Micro- and Nanoplastics pollution in the aquatic environments in Russia and detection problems

Abstract

Recently, there are more and more investigations devoted to plastic pollution of the natural environment. In this case an active attention is paid to microplastic particles (MPs) less than 5 mm size and nanoplastic particles (NPs) less than 100 nm in size. MP and NP particles are found practically everywhere: in waters and bottom sediments of the World Ocean, river, lake and groundwater, beach sediments and even in snow and ice of the Arctic and Antarctic, in foodstuff, bottled water, in living organisms at all stages of the food chain. Plastic pollution of the natural environment has already become as global as climate change. This article presents the results of the analysis and summary of the current published literature devoted to the problems of MP and NP pollution of natural waters, mainly on the territory of the Russian Federation. For the first time, a schematic map of MP distribution in surface waters of Russia is constructed. A summary table on MP concentrations in surface water, groundwater, bottled mineral and tap water, bottom sediments of rivers, seas and oceans of the world is presented. It is clearly shown that there is a shortage of studies of MP and NP contamination in groundwater, although their content is also quite high.In addition, the paper touches upon the problem of measuring the MP and NP content and determining its composition, highlights the features, advantages, disadvantages and limitations of all the main detection methods. The summarized schemes of water and soil sampling and preparation for the following MP determination are presented. A reasonable conclusion is made that at the present moment there is no one optimum method, and only a combination of methods allows to identify MP and NP contamination in the best way.