollution pathways may help unravel the potential sources of plastics leakage into the environment and provide quantitative evidence to support the development of source control interventions or regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvis D Okoffo
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute (FII), University of South Australia, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Steve P McGrath
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, Al5 2JQ, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin J Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Jake W O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Stacey O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Francisca Ribeiro
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Burrows
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Tania Toapanta
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Cassandra Rauert
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Saer Samanipour
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GD Amsterdam, Netherlands; Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
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Aragaw TA. Surgical face masks as a potential source for microplastic pollution in the COVID-19 scenario. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 159:111517. [PMID: 32763564 PMCID: PMC7381927 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Although there have been enormous reports on the microplastic pollution from different plastic products, impacts, controlling mechanisms in recent years, the surgical face masks, made up of polymeric materials, as a source of microplastic pollution potential in the ecosystem are not fully understood and considered yet. Current studies are mostly stated out that microplastics pollution should be a big deal because of their enormous effect on the aquatic biota, and the entire environment. Due to the complicated conditions of the aquatic bodies, microplastics could have multiple effects, and reports so far are still lacking. In addition to real microplastic pollutions which has been known before, face mask as a potential microplastic source could be also researching out, including the management system, in detail. It is noted that face masks are easily ingested by higher organisms, such as fishes, and microorganisms in the aquatic life which will affect the food chain and finally chronic health problems to humans. As a result, microplastic from the face mask should be a focus worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadele Assefa Aragaw
- Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology-Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
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Xu J, Qian W, Li J, Zhang X, He J, Kong D. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil and dust from plastic production and surrounding areas in eastern of China. Environ Geochem Health 2019; 41:2315-2327. [PMID: 30689095 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-019-00247-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of organic pollutants. They are used as flame retardants that caused worldwide environmental concern. This study investigated the occurrence of PBDEs in soils and dusts from three plastic manufacture plants and surrounding areas in Eastern China. A total of 13 PBDE congeners were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (electron impact ionization). The total concentrations of PBDEs range from 2.21 to 558, 19.7-4916, and 8.70-18,451 ng/g dry weight in the soils of three sampling areas, with mean of 1004 ng/g d w; in dusts, the concentrations range from 7240 to 10,469, 684-4482, and 193-3989 ng/g d w, with an overall mean of 3619 ng/g d w. The most abundant congener is the BDE-209, followed by BDE-153 and BDE-85. This indicates that the brominated flame retardant added in the plastic manufacture is mainly the commodity decabromodiphenyl ether. In comparison with other polluted areas around the world, the PBDE concentrations in the soils of the plastic manufacture plants are similar to those in soils of waste plastic disposal areas and PBDEs production sites, but orders of magnitude higher than those in agricultural soils, mountain soils and rural soils. Daily exposure was estimated using the average concentrations of the pollution sites. The hazard quotient shows that the PBDEs pose considerable human health risks, especially to children, to which attention should be paid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Wangyang Qian
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
- Nanjing Guohuan Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Juying Li
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Jian He
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Deyang Kong
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China.
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