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Silva DM, Almeida CMR, Guardiola FA, Pereira R, Rodrigues SM, Ramos S. Uncovering microplastics contamination in canned seafood. Food Chem 2024; 448:139049. [PMID: 38518443 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
There is limited research on the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in canned seafood. All types of canned seafood investigated in the present study were contaminated. After sample digestion in 30 % hydrogen peroxide, a total of 40 MPs were recovered. Fibers were the most common type, blue was the dominant colour, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) identified polyester as the most common polymer. Considering all samples, an average of 3.5 ± 5.2 MPs/can was obtained, with octopus in tomato sauce and tuna in olive oil presenting the highest contamination (5.2 ± 7.5 MPs/can and 5.2 ± 5.1 MPs/can, respectively). Also, significant differences between the number of MPs in the seafood tissues and immersion liquids were verified. The present study demonstrates MPs occurrence in canned seafood, a potential contamination pathway for humans. More research on the different stages of the canning processing is vital for understanding MPs contamination in cans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo M Silva
- ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal.
| | - C Marisa R Almeida
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal; Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science of University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisco A Guardiola
- Immunobiology for Aquaculture Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Spain
| | - Rúben Pereira
- ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Sabrina M Rodrigues
- ICBAS - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Ramos
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
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Peries SD, Sewwandi M, Sandanayake S, Kwon HH, Vithanage M. Airborne transboundary microplastics-A Swirl around the globe. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 353:124080. [PMID: 38692389 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics are persistent pollutants discovered and extensively researched in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems but have yet to receive attention in an atmospheric context. Although recent reports stated the presence of microplastics in the air, their global existence and distribution are not critically discussed to date. This review aimed to investigate the current status of research on atmospheric microplastics through bibliometric analysis and by comparing and summarising published research on global distribution. The review also provides a summary of methods that have been used to collect samples, identify microplastics, quantify their occurrence, and determine their transport mechanisms. The bibliometric analysis revealed that atmospheric microplastic studies predominantly originated in China. Clothing, vehicle, and tire materials were the major primary sources while house furniture, construction materials, landfills, urban dust, plastic recycling processes, and agricultural sludge were precursor secondary sources. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microfibres have most frequently found in indoor and outdoor atmospheres. Level of urbanization and temporal or spatial distributions governs the fate of airborne microplastics, however, the knowledge gap in the retention and circulation of microplastics through the atmosphere is still large. Many challenges and limitations were identified in the methods used, presentation of data, aerodynamic processes facilitating atmospheric transport, and scarcity of research in spatially and temporally diverse contexts. The review concluded that there was a greater need for globalization of research, methods and data standardization, and emphasizes the potential for future research with atmospheric transportation modelling and thermochemical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Dimanthi Peries
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Perth, 6009, Australia
| | - Madushika Sewwandi
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Sandun Sandanayake
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Hyun-Han Kwon
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Meththika Vithanage
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Perth, 6009, Australia; Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka.
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Chenappan NK, Ibrahim YS, Anuar ST, Yusof KMKK, Jaafar M, Ahamad F, Sulaiman WZW, Mohamad N. Quantification and characterization of airborne microplastics in the coastal area of Terengganu, Malaysia. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:242. [PMID: 38324118 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12381-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) pose a threat to ecosystems due to their capacity to bind with toxic chemicals. While the occurrence of MPs in aquatic environmental matrices like water, sediments, and biota is well studied, their presence in the atmosphere remains less understood. This study aimed to determine the presence of airborne MPs and their characteristics through ground-based sampling in the coastal city of Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Airborne MP samples were collected using passive sampling technique in December 2019. MPs were manually counted and identified using a stereomicroscope based on their colour and shape. The average deposition rate of airborne MPs during the sampling period was 5476 ± 3796 particles/m2/day, ranging from 576 to 15,562 particles/m2/day. Various colours such as transparent (38%), blue (25%), black (20%), red (13%), and others (4%) were observed. The predominant shape of airborne MPs was fibres (> 99%). The morphology structure of MPs observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a cracked surface on MPs, suggesting weathering and irregular fragmentation. Further elemental analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the presence of heavy metals such as aluminium (Al) and cadmium (Cd) on the surface of MPs, attributed to the adsorption capacities of MPs. Polymer types of airborne MPs were analysed using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), which revealed particles composed of polyester (PES), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP). The preliminary findings could provide additional information for further investigations of MPs, especially in the atmosphere, to better understand their sources and potential human exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naresh Kumar Chenappan
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Yusof Shuaib Ibrahim
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Sabiqah Tuan Anuar
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Ku Mohd Kalkausar Ku Yusof
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Maisarah Jaafar
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Fatimah Ahamad
- Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Noorlin Mohamad
- Microplastic Research Interest Group (MRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
- Atmospheric, Air Quality and Climate Change Research Interest Group, Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
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Unaccounted Microplastics in the Outlet of Wastewater Treatment Plants—Challenges and Opportunities. Processes (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/pr11030810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the 1950s, plastic production has skyrocketed. Various environmental and human activities are leading to the formation and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, causing detrimental effects on water, soil, plants, and living creatures. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are one of the primary MP management centers meant to check their entry into the natural systems. However, there are considerable limitations in effectively capturing, detecting, and characterizing these MPs in the inlet and outlet of WWTPs leading to “unaccounted MPs” that are eventually discharged into our ecosystems. In order to assess the holistic picture of the MPs’ distribution in the ecosystems, prevent the release of these omitted MPs into the environment, and formulate regulatory policies, it is vital to develop protocols that can be standardized across the globe to accurately detect and account for MPs in different sample types. This review will cover the details of current WWTP adoption procedures for MP management. Specifically, the following aspects are discussed: (i) several processes involved in the workflow of estimating MPs in the outlet of WWTPs; (ii) key limitations or challenges in each process that would increase the uncertainty in accurately estimating MPs; (iii) favorable recommendations that would lead to the standardization of protocols in the workflow and facilitate more accurate analysis of MPs; (iv) research opportunities to tackle the problem of ‘missing MPs’; and (v) future research directions for the efficient management of MPs. Considering the burgeoning research interest in the area of MPs, this work would help early scientists in understanding the current status in the field of MP analysis in the outlet of WWTPs.
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