Usage Of Plastics Research Articles

Towards Climate Resilience: A Comprehensive Study on Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Single-Use Plastic Sheets in Somalia

This research critically examines the recent policy intervention by the Somali government, focusing on the prohibition of single-use plastic sheets. The primary aim is to safeguard the environment and enhance public safety, aligning with global efforts to address plastic pollution and promote sustainable practices. The government's proactive approach urges manufacturers to explore alternative materials that prioritize community well-being and minimize environmental impact. This research, in response to the government's call for action, seeks to contribute comprehensive strategies that complement existing efforts. One key facet of the proposed initiatives involves research and development to identify and promote eco-friendly substitutes for single-use plastic sheets. This includes investigating materials with minimal environmental impact throughout their lifecycle. By encouraging innovation in materials science, the study aims to support the government's commitment to sustainable practices and reduce dependence on harmful substances. In addition to material innovation, the research emphasizes the importance of awareness campaigns to educate the public about the environmental and social implications of plastic usage. Community awareness is crucial for fostering a collective understanding of the need for change and garnering support for the government's policies. This aspect of the study aims to develop targeted communication strategies to engage diverse segments of the population and promote a culture of responsible consumption. Furthermore, the research advocates for the implementation of recycling programs to manage existing plastic waste effectively. Developing robust waste management infrastructure is essential for ensuring that discarded plastic materials are recycled efficiently, reducing their impact on the environment. Recognizing the economic aspects of the transition, the research proposes incentives for businesses that adopt sustainable materials. These incentives can include financial support, tax breaks, or preferential treatment in government procurement processes. By aligning economic interests with ecological responsibility, the study aims to facilitate a smooth transition and encourage widespread adoption of sustainable practices. Through a comprehensive analysis of various initiatives, the research aims to provide actionable insights for policymakers. Recommendations will be formulated to guide the government in implementing effective measures that align with its commitment to environmental sustainability and the overall safety of the Somali population. In conclusion, this research aspires to contribute practical strategies for Somalia, balancing economic interests with ecological responsibility. By fostering a harmonious coexistence between human activities and the environment, the study aims to support the government's vision of a resilient and sustainable future.

Unlocking the potentials of Ustilago trichophora for up-cycling polyurethane-derived monomer 1,4-butanediol.

Plastic usage by microbes as a carbon source is a promising strategy to increase the recycling quota. 1,4-butanediol (BDO) is a common monomer derived from polyesters and polyurethanes. In this study, Ustilago trichophora was found to be an efficient cell-factory to valorize BDO. To investigate product formation by U. trichophora, we refined the traditional ion exclusion liquid chromatography method by examining eluent, eluent concentrations, oven temperatures, and organic modifiers to make the chromatography compatible with mass spectrometry. An LC-UV/RI-MS2 method is presented here to identify and quantify extracellular metabolites in the cell cultures. With this method, we successfully identified that U. trichophora secreted malic acid, succinic acid, erythritol, and mannitol into the culture medium. Adaptive laboratory evolution followed by medium optimization significantly improved U. trichophora growth on BDO and especially malic acid production. Overall, the carbon yield on the BDO substrate was approximately 33% malic acid. This study marks the first report of a Ustilaginaceae fungus capable of converting BDO into versatile chemical building blocks. Since U. trichophora is not genetically engineered, it is a promising microbial host to produce malic acid from BDO, thereby contributing to the development of the envisaged sustainable bioeconomy.

Assessing the environmental and health impacts of plastic production and recycling

Plastic production and recycling have become integral processes in modern society, but their environmental and health impacts have garnered significant attention in recent years. This review outlines key findings from a comprehensive assessment of these impacts, drawing from a range of scientific literature and empirical studies. The environmental footprint of plastic production encompasses various stages, from extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and distribution. These processes contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and pollution of air, water, and soil. Additionally, plastic waste, particularly single-use items, poses a significant threat to ecosystems and wildlife, with marine environments being particularly vulnerable. While recycling is often promoted as a solution to mitigate the environmental impact of plastics, its effectiveness is limited by various factors. Challenges such as contamination, inadequate infrastructure, and low rates of collection and recycling hinder the potential benefits. Moreover, the recycling process itself can generate pollutants and emissions, albeit to a lesser extent than primary production. Beyond environmental concerns, the health implications of plastic use are increasingly recognized. Plastics contain additives such as phthalates and bisphenols, which have been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, and other health problems in humans and wildlife. Furthermore, the accumulation of microplastics in the environment raises concerns about potential bioaccumulation and transfer through the food chain, with implications for human health. Addressing the environmental and health impacts of plastic production and recycling requires a multifaceted approach, including reduction of plastic consumption, improvement of recycling infrastructure and technologies, development of alternative materials, and policy interventions to promote sustainable practices. This assessment highlights the complex interplay between plastic usage, environmental degradation, and public health, underscoring the need for concerted efforts to mitigate these challenges.

Quantitation and identification of microplastics accumulation in human placental specimens using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

The exponential increase in global plastic usage has led to the emergence of nano- and microplastic (NMP) pollution as a pressing environmental issue due to its implications for human and other mammalian health. We have developed methodologies to extract solid materials from human tissue samples by saponification and ultracentrifugation, allowing for highly specific and quantitative analysis of plastics by pyrolysis-gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). As a benchmark, placenta tissue samples were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy and automated particle count, which demonstrated the presence of >1-micron particles and fibers, but not nano-sized plastic particles. Analyses of the samples (n = 10) using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated presence of rayon, polystyrene, polyethylene, and unclassified plastic particles. By contrast, among 62 placenta samples, Py-GC-MS revealed that microplastics were present in all participants' placentae, with concentrations ranging widely from 6.5 to 685 µg NMPs per gram of placental tissue, averaging 126.8 ± 147.5 µg/g (mean±SD). Polyethylene was the most prevalent polymer, accounting for 54% of total NMPs and consistently found in nearly all samples (mean 68.8 ± 93.2 µg/g placenta). Polyvinyl chloride and nylon each represented approximately 10% of the NMPs by weight, with the remaining 26% of the composition represented by 9 other polymers. Together, these data demonstrate advancements in the unbiased quantitative resolution of Py-GC-MS applied to the identification and quantification of NMP species at the maternal-fetal interface. This method, paired with clinical metadata, will be pivotal to evaluating potential impacts of NMPs on adverse pregnancy outcomes.

A Study on Customer Buying Behaviour on Eco- Friendly Products in Trichy City

The eco-friendly products have been recycled or gathered from natural resources. We can start with conserving water, driving less, walking more, buying recycled products, planting more trees, etc. Eco-friendly products have a lower impact on the environment. It will help to reduce the usage of plastics and also reduce the amount of waste that makes pollutants, and it will help to conserve natural resources by using green production. This way of production is better for both people and also the environment.

Insights from international environmental legislation and protocols for the global plastic treaty

Plastic pollution has emerged as a global challenge necessitating collective efforts to mitigate its adverse environmental consequences. International negotiations are currently underway to establish a global plastic treaty. Emphasizing the need for solution-orientated research, rather than focusing on further defining the problems of widespread environmental occurrence and ecological impacts, this paper extracts insights and draws key patterns that are relevant for these international negotiations. The analysis reveals that (i) environmental rather than human health concerns have been the predominant driving force behind previous regulations targeting pollutants, and (ii) the decision to ban or discontinue the use of harmful pollutants is primarily affected by the availability of viable substitutes. These two key findings are relevant to the discussions of the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on the global plastic treaty and underscore the recognition of environmental consequences associated with plastic pollution while emphasizing the need to enhance the knowledge base of potential human health risks. Leveraging the availability of substitutes can significantly contribute to the development and implementation of effective strategies aimed at reducing plastic usage and corresponding pollution.

A survey on hydration and use of plastic water bottles among Italian health sector workers.

Modena's Local Health Authority (AUSL) is a public service with more than 5,000 employees. In its facilities, drinking water is available as tap water. However, disposable plastic bottles are also widely used, thus increasing plastic waste. In the present study, we aimed to investigate employees' drinking habits through an ad hoc 10-item online questionnaire, which was administered in spring 2023. Of the 584 participants (10.8% response rate), 75% of workers reported drinking less than 1.5 liters of water per day. In addition, 74% of workers brought water from home, while 62% used disposable plastic containers bought in the workplace or outside. When asked if they would appreciate a water refilling station in the workplace, whether that would induce them to consume less plastic and to drink more water, 91%, 82%, and 72% of workers said "yes", respectively. By installing water coolers, the estimated mean number of plastic bottles spared every day at the AUSL would be about 6,000. Our data shed light on most employees' perceived need for alternative sources of drinking water, not only in order to drink more for health benefits, but also to reduce plastic usage in favor of reusable, more environmentally friendly materials.

Aging of polypropylene plastic and impacts on microbial community structure in constructed wetlands

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial surge in the usage of disposable plastic masks, generating a significant volume of waste and contributing to environmental pollution. Wetland ecosystems function as crucial repositories for terrestrial pollutants and are highly effective in retaining disposable masks composed mainly of PP material. These masks can endure extended periods in wetlands, experiencing natural degradation that may have potential implications on wetland ecosystems. Our findings demonstrate the natural aging process of disposable masks, resulting in the generation of microplastics (MPs) ranging in diameter from 10 to 30 μm over a 180-day timeframe. Examination of 16S rDNA data unveiled temporal fluctuations in microbial diversity in the wetland ecosystem. Initially, microbial diversity displayed a modest incline, which was succeeded by a subsequent decrease. With the progressive accumulation of plastic within the wetland, an ongoing decline in microbial diversity linked to nitrogen transformation was observed. This study provides valuable insights into the retention of disposable masks by wetlands amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, along with their consequential effects on wetland ecosystems, specifically pertaining to nitrogen cycling. It underscores the urgency of augmenting the safeguarding measures for wetland ecosystems.

Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics Facilitate Nitrous Oxide Production in Partial Nitritation Systems.

Partial nitritation (PN) is an important partner with anammox in the sidestream line treating high-strength wastewater and primarily contributes to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in such a hybrid system, which also suffers from ubiquitous microplastics because of the growing usage and disposal levels of plastics. In this study, the influences of polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC-MPs) on N2O-contributing pathways were experimentally revealed to fill the knowledge gap on N2O emission from the PN system under microplastics stress. The long-term results showed that the overall PN performance was hardly affected by the low-dose PVC-MPs (0.5 mg/L) while obviously deteriorated by the high dose (5 mg/L). According to the batch tests, PVC-MPs reduced biomass-specific ammonia oxidation rates (AORs) by 5.78-21.94% and stimulated aerobic N2O production by 9.22-88.36%. Further, upon increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations from 0.3 to 0.9 mg O2/L, the degree of AOR inhibition increased but that of N2O stimulation was lightened. Site preference analysis in combination with metabolic inhibitors demonstrated that the contributions of hydroxylamine oxidation and heterotrophic denitrification to N2O production at 0.3 mg O2/L were enhanced by 18.84 and 10.34%, respectively, accompanied by a corresponding decreased contribution of nitrifier denitrification. Finally, the underlying mechanisms proposed for negative influences of PVC-MPs were bisphenol A leaching and reactive oxygen species production, which led to more cell death, altered sludge properties, and reshaped microbial communities, further resulting in enhanced N2O emission. Overall, this work implied that the ubiquitous microplastics are a hidden danger that cannot be ignored in the PN system.

Microplastic pollution in waters of the Antarctic coastal environment of Potter Cove (25 de Mayo Island/King George Island, South Shetlands)

Plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is a growing concern, but many areas in this vast region remain unexplored. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of marine microplastic (MPs) concentrations in Potter Cove, located near the Argentinian Carlini research station on 25 de Mayo/King George Island, Antarctica. Water samples were collected at 14 sites within the cove, representing various influences from the station's activities. Two sampling methods were used: a 5 L Niskin bottle and an in-situ filtering device called Microfilter, allowing for large water volumes to be filtered. MPs were found in 100 % of the samples. Microfilter samples ranged from 0.02 to 2.14 MPs/L, with a mean concentration of 0.44 ± 0.44 MPs/L. Niskin bottle samples showed concentrations from 0.40 to 55.67 MPs/L, with a mean concentration of 19.03 ± 18.21 MPs/L. The dominant types of MPs were anthropogenic black, transparent, and pink microfibers (MFs) measuring between 0.11 and 3.6 mm (Microfilter) and 0.06 to 7.96 mm (Niskin bottle), with a median length of 0.01 mm for both methods. Transparent and black irregular microfragments (MFRs) with diameters from 0.10 to 5.08 mm and a median diameter of 0.49 mm were also prevalent. FTIR-spectroscopy revealed the presence of 14 types of polymers. Cellulose-based materials and polyethylene terephthalate were the most abundant in MFs, while polyurethanes and styrene-based copolymers dominated in MFRs. MPs were more abundant near the Carlini station. Compared to other coastal Antarctic areas, the MPs in the cove were relatively abundant and mostly smaller than 1 mm. Local activities on the island were identified as the primary source of MPs in the cove, and the cyclonic water circulation likely affects the distribution of small-sized particles. To protect the ecosystem, reducing plastic usage, improving waste management, regulating MPs debris, and enhancing wastewater practices are essential.

A LDA-Based Social Media Data Mining Framework for Plastic Circular Economy

The mass production of plastic waste has caused an urgent worldwide public health crisis. Although government policies and industrial innovation are the driving forces to meet this challenge, trying to understand public attitudes may improve the efficiency of this process. Social media has become the main ways for the public to obtain information and express opinions and feelings. This motivated us to mine the perceptions and behavioral responses towards plastic usage using social media data. In this paper, we proposed a framework for data collection and analysis based on mainstream media in the UK to obtain public opinions on plastics. An unsupervised machine learning model based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) has been employed to analyse and cluster the topics to deal with the lack of annotation of the data contents. An additional dictionary method was then proposed to evaluate the sentiment of the comments. The framework also provides tools to visualise the model and results to stimulate insightful understandings. We validated the framework's effectiveness by applying it to analyse three mainstream social media, where 6 first-level topic categories and 13 second-level topic categories from the comment texts related to plastics have been identified. The results show that public sentiment towards plastic products is generally stable. The spatiotemporal distribution of each topic's sentiment is highly correlated with the number of occurrences.

Green hospitals face to climate change: Between sobriety and resilience

Climate change poses a critical challenge to global health, influencing social and environmental determinants such as housing, air and water quality, and food security. This article explores the profound impact of climate change on health, projecting an additional 250,000 annual deaths from various climate-related diseases between 2030 and 2050. Healthcare systems significantly contribute to global carbon emissions. The concept of the “Green Hospital” is introduced as a paradigm shift in healthcare, focusing on optimizing resource efficiency and minimizing environmental impact. This concept encompasses renewable energy integration, natural lighting, sustainable materials, green roofs, and smart building management systems. Several challenges remain major, such as medical waste management, water conservation, chemical use, pollution, and plastic usage in healthcare settings. Moreover, obstacles to green hospital initiatives should be resolved, including system redundancy, regulatory compliance, operational demands, financial constraints, and cultural resistance. Conclusively, an urgent reformation of healthcare systems is needed to align with eco-friendly and sustainable practices, highlighting the necessity to reduce CO2 emissions and manage resources and waste more effectively to meet the evolving health needs of a growing and aging global population.

Initiatives of City Government of Calamba and Awareness of City on Plastic Dependency Reduction: Basis for Action Plan

This study aimed to determine and understand the implementation and level of awareness regarding plastic dependency reduction initiatives by the City Government of Calamba. These initiatives were developed to decrease plastic usage and manage its disposal through public awareness and behavioral changes toward plastic usage and disposal. The study sought to explore the significant difference between the assessments of Barangay Residents and Calamba City Local Government on these initiatives and to evaluate the significant relationship between the implementation and the level of awareness of plastic dependency reduction in Calamba City. A total of 242 surveys were collected through a random sampling method utilizing a researcher-made survey form. The data were interpreted using composite mean, a Four Point Likert Scale, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. The results revealed a difference between the assessments of Barangay Residents and Calamba City Local Government on the City Government initiatives. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant relationship between the assessments of Barangay Residents and Calamba City Local Government authorities on the implementation of these initiatives and the level of awareness of plastic dependency reduction. Based on these findings, the researcher proposed an action plan and activities to be initiated by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office. These activities focus on public involvement and environmental awareness to improve the ongoing initiatives on plastic dependency reduction in the City of Calamba.

Arduino Controlled Catalytic Pyrolysis of Plastic/Municipal Waste to Higher Hydrocarbons

Worldwide, the broad usage of plastic has resulted in the massive production of plastic pollution. In this work, it was demonstrated that municipal plastic waste could be converted into valuable liquid products. This study shows the catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Pyrolysis was carried out in the absence of Oxygen, and three types of fractions: gas, liquid, and solid residues were obtained. The proportions of liquid or gas residue depend on the operating conditions such as temperature and the type of catalyst. The product obtained was then characterized through ASTM D-97, ASTM D-86, ASTM D-4294, Cloud Point, Conradson Carbon Residue, FTIR Analysis, ASTM D-611, Density and Specific Gravity. The use of catalysts showed more quantity of lower boiling points products due to further cracking of carbon chains and pour points decrease was also observed generally with the use of catalyst specially by using bentonite. A decrease in Pour Point indicated a decrease in paraffin content, therefore, reducing wax content, and so it indicated better flow properties at lower temperatures. Pour point and viscosity observed were interconnected with each other, sample having high pour points had high viscosity, hence showing the flowing ability of the liquid. Also, the Sulphur contents of all the samples falling under Euro II and Euro II category. C-Stretching, C=Stretching and C-Bending bonds were noted using the FTIR analysis. One of the important purposes of this study was to convert the waxes obtained from thermal pyrolysis of HDPE and LDPE to higher chain hydrocarbons, which was achieved by using bentonite as the catalyst and also flowing properties of the liquid improved by using the catalyst. HDPE with bentonite gave the highest percent of liquid fuel (75.15%) obtained which in turn shows the best result obtained through all our experiments.

Integrated approaches for plastic waste management.

Plastic pollution is the challenging problem of the world due to usage of plastic in daily life. Plastic is essential for packaging food and other goods and utensils to avoid the risk of microbial attack. Due to its hydrophobic nature, it is used for wrapping as laminates or packaging liquid substances in pouches and sachets. The tensile strength of the plastic is more therefore it is used for manufacturing carrying bags that can bear heavy loads. Plastic is available in various forms as per the requirements in our daily life. Annually millions to trillions of polyethene carry bags are being manufactured and utilized throughout the world. The plastic requires millions of years for natural degradation. The physical and chemical processes are able to degrade plastic material at the meager level by 200 to 500 years in natural conditions. Many industries focus on recycling of plastic. Biodegradation is a comparatively slow and cheaper process that involves microbes. To dispose of plastic completely there is a need of an integrated process in which all the possible methods of disposal are involved and used sustainably so that minimum depletion occurs to the livestock and the environment. In the current review, we could try to emphasize the intricate nature of plastic polymers, pollution caused by it and possible mitigation strategies for plastic waste management.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Double Shaft Plastic Bottle Crusher for Small Scale Industrial Application

Plastic pollution is a problem that is affecting many aspects of human endeavour. Searches are being made for ecofriendly alternatives and waste management practices that can lessen the impact of plastic pollution. On the list are waste plastic reuse, use of bioplastics, reduction of reliance on plastic usage, and plastic waste recycling. In this technical brief, a Plastic shredder was developed to recycle plastic waste in the value chain. Plastic shredder is a machine that turns used plastic bottles to smaller particle sizes to enhance portability, easiness and readiness for use into new products. While in operation, the prime mover drives the transmission shafts with low speed in the range of 25 to 65 rpm to give shredding torque that masticates materials fed in, into desired granular size. Bivariate Linear regression was the statistical model used to understand the relationship between the two variables of evaluation, the predictor x (speed) and the response variable y (shredding capacity). Since significance F (0.0216) is less than 0.05, there is 95% confidence that there is linear relationship between speed of rotation and shredding capacity of the machine. Model equation is therefore given as Y= 0.952 X1 – 11.725 ± 2.53. The machine respectively gave highest shredding capacity for PET bottles, Tin can and wastepaper as 56.52 kg h-1, 29.60 kg h-1 and 42.09 kg h-1 at optimum speed of 65 rpm. If operated for 8 hours in a day, it can favorably shred almost half a ton of plastic bottles (452.16 kg day-1). The machine was developed at an affordable cost of $817.72. The paper shredded with the machine can be pulped and made into poultry egg crates and paper print used in building industry. The machine is less stressful to operate and economical to run and maintain. If the machine is widely adopted, the menace caused by nonbiodegradable materials like plastic will be ended.

Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Single-Use Plastics in Lahore Workspaces

Plastics are solid, low-price and have become a vital part of our daily life. The plastic industry is growing continuously over the decades to satisfy the needs of growing population. About 40% of the plastics produced worldwide are single use plastic and their disposal is a significant hazard to the human health and environment. The current study focuses on the knowledge, attitude and practices of people towards plastic usage at different workplaces in Lahore. To investigate behavior and perception of plastic consumption an online survey was conducted from March to August 2021. Results suggested that people have good knowledge about the impacts of plastic on public as well as environmental health 90% of respondents knew plastic takes thousands of years to degrade, 91.5% of them knew plastic is hazardous for environment, they (87.8 %) agreed that plastic threatens aquatic life but they usually don’t practice it and show negligent attitude towards the use of plastic and its products. Like 54.8 % respondents use plastic bag to carry their lunch box and 32.5 % of them take tea/coffee in disposable plastic cup at their workplace. Similarly, 86.3 % people knew that heating plastic lunch box in microwave oven makes food cancerous but still majority (36.8 %) of them directly microwave their plastic lunch box. Hence, combination of sound policies and awareness may help to address the major environmental problem and may also help to reduce environmental pressure posed due to plastic pollution.

Abundance and transport of macro-litter at sea turtle nesting beach: A case study for sustainable habitat management

In the last few decades, the worldwide production and usage of plastic have increased substantially. As a consequence, a major proportion of the mismanaged plastic is leaking from the land (source) to the sea (sink) affecting the marine environment in the form of emerging contaminants. Along the east coast of India, the sandy beaches adjacent to River Rushikulya support the winter mass nesting of Olive Ridley Sea turtles. The present study assesses the beach litter density (items/m2), composition (%), probable sources, and transport pathway prior to the nesting event. Sampling was carried out at four transects covering a 400 m2 area during low tide, aggregates to 890 litter materials of 15 categories. The Clean Coast Index (CCI) shows the maximum density (moderately clean to dirty) of litter observed along the backshore and the minimum (very clean) on the foreshore. The particle tracking model carried out for two seasons i.e., southwest and northeast monsoon infers that the transporting time of the litter from river to beach varied between 3–4 and 6–7 days, respectively. Our study suggests most of the debris accumulated on the nesting beaches after the monsoonal flood. Thus, it is recommended that cleaning the beaches by engaging local fishermen prior to the nesting, installing trash booms, and managing solid wastes in the river upstream, are some of the doable, effective, and best management practices that need to be adopted for sustainable management of this turtle rookery habitat.

Setting new standards: Multiphasic analysis of microplastic mineralization by fungi

Plastic materials provide numerous benefits. However, properties such as durability and resistance to degradation that make plastic attractive for variable applications likewise foster accumulation in the environment. Fragmentation of plastics leads to the formation of potentially hazardous microplastic, of which a considerable amount derives from polystyrene. Here, we investigated the biodegradation of polystyrene by the tropical sooty mold fungus Capnodium coffeae in different experimental setups. Growth of C. coffeae was stimulated significantly when cultured in presence of plastic polymers rather than in its absence. Stable isotope tracing using 13C-enriched polystyrene particles combined with cavity ring-down spectroscopy showed that the fungus mineralized polystyrene traces. However, phospholipid fatty acid stable isotope probing indicated only marginal assimilation of polystyrene-13C by C. coffeae in liquid cultures. NMR spectroscopic analysis of residual styrene contents prior to and after incubation revealed negligible changes in concentration. Thus, this study suggests a plastiphilic life style of C. coffeae despite minor usage of plastic as a carbon source and the general capability of sooty mold fungi to stimulate polystyrene mineralization, and proposes new standards to identify and unambiguously demonstrate plastic degrading capabilities of microbes.

Methods for the detection of microplastics in mammals

The mass manufacture and extensive usage of plastics have brought about the spread of microplastics throughout the whole environment and even into the bodies of humans and animals. The toxic effects of microplastics cannot be ignored and their accumulation in the body is potentially dangerous. Therefore, scientists have used different methods to observe the morphology of microplastics in the mammal body and to detect and evaluate the levels of microplastics in the body. As a result, the toxicological consequences of plastic particles on the body are well understood. This review summarized some common methods of detecting microplastics in mammals, especially humans, by reviewing the research on microplastics conducted by different research groups in recent years. and evaluated the characteristics, detection goals, and advantages and disadvantages of each method. This establishes a more comprehensive overview of current microplastic detection technologies and can create a theoretical basis for future analysis of microplastic dynamics.