Detection of ultrafine plastics ingested by seabirds using tissue digestion.
Lavers Jennifer L,Stivaktakis Georgina,Hutton Ian,Bond Alexander L
Marine pollution bulletin
Plastic debris is a major global threat to marine ecosystems and species. However, our knowledge of this issue may be incomplete due to a lack of a standardized method for quantifying ingested ultrafine particles (1 μm - 1 mm) in wildlife. This study provides the first quantification of ultrafine plastic in seabirds using chemical and biological digestion treatments to extract plastic items from seabird gizzards. The alkaline agent, potassium hydroxide, outperformed the enzyme corolase, based on cost and efficiency (e.g., digestion time). Ultrafine plastics were observed in 7.0% of Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) gizzards collected from Lord Howe Island, Australia and accounted for 3.6% of all plastic items recovered (13 out of 359 items). Existing methods for extracting ingested plastic from seabirds do not account for ultrafine particles, therefore our results indicate current seabird plastic loads, and the associated physical and biological impacts, are underestimated.
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.001
Styrene Exposure and Risk of Lymphohematopoietic Malignancies in 73,036 Reinforced Plastics Workers.
Christensen Mette Skovgaard,Vestergaard Jesper Medom,d'Amore Francesco,Gørløv Jette Sønderskov,Toft Gunnar,Ramlau-Hansen Cecilia Høst,Stokholm Zara Ann,Iversen Inge Brosbøl,Nissen Mette Schou,Kolstad Henrik Albert
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
BACKGROUND:Styrene is an important industrial chemical that the general population is exposed to at low levels. Previous research has suggested increased occurrence of leukemia and lymphoma among reinforced plastics workers exposed at high levels of styrene. METHODS:We followed 73,036 workers of 456 small- and medium-sized Danish reinforced plastics companies from 1968 to 2011 and investigated the exposure-response relation between cumulative styrene exposure and incidence of lymphohematopoietic malignancies. We modeled styrene exposure from employment history, survey data, and historical styrene exposure measurements. We retrieved information on lymphohematopoietic malignancies from national cancer and patient registers. RESULTS:We identified 665 cases overall of 21 different lymphohematopoietic malignancies or combinations thereof, each with at least 20 cases, during 1,581,976 person-years of follow-up. Initial analyses suggested higher age, sex, and calendar year-adjusted incidence rate ratios (RRs) for acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and T-cell lymphoma with higher estimates of cumulative styrene exposure. Accounting for time since exposure showed a trend by cumulative styrene exposure (P = 0.01) and a doubled risk (RR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2, 4.6) of acute myeloid leukemia following estimated high compared with estimated low cumulative exposure during the prior 15-29 years. We observed no increased risk following exposure during more recent years and less consistent risk patterns for Hodgkin lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS:This study, to our knowledge the largest epidemiologic study to date of occupational styrene exposure, suggests increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia following high styrene exposure with a latency period of about 15 years.
10.1097/EDE.0000000000000819
Natural history matters: Plastics in estuarine fish and sediments at the mouth of an urban watershed.
Talley Theresa Sinicrope,Venuti Nina,Whelan Rachel
PloS one
The extent to which small plastics and potentially associated compounds are entering coastal food webs, especially in estuarine systems, is only beginning to be realized. This study examined an estuarine reach at the mouth of urbanized Chollas Creek in San Diego, California to determine: 1) the extent and magnitude of microplastics pollution in estuarine sediments and fish, 2) the extent and magnitude of SVOC contamination in estuarine fish, and 3) whether fish preferentially ingested certain types of microplastics, when compared with the microplastic composition of creekbed sediments. Surface sediments (0-5 cm depth) contained about 10,000 small plastic pieces per m2, consisting mostly (90%) of fibers, and hard and soft pieces. Nearly 25% of fish contained small plastics, but prevalence varied with size and between species. Of the 25 types of small plastics found in sediment, fish preferred about 10 types (distinct colors and forms). Several SVOCs, both water soluble and sediment-associated compounds, were found in the two species of fish tested. This study revealed that a species' natural history may influence contamination levels, and warrants further study to better understand the pathways of plastics and associated contaminants into and throughout coastal food webs, and the potential health risks for small and/or low-trophic level organisms.
10.1371/journal.pone.0229777
Particulate plastics as a vector for toxic trace-element uptake by aquatic and terrestrial organisms and human health risk.
Bradney Lauren,Wijesekara Hasintha,Palansooriya Kumuduni Niroshika,Obadamudalige Nadeeka,Bolan Nanthi S,Ok Yong Sik,Rinklebe Jörg,Kim Ki-Hyun,Kirkham M B
Environment international
Particulate plastics in the terrestrial and aquatic environments are small plastic fragments or beads (i.e., 5 mm down to the nanometre range). They have been frequently referred to as 'micro-plastics' or 'nano-plastics'. Research has identified particulate plastics as a vector for toxic trace elements in the environment. The adsorption of toxic trace elements by particulate plastics may be facilitated by their high surface area and functionalized surfaces (e.g., through the attachment of natural organic matter). Other factors, such as environmental conditions (e.g., pH and water salinity), surface charge, and trace element oxidation status, also influence the adsorption of trace elements onto particulate plastics. Because of their small size and persistence, particulate plastics and the associated toxic trace elements are readily ingested and accumulated in many terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Thus, these plastics can have severe environmental consequences, such as the development of metal toxicity, within aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Humans could also become exposed to particulate plastics through food chain contamination and airborne ingestion. This review provides an overview of the sources of particulate plastics in the environment. To this end, we describe particulate plastics made of synthetic polymers, their origin, and characteristics with emphasis on how particulate plastics and associated toxic trace elements contaminate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Future research needs and strategies are discussed to help reduce the environmental risks of particulate plastics as a potent vector for the transportation of toxic trace elements.
10.1016/j.envint.2019.104937
Microplastics in soils: A review of methods, occurrence, fate, transport, ecological and environmental risks.
Zhou Yujie,Wang Junxiao,Zou Mengmeng,Jia Zhenyi,Zhou Shenglu,Li Yan
The Science of the total environment
The global prevalence of microplastics (MPs) poses a potential threat and unpredictable risk to the function and health of environmental systems. However, the research progress of soil MPs is restricted by the inherent technical inconformity and difficulties in analyzing particles in complex matrices. Here, we reviewed a selection of papers and then extrapolated a tentative standardized method for such analyses. The multiple sources of soil MPs in soil need to be quantified. Global monitoring data of soil MPs is far from sufficient. The interaction between MPs and different properties and environmental factors controls the migration and retention of MPs in soil. The migration behavior and key mechanisms of MPs in real-world environments remain to be determined. The presence of MPs threatens soil microbial-plant-animal ecosystem function and health, and may enter the human body through the food chain, although the extent of these hazards is currently debated. In particular, attention should be paid to the potential transport and ecotoxicological mechanisms of contaminants derived and adsorptive from MPs and of harmful microorganisms (such as pathogens) attached as biofilms. Although there exist preliminary studies on soil MPs, it is urgent to consider the diversity of MPs as a suite of contaminants and to systematically understand the sources, flux and effects of these artificial pollutants in time and space from the perspective of plastic environmental cycle. More comprehensive quantification of their environmental fate is undertaken to identify risks to global human and ecological systems. From the perspective of controlling soil MP pollution, the responsibility assignment of government manage-producer-consumer system and the strategy of remediation should be implemented. This review is helpful for providing an important roadmap and inspiration for the research methods and framework of soil MPs and facilitates the development of waste management and remediation strategies for regional soil MP contamination.
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141368
Non-biodegradable microplastics in soils: A brief review and challenge.
Zhang Shaoliang,Wang Jiuqi,Yan Pengke,Hao Xinhua,Xu Bing,Wang Wan,Aurangzeib Muhammad
Journal of hazardous materials
Non-biodegradable microplastics (MPs) pollution long-termly existed in soils, and was only concerned in recent years. In order to better understand MP behavior in soils, the sources, migration, distribution, biological effects, degradation and analytical methodology of non-biodegradable MPs in soils were quantificationally summarized from 170 publications based on Web of Science in 1950-2020. From the publications, we found these studies were mainly carried out in the Asia (60.0%) and Europe (23.3%), and most were on agricultural soils (68.5%). Polyethylene-MP (78.8% of the studies), Polypropylene-MP (78.8%), and Polystyrene-MP (45.5%) were the MPs most frequently found in the soils, with a MP size of 20-5000 µm being most common. Of the soil samples 64.3% contained MP 1000-4000 items kg, and the colour frequency ranking is blue (66.7%) > white (61.1%) ≈ red ≈ black. MPs changed the soil microenvironment and microorganism activity, and caused the negative effects on both soil animals (100%) and plants (57.9%). MP degradation was influenced by the photooxidation reactions, microorganism activities, enzymatic effects, environmental conditions, and by the composition, size and morphology of the MPs. An optional analytical method was suggested in this study. At the end of paper, the urgent and important research work in the future was prospected.
10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124525