Magnetic Susceptibility of Spider Webs and Dust: Preliminary Study in Wrocław, Poland

The use of spider webs in the monitoring of air quality-A review

Methods for using spider webs as passive air samplers have been developed over recent years and reported in more than a dozen articles. In this article, we present the typical procedures followed when using this new tool and critically review its application in air pollution assessment. To understand the state of research and application of spider webs in this field, we describe some advantages and disadvantages of their use in the analyses of air contaminants. The aim is to summarize the current knowledge on this subject, highlight gaps in the present studies, and arouse the interest of scientists on this issue. The increased effort could result in the standardization of the method at the national and international level. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:32-44. © 2022 SETAC.

Plastic in the air?! - Spider webs as spatial and temporal mirror for microplastics including tire wear particles in urban air

Studies concerning quantities of microplastics (MP) including tire wear particles (TWP) contamination in air samples are scarce. Spider webs have been suggested as a cheap and easily accessible biomonitor particularly for inorganic contaminates. Here, we emphasize the potential of spider webs to gain insights in the spatial and temporal trends of MP in urban air. The samples, collected in a mid-sized German city, were processed with Fentons reagent and measured using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for specific, polymer related indicator compounds. All samples contained TWP and other MP. The latter are detected and quantified as pyrolysis products of a polymer backbone. The results were expressed as clusters (prefix "C"). Determined polymer contaminations ranged from 11.4 μg/mg to 108 μg/mg spider web sample. The dominant polymer was C-PET (Ø 36.0% of total MP) derived most likely from textile fibers. Additionally, there was evidence for traffic-related contaminations. In particular car tire tread (Ø 40.8% of total MP) and ^⁎C-PVC (Ø 12.0% of total MP) were found, with the latter presumably originating from paint used for road markings. Truck tire tread, C-PE, C-PP, C-PS, C-PMMA, and C-PC were also frequently found, but in much lower abundance (Ø <6.4% of total MP). Differences in contamination levels could be plausibly related to the sampling locations.

Investigations of Metal Pollution in Road Dust of Steel Industrial Area and Application of Magnetic Separation

Pollution characteristics and ecological risks for metals in non-magnetic and magnetic road dust from steel industrial areas were investigated by applying a magnetic separation method. Metal (except for Al, Li, Ti, As, and Sb) concentrations in the magnetic road dust were 1.2 (Sn) to 7.8 (Fe) times higher than those in the non-magnetic road dust. For the magnetic road dust, the geo-accumulation index revealed a strongly to extremely polluted status for Cr, Zn, Cd, and Sb, a strongly polluted status for Mn, Cu, and Pb, and a moderately to strongly polluted status for Fe, Ni, Mo, and Hg. This result indicates that the dominant metal pollution sources of road dust in industrial areas were the traffic activities of heavy-duty vehicles. The mean content of magnetic particles accounted for 44.7% of the total road dust. The metal loadings in the magnetic road dust were 86% (Fe), 77% (Cr), 67% (Mn), 86% (Ni), 76% (Cu), 72% (Zn), 64% (Mo), and 62% (Cd), respectively. Removal of the magnetic fraction from road dust using magnetic separation techniques not only reduces metal contamination but can also improve effective road cleaning strategies or reduce waste generation.