Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess if lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata) surrounding a landfill dumping site in Italy accumulated higher amounts of microplastics compared with lichens at more distant sites. Lichen samples were collected at three sites along a transect from the landfill: close (directly facing the landfill), intermediate (200 m), and remote (1500 m). Anthropogenic microparticles (fibres and fragments) were determined visually after wet peroxide digestion of the samples, and microplastics were identified based on a hot needle test; the type of plastic was identified by micro-Raman analysis. The results showed that lichens collected in the vicinity of the landfill accumulated the highest number of anthropogenic microfibres and fragments (147 mp/g dw), and consequently microplastics (79 mp/g dw), suggesting that the impact of landfill emissions is spatially limited. The proportion of fibres and fragments identified as microplastics was 40% across all sites and the most abundant polymer type was polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (68%). These results clearly indicated that lichens can effectively be used to monitor the deposition of microplastics.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to assess if lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata) surrounding a landfill dumping site in Italy accumulated higher amounts of microplastics compared with lichens at more distant sites
In comparison to the data reported by Roblin and Aherne9 for moss samples from background regions in Ireland, the only other study that investigated the use of living organisms to monitor the deposition of airborne microplastics, our study showed similar values of accumulated microfibres (15–30 mf/g dw)
Our results clearly indicated that the investigated landfill is a source of airborne microplastics, irrespective of fibres or fragments, and showed that the amount of microplastics decreased exponentially with distance, from 79 mp/g dw at the close sites, to 13 mp/g dw at 200 m, and to 7 mp/g dw at 1500 m from the landfill
Summary
The aim of this study was to assess if lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata) surrounding a landfill dumping site in Italy accumulated higher amounts of microplastics compared with lichens at more distant sites. The proportion of fibres and fragments identified as microplastics was 40% across all sites and the most abundant polymer type was polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (68%). These results clearly indicated that lichens can effectively be used to monitor the deposition of microplastics. The aim of this study was to assess if lichens, collected from around a landfill dumping site in Italy, accumulated higher amounts of microplastics compared with lichens at more removed (distant) sites
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