Article
Environmental Sciences
O. Hagelskjaer, G. Le Roux, R. Liu, B. Dubreuil, P. Behra, J. E. Sonke
Summary: Ombrotrophic peatlands, which are fed by atmospheric inputs, can be used as archives of atmospheric microplastic deposition. This study presents a peat digestion protocol using sodium hypochlorite as a reagent, which is more efficient than hydrogen peroxide. However, the use of sodium hypochlorite can chemically disintegrate small amounts of polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide fragments in the millimeter size range.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Defu He, Xiaoting Zhang, Jiani Hu
Summary: This study summarized the presence of microplastics in the environment and various separation methods, finding that different methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, but the separation efficiency is closely related to the characteristics of microplastics, and the treatment and detection of MPs still pose challenges.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Valter Castelvetro, Andrea Corti, Greta Biale, Alessio Ceccarini, Ilaria Degano, Jacopo La Nasa, Tommaso Lomonaco, Antonella Manariti, Enrico Manco, Francesca Modugno, Virginia Vinciguerra
Summary: The study of sampling, separation, detection, and characterization of microplastics is crucial for understanding environmental hazards, with a need for reliable analytical protocols to quantify microplastics and other pollutants. Specialized techniques can accurately determine common polymers found in polluted sediments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carlos Edo, Francisca Fernandez-Pinas, Roberto Rosal
Summary: Composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) is commonly used in agriculture as a source of organic matter and nutrients. In this study, the plastic impurities in the refined compost from five different OFMSW facilities were investigated. The results showed that smaller plants with door-to-door collection systems produced compost with less plastic contamination, while compost from large facilities fed by street bin collection had higher plastic contents. No residual debris from compostable bioplastics was found in any of the samples. These findings suggest that the use of compostable polymers and the implementation of door-to-door collection systems can help reduce plastic impurities in OFMSW compost.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Venkata Siva Naga Sai Goli, Evan K. Paleologos, Arvin Farid, Abdel-Mohsen O. Mohamed, Brendan C. O'Kelly, Maisa M. El Gamal, Magdalena Daria Vaverkova, Ning-Jun Jiang, Jing Jing Wang, Liwen Xiao, Prithvendra Singh, Xiao-Le Han, Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Amit Sengupta, Sree Lalitha Kayali, Yashi Singh, Arif Mohammad, Devendra Narain Singh
Summary: Plastics are essential but their degradation leads to the formation of microplastics (MPs), which have become a top environmental concern due to their pollution potential and threat to human health. This paper critically assesses the methodologies for extracting and characterizing MPs in organic solid matrices (OSMs), and identifies current obstacles and recommendations for future research. Additionally, legislative efforts against MPs and novel techniques for remediation are highlighted.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOTECHNICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chayanika Rathore, Mahua Saha, Priyansha Gupta, Manish Kumar, Akshata Naik, Jacob de Boer
Summary: The study focused on optimizing, applying, and validating the micro Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (mu-FTIR) technique for identifying smaller-sized microplastics. By comparing the spectra of standard polymers acquired using mu-FTIR with spectra of larger-sized particles acquired using FTIR-ATR, the study found that the reflection mode (particularly diffuse reflection) is more effective for quantifying smaller-sized microplastics in complex environmental samples. The same method was successfully applied to a representative environmental sample (sand) and correctly identified two out of three spiked polymers.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mingzhe Yuan, Yuning Zhang, Weihao Guo, Shan Chen, Ye Qiu, Ping Zhang
Summary: Microplastics in soil and sediment matrices pose a pollution hazard to ecosystems and humans. In this study, a four-stage microplastic extractor device was introduced to efficiently separate microplastics from soil and sediment. The fractional separation efficiencies of three extracting solutions and different stirring methods were tested for different types of soil and sediment matrices and virgin microplastic pellets. The results showed that the oil-in-NaCl solution improved the recovery efficiency for denser microplastics.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mel Constant, Gabriel Billon, Noemie Breton, Claire Alary
Summary: This study investigated the efficiency of different extracting solutions and isolation methods for separating microplastics from sediment matrices, finding varying extraction rates depending on the type of polymer and solution used. The research highlights the lack of a robust protocol for extracting all types of microplastics from fine sediments and emphasizes the need for further research in this area.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Anita Tirkey, Lata Sheo Bachan Upadhyay
Summary: Plastic residues pose a serious threat to the environment, with microplastics being difficult to remove due to their small size, while nanoplastics are even smaller. Sampling methods for microplastics include sieving and filtration, with identification techniques such as SEM-EDS and FTIR.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
A. Saravanan, Ponnusamy Senthil Kumar, Tran Cam Nhung, B. Ramesh, S. Srinivasan, Gayathri Rangasamy
Summary: The rapid growth of industrialization, urbanization, and population has worsened the problem of municipal solid waste generation. Biological treatment of solid waste followed by biogas and biomethane generation is one of the many sustainable energy source options. This review discusses the system for converting MSW to energy and waste-derived circular bioeconomy, aiming to address the goals of zero waste society and sustainable development. The biological treatment technologies for energy production are examined, along with their challenges and perspectives in this field of research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tiefeng Cui, Wenzhuo Shi, Hongwei Wang, A. N. Lihui
Summary: Reports of microplastic contamination in the environment are increasing, but the variations in sampling and analytical methods used cause uncertainties when comparing or compiling data. Recovery efficiency is an important factor in assessing comparability among investigations. A study on recovery efficiency in 2020 found significant variability, particularly regarding the density and size of the microplastics used. The study recommends testing microplastic standards with different densities, shapes, and sizes simultaneously to improve comparability and assess global distribution of contaminants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Palas Samanta, Sukhendu Dey, Debajyoti Kundu, Deblina Dutta, Rohit Jambulkar, Rahul Mishra, Apurba Ratan Ghosh, Sunil Kumar
Summary: This study explores the occurrence, sources, identification, quantification, and fate of microplastics in solid waste, with a focus on the strengths and limitations of different analytical techniques. It also discusses the relevance of national and international regulations and laws, as well as future challenges in managing solid waste microplastics. The findings of this review paper are valuable for effective policy implementation.
TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marina F. M. Santana, Frederieke J. Kroon, Lynne van Herwerden, George Vamvounis, Cherie A. Motti
Summary: In this study, a criteria-guided workflow was used to evaluate the effectiveness of microplastic separation methods on complex marine biological samples. The results showed specific limitations of different separation methods on different biological matrices and microplastics, highlighting the importance of assessing their suitability for estimating microplastic contamination.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yolanda Pico, Damia Barcelo
Summary: This review critically evaluates the analytical methodologies used for determining MPs and NPs, assessing their greenness and discussing environmental issues related to the consumption of solvents/reagents.
CURRENT OPINION IN GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Xi Chen, Jiancheng Zhou, Lei-Ming Yuan, Guangzao Huang, Xiaojing Chen, Wen Shi
Summary: A robust classifier was proposed to differentiate the chemical types of environmental microplastics samples, achieving a recognition rate higher than 0.97. The method effectively eliminated interference from spectral distortions and diversity, enhancing the ability to interpret the spectra of realistic environmental microplastics samples.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Federica Ruggero, Riccardo Gori, Claudio Lubello
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Federica Ruggero, Emiliano Carretti, Riccardo Gori, Tommaso Lotti, Claudio Lubello
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Federica Ruggero, Alexandra E. Porter, Nikolaos Voulvoulis, Emiliano Carretti, Tommaso Lotti, Claudio Lubello, Riccardo Gori
Summary: This study developed a multi-step methodology for identifying and quantifying microplastics and micro-bioplastics in sludge, with a focus on starch-based micro-bioplastics. The methodology showed high efficacy in removing plastic fragments, highlighting the importance of lowering the threshold size for quantification of plastics in organic fertilizers.
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Federica Ruggero, Rob C. A. Onderwater, Emiliano Carretti, Stephanie Roosa, Samira Benali, Jean-Marie Raquez, Riccardo Gori, Claudio Lubello, Ruddy Wattiez
Summary: This research aims to study the effective degradation of marketable bioplastic products under composting by simulating industrial composting conditions and varying the thickness of bioplastic products. Results showed that the starch-based polymer Mater-Bi (R) (MB) exhibited the highest degradation rate, while polylactic acid (PLA) was most strongly influenced by thickness and thermophilic phase duration.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Federica Ruggero, Sara Belardi, Emiliano Caretti, Tommaso Lotti, Claudio Lubello, Riccardo Gori
Summary: The study found that film bioplastics degrade faster than rigid bioplastics, with mesophilic conditions slowing down the degradation and disintegration processes, indicating that moisture plays a significant role in the degradation of bioplastics.
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2022)