A Lab-on-a-Filter Immunoassay for Detecting Polystyrene Microplastics

Due to the increased prevalence of plastic pollution globally, atmospheric deposition of microplastics (MPs) is a significant issue that needs to be better understood to identify potential consequences for human health. This study is the first to quantify and characterize atmospheric MP deposition in the Eastern United States. Passive sampling was conducted at two locations within the Eastern United States, specifically in remote South Central Appalachia, from March to September 2023. Each location had five sampling periods, with collections over a 21 day period. Samples were processed to remove biological material, and the presence of MPs was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy to match particles based on polymer similarity. The relative average atmospheric MP deposition in South Central Appalachia was determined to be 68 MPs m-2 d-1. Most verified MPs were fibers, and the most abundant polymer type identified was poly(ethylene terephthalate) PETE. This study's average MP deposition rate is qualitatively comparable to rates reported in other studies that employed a similar methodology in a similar landscape. Scaling up our measured deposition rate to all of South Central Appalachia, an area of over 94,000 km2 and home to five million people, suggests a yearly MP deposition of approximately 321 metric tonnes. Our study highlights the prevalence of MP deposition in the Eastern United States, providing baseline data for future work to further assess routes of MP introduction.

Microplastics (MPs) and Nanoplastics (NPs) are plastic fragments that spread in the environment and accumulate in the human body, so they have been becoming a worldwide environmental concern because of their potential human health effects. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prospective impact of MPs and NPs on the inflammatory process. Electronic article search was performed on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science international databases from 1 Jan 2012 to 31 Dec 2021. Screenings of titles, abstracts and full texts were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). The methodological quality of the studies was checked by the Toxicological data Reliability Assessment Tool. Electronic article search identified 125 records, from which 6 in vitro, 11 in vivo and 2 both in vivo and in vitro studies were included. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have showed an increase ofdifferent inflammatory outcomes (Interleukines, Tumor necrosis factor, Chemokines, Interferones, Transcription factors, Growth factors, Oxydoreductase, Proteins and others), thus it seems to confirm the association withthe exposure to microplastics of different types, sizes, exposure times and exposed species. This systematic review seems to support the relationship between the exposure to MPs and the inflammatory processboth in vivo and in vitro. Greater caution is needed about the role of NPs because ofa very small number of studies. Additional high-quality studies are warranted to confirm these results, especially the research should be focused on NPs being lacking literature.

Increasing microplastics pollution: An emerging vector for potentially pathogenic bacteria in the environment.

Exploring the vertical transport of microplastics in subsurface environments: Lab-scale experiments and field evidence

The threat of plastic waste in the environment has evoked rising concern over the past decades. While these versatile and incredibly popular polymer materials undoubtedly fulfil unprecedented services, their extreme durability and alleged toxicity represent major downsides, once in the environment. As plastics break down into smaller microplastics (MP) they evidently pollute almost every thinkable habitat on the globe today. While an estimated 5–12 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, rivers are important pathways, carrying an annual freight of 0.41–4 million tons downstream. The Rhine River, one of Europe’s main streams and one of the World’s busiest waterways, reportedly holds substantial amounts of MP in its near-surface waters and sediments. However, little is known about potential MP sources, seasonal dynamics and the MP pollution of benthic sediments of this major river. In my dissertation I address three pivotal knowledge gaps about MP in the Rhine River and investigate a new type of method to safely and efficiently separate MP from surrounding environmental sample matrices. The surface water MP pollution of the Rhine River was earlier characterised by the distinct appearance of vast amounts (~60%) of rigid polystyrene microbeads of unknown origin and former purpose. In a sustained investigation of a defined river stretch in the Lower Rhine downstream Cologne, we managed to narrow down the entry region of these pollutants and close-to-certainly unveil the particle’s former purpose as ion-exchange resin beads used in diverse fluid purification applications. As more data on MP in rivers emerges, an interesting gap opens: empirical field studies tend to generate temporally restricted snapshot data while modellers, laudably seeking the bigger picture, are confronted with enormous uncertainties in their results. In a bid to reduce this void we embarked on a quadruplicate surface water MP observation in the Rhine catchment during 2016–2017. The investigation included three nival discharge regime tributaries and the Rhine in Switzerland as well as a pluvial Rhine River section towards the German-Dutch border. It became evident that despite a coherent increasing MP concentration gradient downstream, reflecting average discharge and catchment size, overall variability in environmental MP data was large. This hampers clear-cut estimations about concentration fluctuations but at the same time reinforces the theory of high MP seasonal pollution fluxes in the European winter months, when Rhine discharge is highest. Seeking to contribute to the very scarce knowledge of MP and benthic sediment interaction in large dynamic rivers, we took a diving bell and a dredging vessel to the riverbed at two previously identified surface MP hotspots at the German Middle and Lower Rhine. Due to expected water turbulence and flow velocity, substantial settling of MP in such stretches is not necessarily anticipated. Interestingly, it showed that even the Rhine riverbed is not spared from vast MP pollution. The applied research technology allowed for reliable detection of MP down to particle sizes of 11 μm and yielded strongly varying concentrations of 260–11,000 MP kg^–1, with a strongly skewed size class distribution towards the smallest MP particles. Experience showed us that environmental sample preparation for MP research can be a tedious and resource-intensive enterprise – including health and environmental hazards. Instead of attacking the unwanted portions in a sample (e.g. biogenic residue to isolate MP), a more efficient approach is to select the MP specifically. We refined a proposed lipophilicity-based separation technique and broadened its scope by successfully testing it to four different types of environmental matrices. This one-for-all approach may present a promising means for quicker, cheap, safe and efficient MP data compilation. The method was successfully applied for the seasonal surface MP investigation presented in this dissertation.

Microplastics (MP) are widely distributed in the marine environment, and are generally defined as plastic particles lesser than 5 mm in size. These MPs can be ingested by various aquatic organisms, including oysters and subsequently transferred to the higher trophic levels. The primary objective of this study was to determine the quantity and types of MPs in cultured oyster (Crassostrea madrasensis) and, in surface-water and sediment samples from three culture sites located in Kalpitiya lagoon. This study extensively paid attention to the effect of depuration process on removing microplastics from oysters. Six out of twelveoyster samples from each site were subjected to a sixteen-hour depuration period. Both depurated and non-depurated oysters were acid digested and filtered to extract MP particles. Sediment samples from the culture sites were density separated by air venting through a super saturated calcium chloride solution. Water samples were filtered over a 63 μm mesh and treated with 30% H2O2. Extracted MP particles from oysters, sediment and surface-water were observed under a stereo microscope and size eligible MP particles were confirmed using FT-IR spectrometer. Microplastic concentration of non-depurated oysters was 4.0±2.4 particles per individual oyster. In depurated oysters average MP concentration was 1.1±0.6 MP particles per individual oyster. Bottom sediment samples from oyster culture sites had the highest concentrations of microplastics, which was an average of 24.5±4.2 MP particles per 1 kg of sediment dry weight and water samples with an average concentration of 7.4±1.3 MP particles per 1 L of lagoon water. Among observed MP types, fibers (74.3%) were the most common typeof MPs. Depuration of oysters successfully removed 72.5%. of MPs. This study reveals that, an average portion of non-depurated oysters (250 g wet weight or 12 oysters) contains approximately 50 MP particles to which the consumer will be exposed. Continuation of investigations on microplastics in different edible aquatic speciesare required to have a comprehensive understanding of this potential human health risk. Keywords: Microplastics, Crassostrea madrasensis, Oysters, Depuration, Kalpitiya lagoon

At the moment, microplastics are a common pollution that is found in nearly every area of the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are regarded as a potentially harmful ecological contaminant and growing concern. The food chain, human wellness, and the health of animals are all at risk due to this kind of pollution. Research on the presence of MPs in aquatic creatures and the marine environment, their transfer of trophic levels across the food chain, and the recognition of seafood animals as appropriate biomarkers have taken precedence. It is necessary to conduct more research to determine the presence of plastic particles in the ocean’s food web, their long-lasting effects on humans and animals, and the potential health consequences. Further study is needed to understand plastic particles' dispersion and environmental impacts in agricultural soil, even though their buildup and demise in aquatic environments have been extensively investigated. There needs to be more knowledge on the forms, transport, breakdown, and accumulation of MPs in soil, animal, and plant systems, as well as the hazards they pose to the setting, food chain, and public health. As a result, the study also made the case for the significance of studying soil MP contamination and treatment to reduce environmental and food chain hazards.

Microplastics (MPs), the plastic particles with size fraction smaller than 5 mm, are recently becoming one important problem worldwide due to their ubiquitous distribution in the environment, especially in water. In this study, the separation techniques in mineral processing (i.e., magnetic separation and surface-based separation) were applied to remove MPs from contaminated water. Five kinds of model MPs samples (+38−2000 μm); polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were used and magnetite (Fe3O4) powders (−75 μm) were modified using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to change their surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic for MPs recovery. The results showed that MPs could be attached on the surface of modified magnetite due to the hydrophobic interaction and could be recovered together with modified magnetite by magnetic separation.

Particles with the largest dimension of less than 5 mm, also termed as microplastics (MPs), gained a lot of scientific and media attention in the last decade. MPs in the environment are of importance because of their potential for further fragmentation, accumulation, and impact on biota in the terres-trial and water environments. MPs research is challenging due to their diversity in size, shape, and chemical structure. For research purposes, MP particles can be purchased, but in terms of chemical structure, they properties might not correspond to the ones of MPs, found in the environment. Com-pared to purchased MPs, plastic products in the environment can contain different additives, despite being the same polymer type as purchased MPs. Therefore, for environmental studies preparation of MP particles from plastic products is preferable. In this contribution two methods for laboratory preparation of MP particles, different sizes and polymer types, are presented. Method using ultra-sound probe was found to be suitable for obtaining polyester fibres from thin sewing thread, while cryogenic milling was found to be preferable method for MPs preparation from larger and thicker plastic particles. In this way, MPs of other types of plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene) were prepared from beforehand manually cut plastic particles, originating from everyday plastic products. Keywords: Miroplastics; Cryomilling; Separation; Challenges of preparation; Surface topology

Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances

During the last several decades, academic studies focused mainly on marine and surface water systems to understand Microplastics (MPs) as plastic particles that measure less than 5 mm. Recent studies indicate that MPs are infiltrating groundwater sources, serving as mankind's most crucial source of fresh water. This review investigates different natural and artificial paths by which MPs enter groundwater reserves through landfills, agricultural drainage, and water processing systems as well as old plastic distribution systems. The manuscript focuses on how MPs interact with subsurface environments while tracking their fundamental movement patterns and long-lasting presence that leads to water quality degradation and harms subsurface ecological systems and human wellness. This document highlights the urgent need for effective detection methods for MPs in groundwater, utilizing advanced spectroscopy techniques coupled with machine learning for identification. As global awareness of microplastic pollution rises, the lack of regulatory standards remains a significant challenge. The study stresses the importance of establishing standardized protocols and implementing policy interventions focused on sustainable groundwater management practices without delay. Future research is recommended to develop long-term monitoring systems and integrate high-resolution modeling along with ethical AI applications to address the escalating threats posed by MPs in groundwater environments. By identifying key research gaps, this study aims to guide advancements in sustainable and scalable microplastic identify cation and removal technologies, essential for mitigating their environmental and health implications.

Impacts of soil microplastics on crops: A review

Microplastics: Human exposure assessment through air, water, and food

Zinc oxide nanoparticles are widely used in some domains (cosmetics, pharmaceuticals optical devices, and agricultural field) due to their physical, optical, and antimicrobial properties. However, the release of ZnO-NPs into the environment may affect organisms like fish with potential consequences for human health. Histological approaches of the acute effects of these materials on fish are scarce; thus, the present study aimed to investigate the potential toxic effects of acute exposure to ZnO particles in marine environments, by assessing histological changes in the gills, liver, spleen, and muscle of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles. Thus, fish were exposed for 96 h, via water, to 1 mg L-1 of ionic zinc and zinc oxide particles (1.1, 1.2, and 1.4 μm of size). Histological examination revealed gills as the most affected organ, followed by liver, muscle, and spleen. In the gills, histopathological changes included hyperplasia of epithelial cells, fusion of the secondary lamellae, and lifting of the lamellar epithelium with edema. In the liver, lipid vacuolation of several degrees, necrosis of hepatic and pancreatic tissues, blood congestion in sinusoids and hepatoportal vessels, presence of cellular infiltrate, and melano-macrophages diffusion was found. Muscle showed degeneration, atrophy, thickening and necrosis of muscle fibers with edema between them, and presence of melano-macrophages in the muscle layer. Spleen was the less damaged organ, displaying congested blood, white pulp increase/rupture, and bigger and darker melano-macrophage aggregates in the splenic stroma. These results underline that the size of particles plays a determinant role in their potential pernicious effects. A short-term exposure caused major histopathological changes in relevant organs of S. aurata juveniles, possibly affecting their function.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants in drinking water that raise global concerns due to their health risks and long-term environmental persistence. These tiny plastic particles can accumulate within human bodies and ecosystems, making it essential to understand their presence and behavior in water sources, especially in drinking water. In Khuzestan Province, which is of strategic importance in the Gulf region. This study assesses the concentration and types of MPs entering and leaving these 11 treatment plants. In untreated water, particle size analysis revealed that 50% of MPs were measured under 101µm, with fibers being the most common type (47%), followed by fragments and pellets. Although treatment processes reduced overall MP concentrations, fibers remained the dominant residual type, making up 71% of the MPs in treated water. The main polymers identified were polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), with PE accounting for up to 75% of MPs in some areas. In terms of color, black/gray MPs were most prevalent (45%), followed by blue, red/pink, yellow/orange, and white/clear particles. While most treatment plants achieved significant reductions in MP levels, some were less effective, likely due to differences in treatment technologies. Notably, the S10 plant in Bandar Mahshahr had especially high inlet MP levels, possibly due to the region's high industrial and human activities. Estimated daily intake (EDI) for adults was approximately 0.00482 MPs per kg of body weight per day, with children having a higher intake of around 0.01866 MPs per kg per day. These findings highlight the need to enhance treatment technologies, control upstream MP sources, and establish routine monitoring to protect water quality in Khuzestan and the wider Gulf region.