Microplastics In Water Research Articles

Comparative study of the influence of linear and branched alkyltrichlorosilanes on the removal efficiency of polyethylene and polypropylene-based microplastic particles from water.

Microplastics are a global environmental pollution. Due to this fact, new solutions are needed to reduce the amount in various aquatic environments. A new concept introduced by Herbort and Schuhen from the year 2016 describes the agglomeration of microplastics in water using silicon-based precursors. In the study presented here, alkyltrichlorosilanes with different linear and branched alkyl groups and a chain length between 1 and 18 carbon (C-) atoms are investigated for their suitability to fix microplastics (mixtures of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP)) and to form larger agglomerates. As the alkyl group has a major influence on the reaction rate and agglomeration behavior, we present here the extensive data collection of the evaluation of the best case. The removal efficiency is determined gravimetrically. The reaction behavior and the fixation process are characterized by hydrolysis kinetics. 29Si-MAS-NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry (TGA) are used to characterize the chemical composition of the agglomerates. Finally, the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows the visualization of the formed agglomerates. The results show that the different alkyl groups have a strong impact on the suitability of the alkyltrichlorosilanes for the agglomeration, as they influence the hydrolysis and condensation kinetics in water and the affinity to the microplastics. Best suited for microplastic removal were intermediate chain length between 3 and 5 C-atoms.

Occurence of Microplastics in Water, Sediment and Milkfish (Chanos chanos) in Citarum River Downstream (Case Study: Muara Gembong)

Microplastics in aquatic environment can possibly enter into the aquatic organism, so this study aims to identify the microplastic concentrations in water, sediment, and milkfish. The samples are taken in downstream Citarum river at Muara Gembong. Water samples were taken using a manta trawl pulled by a boat while sediment and milkfish samples were taken using the grab sampling method. Organic removal and cleaning was conducted by using the Fenton Oxidation method which use Fe and H2O2. The average of microplastic concentrations in river water, seawater ponds, mixed water, and seawater consecutively are 0.0574 ± 0.025 particles/m3, 3.000 ± 2.645 particles/L, 0.666 ± 0.577 particles/L and 1.333 ± 1.155 particles/L. The average of microplastic concentrations in sediment sea water pond, sediment mixed water pond and sea sediment samples consecutively are 3.666 ± 0.577 particles/20g, 2.667 ± 1.527 particles/20g, 2.333 ± 0.577 particles/20g and 0.667 ± 1.154 particle/20g. The average of microplastic concentrations in the gut and gills of milkfish in sea ponds and mixed ponds consecutively are 2.333 ± 2.266 particles/fish and 2.222 ± 3.768 particles/fish. The average of microplastic concentrations in milkfish tissues in the sea and mixed water ponds are 1.333 ± 1.000 particles/fish and 1.111 ± 1.167 particles/fish.

Research of vibroacoustic influence on flotation microplastic

The paper studies the effect of the vibration on the flotation processes for microplastic particles (polymer particles <5 mm in diameter). In recent years, the world community is facing the problem of water pollution with microplastics, which is a fundamentally new type of the particles in marine environment that has specific hydrodynamic characteristics and impairs the efficiency of existing water treatment processes. In this paper, the authors compared the classical process of pneumatic flotation with the process of pneumatic flotation with vibroacoustic effect and the positive effect of vibration influence on the efficiency of the flotation of water microplastics is shown.

Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Urban Tap Water and Water Sources in Qingdao, China

Compared with the plethora studies of microplastics in the marine environment, fewer studies have been conducted in drinking water. This study investigated the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in tap water and two major water sources in Qingdao, China. The results showed that the microplastic abundance in tap water and water sources was from 0.3 to 1.6 items/L and 0.2 to 0.7 items/L, respectively. The microplastic size ranged from 10 to 5000 μm and were black, gray, blue, and transparent. Fiber, as the dominant shape, contributed up to 99.2% of the identified microplastics. The most common polymers were rayon (48.9%) followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (29.6%). Microplastics in tap water and water sources differed in size and polymer types but showed specific correlations. The analysis of Laoshan Reservoir and Jihongtan Reservoir indicated that human activities and atmospheric deposition contributed to the microplastics in the water sources. The potential risk of the microplastics was assessed by the potential risk index of the polymers. The results showed that water treatment reduced the potential risks of microplastics in tap water.

Microplastic pollution in a stormwater floating treatment wetland: Detection of tyre particles in sediment

Synthetic rubber particles released from car tyres are expected to be an important type of microplastics in the environment, with road runoff and stormwater likely to transport tyre particles to the aquatic environment. Stormwater treatment wetlands are one of the key methods for treating road runoff and stormwater, but the presence and concentration of synthetic rubber microplastics from tyre particles in wetlands are largely unknown. In addition, constructed floating wetlands can be built using recycled PET plastic bottles, raising concerns about potential release of microplastics to the environment. In this study, we measured the concentrations of microplastics in water and sediment from the inlet and outlet of a stormwater floating treatment wetland on Queensland's Gold Coast. An average of 0.9 ± 0.3 and 4.0 ± 2.4 microplastic particles/L were detected in the water phase in the inlet and outlet samples, respectively. The sediment contained an average of 595 ± 120 and 320 ± 42 microplastic particles/kg dry sediment in inlet and outlet sediments, respectively. Between 15 and 38% of microplastics in the sediment were identified by FTIR as synthetic rubber-carbon filled particles, most likely derived from car tyres. The presence of synthetic rubber microplastics confirms that tyres can contribute to microplastic pollution in stormwater, with road runoff likely to be an important pathway. No microplastics with the same characteristics and polymer composition as the floating wetland construction material were detected in the water and sediment samples, indicating that the microplastics in the water and sediment detected here did not originate from the floating wetland's material. However, further investigation of older treatment wetlands is required to better understand the potential role of floating treatment wetlands as a source of microplastics.

Identification of microplastics in surface water and Australian freshwater shrimp Paratya australiensis in Victoria, Australia

Compared to marine microplastics research, few studies have bio-monitored microplastics in inland waters. It is also important to understand the microplastics’ uptake and their potential risks to freshwater species. The Australian glass shrimp Paratya australiensis (Family: Atyidae) is commonly found in fresh waterbodies in eastern Australia, and are sensitive to anthropogenic stressors but have a wide tolerance range to the natural environmental conditions. This study aimed to understand the microplastics’ occurrence and types in water samples and the shrimp P. australiensis, and identify if the shrimp could be a suitable bioindicator for microplastic pollution. Surface water and P. australiensis across ten urban and rural freshwater sites in Victoria were sampled. In total, 30 water samples and 100 shrimp were analysed for microplastic content, and shrimp body weights and sizes were also recorded. Microplastics were picked, photographed and identified using FT-IR microscopy: in water samples, 57.9% of items including suspect items were selected to identify; all microplastics found in shrimp samples were identified. Microplastics were present in the surface waters of all sites, with an average abundance of 0.40 ± 0.27 items/L. A total of 36% of shrimp contained microplastics with an average of 0.52 ± 0.55 items/ind (24 ± 31 items/g). Fibre was the most common shape, and blue was the most frequent colour in both water and shrimp samples. The dominant plastic types were polyester in water samples, and rayon in shrimp samples. Even though results from this study show a relatively low concentration of microplastics in water samples in comparison with global studies, it is worth noticing that microplastics were regularly detected in fresh waterbodies in Victoria, Australia. Compared with water samples, shrimp contained a wider variety of plastic types, suggesting they may potentially behave as passive samplers of microplastics pollution in freshwater environments.

Microplastic pollution in water and sediment in a textile industrial area

Microplastics pollution in the environment is closely determined by the surrounding industrial and human activities. In present study, we investigated microplastics in water and sediment samples collected from a textile industrial area in Shaoxing city, China. The abundance of microplastics varied from 2.1 to 71.0 items/L in surface water samples, and from 16.7 to 1323.3 items/kg (dw) in sediment samples. The polymer type was dominated by polyester both in water (95%) and sediment (79%) samples. The majority of the detected microplastics was predominantly colored fibers smaller than 1 mm in diameter. The high level of microplastic pollution detected in local freshwater and sediment environments was attributed to the production and trading activities of textile industries, for which severe regulations should be envisaged in the future to effectively reduce the local microplastic pollution.

Distribution of microplastics in surface water and sediments of Qin river in Beibu Gulf, China

As a series of pollutants, microplastics have recently attracted widespread attention worldwide. In this study, different surface water and sediment samples were collected at 12 sampling sites along the urban section of Qin River in Guangxi Province, China. Water samples were collected using plankton nets with two different pore sizes (75 μm and 300 μm) and Teflon pump system with 25 μm mesh screen. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the abundance, particle size, and type of microplastics (F = 0.302, P = 0.588) between the two plankton nets, but the microplastic abundance in the samples collected by the Teflon pump was significantly higher (F = 9.12, P = 0.001), especially for microplastic fibers (F = 9.525, P = 0.001). Compared with the plankton net sampling method, the Teflon pump sampling had a smaller sample volume, resulting in a higher estimate of microplastic abundance in the water column. The microplastic abundance in the sediments was 0–97 items·kg−1 dry weight. PE and PP were the main types of microplastics in Qin River, accounting for 67.2% and 72.3% in the water column and sediments, respectively. The microplastics in the water column and sediments were dominated by large-sized particles in the range of 1–5 mm. The sources of microplastic pollution in Qin River may be affected by many factors, including population density, industrial structure, and aquaculture activities. However, aquaculture activities were generally the main source of microplastic pollution in Qin River estuary. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could effectively decrease the microplastic abundance in urban sewage, reducing the impact of urban sewage discharge on microplastic accumulation in Qin River.

An affordable methodology for quantifying waterborne microplastics - an emerging contaminant in inland-waters

The occurrence of microplastics in marine habitats is well documented and of growing concern. The presence of these small (<5 mm) pieces of plastic is less well recorded in inland water systems. In this paper, we determine a cost-efficient and straightforward method for the collection and identification of microplastics in UK inland waters. We found pieces of microplastic from all sample sites ranging from over 1000 L-1 in the River Tame, to 2.4 L-1 in Loch Lomond. The presence of microplastics in all waters tested suggest it should now be classed as an emergent contaminant, with routine monitoring required.

Microplastics: What Drinking Water Utilities Need to Know

Key TakeawaysConsumers are becoming more concerned with microplastics in water, so utilities should start thinking about methods to identify and address them.Although there is a lot of research on microplastics in marine environments, there isn't much research yet with drinking water.To address microplastics, utilities should establish sampling and analytical techniques, identify treatment methods, and implement communications strategies.

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products and microplastics contamination assessment of Al-Hassa irrigation network (Saudi Arabia) and its shallow lakes

This study assess the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and pesticides in different environmental compartments and microplastics in water of a characteristic lagoon wetland in Saudi Arabia to establish the transport, accumulation and fate of these pollutants in a water-stressed area under high anthropogenic pressure. In water, diazinon (up to 1016 ng L−1), caffeine (up to 20,663 ng L−1), diclofenac (up to 1390 ng L−1) and paracetamol (up to 3069 ng L−1) were at the highest concentrations. The substances with the highest frequency of detection were carbendazim, atorvastatin, caffeine, etoricoxib, lorazepam, metformin, ofloxacin, paracetamol, salicylic acid and tramadol. Considerably less pesticides and PPCPs at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 126 ng g−1 dry weight (d.w.) were detected in the other matrices (sediment ≫ soil > plants). The concentration of microplastics in water ranged from 0.7 to 7.8 items/L in the Al-Asfar lake and from 1.1 to 9.0 items/L in the Al-Hubail lake. Risk assessment [using hazards quotients (HQ)] was used to highlight pesticides and PPCPs of major ecological concern that should be closely monitored to avoid adverse effects.

Microplastics in water, sediment and salts from traditional salt producing ponds

Plastic pollution has universally known accumulated in all environment compartments and accelerating threat to the sustainability of earth. Field survey to examine the occurrence of microplastics in ancient sea water evaporation technology of ponds at Pallengu-Jeneponto, was conducted. From this sea salt producing ponds, samples of water, sediment and freshly harvested salts were collected. Sixteen samples each of water and sediments and 12 salts were collected. From 16 water and sediment samples there are 31 microplastics item discovered in 11 water samples (68.75% of total contamination) and 41 microplastics item observed in 10 sediment samples (62.5% total contamination), respectively. Interestingly, sampling points at sedimentation/heating pools were found to be the locations with highest occurrence of microplastics in both water and sediment. There are 7 salt samples positively contaminated with 29 microplastics or 58.3% of total contamination, which predominated by line and fragment forms. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy analysis has revealed polymers of polyvinyl acetate (41.7%), polyethylene (33.3%) and polystyrene (25%). There was no significant difference found on microplasticss occurrence from 3 kinds of samples collected, although there was a decreasing trend of total microplastics found from water, sediment and salt. Microplasticss abundance were ranged 7-55 items/L water, 14.6-50 items/kg sediments and 6.7-53.3 items/kg salt. With microplastics abundance reached over 53 microplastics items/kg salt, it is believed that continuous consumption by people will end up with possible accumulation of potentially absorbed of various toxic chemical pollutants which present in sea water as salt raw materials. The need for robust and practical strategy in water quality management for reduction of microplasticss contamination in consumed salts is a must.

Superimposed microplastic pollution in a coastal metropolis

The mitigation of microplastic pollution in the environment calls for a better understanding of the sources and transportation, especially from land sources to the open ocean. We conducted a large-scale investigation of microplastic pollution across the Greater Melbourne Area and the Western Port area, Australia, spanning gradients of land-use from un-developed catchments in conservation areas to more heavily-developed areas. Microplastics were detected in 94% of water samples and 96% of sediment samples, with abundances ranging from 0.06 to 2.5 items/L in water and 0.9 to 298.1 items/kg in sediment. The variation of microplastic abundance in sediments was closely related to that of the overlying waters. Fiber was the most abundant (89.1% and 68.6% of microplastics in water and sediment respectively), and polyester was the dominant polymer in water and sediment. The size of more than 40% of all total microplastics observed was less than 1 mm. Both light and dense polymers of different shapes were more abundant in sediments than those in water, indicating that there is microplastic accumulation in sediments. The abundance of microplastics was higher near coastal cities than at less densely-populated inland areas. A spatial analysis of the data suggests that the abundance of microplastics increases downstream in rivers and accumulates in estuaries and the lentic reaches of these rivers. Correlation and redundancy analysis were used to explore the associations between microplastic pollution and different land-use types. More microplastics and polymer types were found at areas with large amounts of commercial, industrial and transport activities. Microplastic abundances were also correlated with mean particle size. Microplastic hotspots within a coastal metropolis might be caused by a combination of natural accumulation via hydrological dynamics and contribution from increasing anthropogenic influences. Our results strongly suggest that coastal metropolis superimposed on increasing microplastic levels in waterbodies from inland areas to the estuaries and open oceans.

An exploratory ecotoxicity study of primary microplastics versus aged in natural waters and wastewaters

Current understanding of how environmental aging of microplastics contributes to their ecotoxicity is low. We investigated whether incubation of microplastics in waters with different organic load and toxic potential alters the toxicity of microplastics to crustacean Daphnia magna, fish embryos Danio rerio and plant Lemna minor. Polyethylene primary microplastics; specifically microbeads from facial scrub; were subjected to 3-weeks incubation in low affected spring water, river water, effluent from the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and municipal landfill leachate. Primary microplastics had no acute effect on D. magna mobility and D. rerio embryos development. While high organic load wastewaters; WWTP effluent and landfill leachate; showed evident toxicity for D. magna and D. rerio embryos, microplastics aged in these wastewaters had no effect. This suggests that adsorption of pollutants from wastewaters to microplastic particles was not high enough to induce acute toxicity to D. magna and D. rerio. On the contrary, primary microplastics affected the root growth of L. minor. Interestingly, aging of microplastics in low organic-load waters mitigated the toxicity of microplastics for L. minor, while microplastics aged in high-organic load waters had the same adverse effect as primary microplastics. Partly, these effects can be explained by different extent of coating on microplastics in different water samples. This study suggests that aging of microplastics in wastewaters and natural waters did not significantly enhance the toxicity to selected test species, but further studies on plants may be of interest.

From macroplastics to microplastics: Role of water in the fragmentation of polyethylene

In this work, the artificial photodegradation of polyethylene films was studied in laboratory to compare the fragmentation pathways of this polymer at air and in water. Oxidation, surface mechanical properties, crystallinity and crack propagation were monitored to investigate their influence on fragmentation. Without any external stress, fragmentation only occurred in water despite a higher level of oxidation for films weathered at air. The cracking of the films did not appear correlated with the oxidation level and the presence of water appeared as a promoter of cracking propagation. The results also showed that the mechanical properties at the surface play a major role in the fragmentation pathway whereas the fabrication process may influence the propagation direction of the cracks. Consequently, the distribution in size of plastic fragments in the aquatic environment may be linked to the nature of the polymer but also to its manufacturing process. In this study, after 25 weeks of weathering in water, 90% of the fragments were >1 mm with very similar shapes showing that micrometric fragments were not yet abundant. These results suggest that long times of weathering in water and many steps of fragmentation appear necessary from macroplastics to reach sizes <1 mm in the aquatic environment. These results constitute a first attempt to understand the pathways leading from macroplastics to microplastics in water. They have to be confirmed for other polymers and the long-term behavior of the fragments needs to be studied to predict their decrease in size among time.

Pollution Characteristics of Microplastics in Migratory Bird Habitats Located Within Poyang Lake Wetlands

Microplastic pollution (plastics with particle sizes<5 mm) has become a serious problem. In this study, we sampled the surface water, sediment, and bird excrement from the shore, center of the lake, and active areas for birds in Baisha Lake, which is key habitat for migratory birds in the Poyang Lake wetlands. The microplastics were separated by flotation separation, and then, we analyzed the pollution characteristics of this area. The main results were as follows. ① There were significant differences in the abundance of microplastics in water and sediment at different sampling points in the study area. The average abundance of microplastics in water and sediment were 263.28 per·m-3 and 215.9 per·kg-1, respectively. The average abundance of microplastics in migratory bird feces was 4.93 per·g-1. ② There were four kinds of microplastics in the surface water in terms of the different morphologies of particles, namely, pellets, films, fragments, and fibers, among which pellets were the major type. The main colors of microplastics were red, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and transparent. The rank in terms of the size of microplastics was follows: < 1 mm > 1-2 mm > 2-3 mm > 3-5 mm, and the abundance decreased with the increase of particle size. ③ There were also four kinds of microplastics with different morphologies in the sediment, namely, pellets, films, fragments, and fibers. The main colors of these microplastics were red, yellow, blue, purple, black, and transparent. Microplastic sizes on the shore of the lake and bird habitat were mainly < 1 mm, and 1-2 mm particles were mainly detected in the center of the lake. ④ There were four types of microplastics in the excrement of migratory birds, namely, pellets, films, fragments, and fibers. The colors of these microplastics were red, yellow, green, purple, and transparent, and the particle size was mainly < 1 mm. ⑤ There was no consistency in the types of microplastics in the water body, sediment, and bird droppings. However, the size distribution for water and bird excrement was consistent. The results indicate that Poyang Lake bird habitat is polluted by microplastics, and the birds are inevitably exposed to microplastics. This study warns that microplastics will be an emerging threat to migratory birds.

Analysis and Prevention of Microplastics Pollution in Water: Current Perspectives and Future Directions.

The analysis, prevention, and removal of microplastics (MPs) pollution in water is identified as one major problem the world is currently facing. MPs can be directly released to water or formed by the degradation of bigger plastics. Nowadays, it is estimated that annually between 4 and 12 million tonnes of plastic go into the seas and oceans—with a forecast for them to outweigh the amount of fish in 2050. Based on the existing studies, the characterization of MPs in waters is still one of the remaining challenges because they can be easily confused with organic or other types of matter. Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to establish pathways for the chemical identification of the MP nature. In this perspective, the recent techniques and instrumentation for MP characterization (Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies and microscopies, pyrolysis and thermal desorption gas chromatography, imaging techniques, etc.) are discussed including considerations to the multidimensionality of the problem. This perspective also summarizes and provides updated data on the sources and occurrence, transport and fate of MPs in aquatic ecosystems, as well as influencing conditions and factors affecting dispersal. Additionally, how engineering and biotechnological tools, such as advanced water treatments, would help to control, reduce, or even eliminate MP pollution in the near future is outlined.

Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in water, sediments, and wild fish from Poyang Lake, China

Microplastic pollution in global aquatic environments has aroused increasing concern in recent years. In this study, the occurrence of microplastics in multiple environmental compartments was investigated in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake of China. The abundance of microplastics was respectively 5–34 items/L for surface waters, 54–506 items/kg for sediments, and 0–18 items per individual for wild crucians (Carassius auratus). The distribution of microplastics in Poyang Lake varied heterogeneously in space, with the highest abundance being observed in the middle region of the lake for surface waters and in the northern region for sediments. Anthropogenic and topographic factors were speculated to be the major factors affecting the abundance and distribution of microplastics. The majority of the detected microplastics were found with a size of < 0.5 mm, with fibrous and coloured being the predominant characteristics. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were the major polymer types of the selected plastic particles, indicating that domestic sewage and fishing activities might be the main sources of microplastics in the lake. No significant correlation was observed between microplastic abundance in surface water and sediment samples. Our results demonstrated the wide occurrence of microplastics in water, sediment and biota of the Poyang Lake, which may assist in extending our knowledge regarding microplastics pollution in inland freshwater systems.

Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in the Pearl River along Guangzhou city and Pearl River estuary, China

Like many urban rivers, the Pearl River in China is contaminated with microplastics. Compared with marine environments, microplastic pollution in freshwater is less understood, especially in urban rivers. In the present study, the abundance and distribution of microplastics in water from the Pearl River was investigated, including the estuary and the urban section along Guangzhou. The average abundance of microplastics was 19,860 items/m3 and 8902 items/m3 in the urban section and estuary, respectively. Wastewater effluents from cities might be a main source of microplastics in the Pearl River, and the urban tributaries might act as retention systems for microplastics. Among these microplastics, over 80% of them were less than 0.5 mm. The main shapes of microplastics were film, fragment, and fiber, mostly blue or transparent. Moreover, the most common polymer types of these microplastics were polyamide (26.2%) and cellophane (23.1%). This study reveals the contamination and characteristics of microplastics in the Pearl River, and provides important data for further research on microplastics in freshwater ecosystems.

Microplastic pollution in rice-fish co-culture system: A report of three farmland stations in Shanghai, China

Microplastics are emerging contaminants of increasing concern. Despite the occurrence of microplastics in farmland soils, the knowledge on microplastics in rice-fish co-culture ecosystems is limited. In this study, we investigated the distribution of microplastics in three rice-fish culture stations in Shanghai. During non-rice and rice-planting periods, microplastics in water, soils and aquatic animals (eel, loach and crayfish) were systematically assayed using methods of NaCl density extraction, H2O2 digestion and micro-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that average microplastic abundances were 0.4 ± 0.1 items L−1, 10.3 ± 2.2 items kg−1, 1.7 ± 0.5 items individual−1 in water, soils and aquatic animal samples, respectively. We found an increasing trend in microplastic abundances in water, soil and animal samples from non-rice period to rice-planting period. Almost all of microplastics were found in digestive tracts of animals. Major microplastics were small (<1 mm) polyethylene and polypropylene fibers, with color of white and translucent. Size, shape, color and polymer type distributions of microplastics were similarly found in environmental and animal samples. Moreover, microplastic abundances in aquatic animals correlated to abundance in farmland soils. This study, for the first time, reveals the occurrence and characteristics of microplastic pollution in rice-fish culture ecosystem which suggests the potential ecological risks of microplastics in the agroecosystem.