Article
Environmental Sciences
Robin Treilles, Johnny Gasperi, Anais Gallard, Mohamed Saad, Rachid Dris, Chandirane Partibane, Jerome Breton, Bruno Tassin
Summary: This study investigates the variability of microplastic and microfiber concentrations in stormwater runoff during rain events, revealing different patterns between microfibers and microplastics and potential behavior differences. The highest microplastic concentrations were observed before the flow rate peak of rain events, indicating a possible distinction from microfibers. The study suggests significant implications for microplastic assessment in urban waters.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eduardo Garcia-Haba, Carmen Hernandez-Crespo, Miguel Martin, Ignacio Andres-Domenech
Summary: This review analyzes the role of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) as nature-based solutions in addressing microplastic pollution in urban runoff. Sedimentation-based and filtration-based systems have been shown to effectively retain microplastics. The abundance of microplastics is influenced by various factors such as rainfall intensity, land use, and imperviousness. The existence of a correlation between total suspended solids and microplastic concentration suggests their potential as indicators of microplastic pollution.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Helene Osterlund, Godecke Blecken, Katharina Lange, Jiri Marsalek, Kalpana Gopinath, Maria Viklander
Summary: Urban areas are major sources of microplastics (MPs) and their entry into water bodies. This article provides a comprehensive review of the sources, transport, and control of MPs in urban environments, aiming to clarify the underlying mechanisms. Major sources of MPs include atmospheric deposition, micro-litter, and tire and road wear particles (TRWPs). The mobilization and sequestration of MPs in urban catchments are poorly understood. Various stormwater quality control measures, such as biofiltration/retention units and street cleaning, have been shown to remove MPs to some extent. However, there is still limited knowledge about the efficiency of these measures. Moreover, the research on MPs in stormwater is data-poor, offering great opportunities for further research in many areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xue Zhao, Yi Zheng, Feng Quan, Shiyao Hu, Qingping Wu, Meiyu Luo, Yang Gu, Sijie Tang, Jiping Jiang
Summary: This study reveals that road runoff can be a major pollution source of parabens and their metabolites in rapidly growing cities during the wet season. The concentrations in road runoff were comparable to those in treated wastewater and river water and showed a land use pattern of residential > industrial > commercial.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kelsey Smyth, Jennifer Drake, Yourong Li, Chelsea Rochman, Tim Van Seters, Elodie Passeport
Summary: A 2-year field study on microplastic pathways in urban stormwater runoff and bioretention cells found that urban stormwater runoff is a concentrated source of microplastics whose concentrations are influenced by specific climate variables. Bioretention cells are effective in filtering out microplastics and preventing their spread downstream, highlighting the potential for current low impact development practices to limit microplastic contamination in larger aquatic systems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amali Herath, Dibya Kanti Datta, Gholamreza Bonyadinejad, Maryam Salehi
Summary: Microplastics can transport heavy metals from urban environments to water resources through stormwater runoff. This study examines the competition between microplastics and sediments for heavy metal uptake, and the effects of photodegradation on the behavior of microplastics. The results show higher accumulations of Cu, Zn, and Pb on photodegraded microplastics compared to new microplastics, indicating the importance of considering the photodegradation process in understanding the fate and transport of heavy metals. The leaching of dissolved organic carbon from photodegraded microplastics may also affect the uptake of heavy metals by sediments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriela Hammes, Liseane Padilha Thives
Summary: This study evaluates the fatigue resistance of a porous asphalt mixture produced with highly modified asphalt (HiMA) and its potential contribution to reducing stormwater runoff and pollutants. A case study was conducted on an urban road, where a permeable pavement designed using the porous mixture as a surface layer showed excellent performance in various traffic conditions and effectively reduced runoff pollutants, thereby minimizing environmental contamination.
Article
Environmental Sciences
XiaoJun Zuo, PengCheng Suo, Yang Li, Qiangqiang Xu
Summary: Recent studies have focused on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban stormwater runoff, with sulfonamide resistance genes found to make up a significant portion of total ARGs. Research indicated that certain ARGs were mainly distributed in larger particulate matter, while others were dominant in smaller particulate matter.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wei Zhang, Juan Li, Huichao Sun, Wu Che
Summary: The study investigated the first flush phenomenon in urban runoff pollution in Beijing, China, with water samples taken from cement roof and asphalt road runoff. Through analyzing runoff depth versus pollutant cumulative mass curve, a new method was proposed to assess the efficiency of controlling runoff pollution with different first flush volumes.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenchao Xue, Gone Yi Thaw Maung, Jerome Otiti, Allan Sriratana Tabucanon
Summary: Urban stormwater runoff is an important pathway for microplastics to enter the oceans, and the characteristics of microplastics in runoff may be influenced by urban land use types. This study investigated the microplastics in stormwater runoff collected from industrial, highways, commercial, and residential areas in a tropical monsoon region. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics followed the order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential areas, and the seasonal variation was observed in residential areas. Source apportionment of microplastics based on land use type, particle morphology, and chemical composition was conducted, and the results showed that the sources of microplastics could be identified in most sites except for the commercial area. Positive correlations were found between microplastic abundance and runoff turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and rainfall intensity.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew S. Ross, Alyssa Loutan, Tianna Groeneveld, Danielle Molenaar, Kimberly Kroetch, Taylor Bujaczek, Sheldon Kolter, Sarah Moon, Alan Huynh, Rosita Khayam, Brian C. Franczak, Eric Camm, Victoria Arnold, Norma J. Ruecker
Summary: Urban stormwater runoff, which introduces microplastics and other pollutants into aquatic environments, varies in concentrations globally. This study assessed the influence of different catchment characteristics on the type and amount of microplastics in runoff and estimated the quantity discharged during rain events. Results showed that land use types did not significantly affect microplastic concentrations, but concentrations were positively correlated with flow rate, catchment size, and percentage of impervious surface area within a catchment.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gaston E. Small, Niklas Martensson, Benjamin D. Janke, Genevieve Suzanne Metson
Summary: Urban gardens and farms contribute significantly to nitrogen and phosphorus export in stormwater runoff, due to high compost inputs and low nutrient use efficiencies. The contribution of gardens to nutrient export depends on retention efficiency values, with high efficiency minimizing their impact. Understanding the long-term fate of excess nutrients in urban landscapes is crucial.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sirajum Monira, Rajeev Roychand, Muhammed A. Bhuiyan, Faisal Hai, Biplob Kumar Pramanik
Summary: Microplastics have emerged as significant pollutants posing eco-toxicological risks to ecosystems and marine environments. Road dust is a major contributor to microplastic pollution, transferring through stormwater to open water ways and broader ecological niches.
Article
Ecology
Gaston E. Small, Niklas Martensson, Benjamin D. Janke, Genevieve Suzanne Metsone
Summary: Urban gardens and farms using compost as a nutrient source can contribute significantly to urban nutrient budgets through stormwater runoff. The study finds that gardens and farms, although occupying a small fraction of land area, account for a large proportion of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to urban landscapes. The significance of their contribution depends on compost inputs and nutrient retention efficiency, highlighting the importance of understanding the fate of excess nutrients on urban landscapes.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sheng Wang, Lidan Feng, Feitian Min
Summary: This study shifts its focus from the existence of first flush phenomenon to the utilization effect of the phenomenon in order to find the optimal design of first flush diverter. The proposed method consists of four parts: key design parameters, continuous simulation, design optimization, and event frequency spectra. The results show that the proposed method can determine the optimal design parameters for first flush diverters and achieve the design goal of reducing runoff pollution.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, Fermin Perez-Guevara, V. C. Shruti
Summary: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in the threat of PPE waste pollution, requiring further research to understand and address this issue, particularly in the areas of chemical emissions and environmental pollution.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. C. Shruti, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy
Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak has led to increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and single-use plastics, contributing to plastic pollution and endangering the environment. Estimating the abundance of PPE waste in the environment is a challenge for COVID-19 researchers, but citizen science has proven to be a valuable approach. This paper highlights the importance of including frontline sanitary personnel in citizen science to improve plastic litter monitoring and encourages long-term goals in this area.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. C. Shruti, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy, I. Elizalde Martinez
Summary: This study presents the first report on the occurrence and distribution of atmospheric microplastics in Mexico City. The results show that microplastics were detected in all samples, with higher concentrations in locations closer to industrial and urban centers. The dominant shape was fibers and the most common color was blue. The microplastics varied in length, with most being less than 500 μm. Metal contaminants were also detected on the microplastics.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. C. Shruti, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy, I Elizalde-Martinez
Summary: Microplastics were detected in 100% of the evaluated ice cube samples, with concentrations ranging from 19 to 178 L-1. The microplastic concentration varied significantly across samples, and the main types found were polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, tygon polymer, sealing ring gardena 2824 large, polyamide 6, and cellophane. The study estimated that ice cube consumption in Mexico City could lead to the inadvertent ingestion of a large number of microplastics annually, highlighting the need for management and eradication of this contamination in our food.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, V. C. Shruti, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy
Summary: This article conducts a systematic review on microplastics in human biological samples, exploring their objectives, current efforts, and key findings. It analyzes research approaches from sampling to detection to quantification of microplastics, provides an overview of their occurrence and characteristics in the human body, and discusses contamination control procedures and prevention measures. The article also offers guidelines on current microplastic research strategies and highlights future directions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. C. Shruti, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, Fermin Perez-Guevara
Summary: Marine litter, including plastic litter, is a serious global environmental problem. Plastics in marine litter have been found to serve as a unique substrate for fish oviposition in the oceans. The main aim of this viewpoint is to highlight current research needs in the context of fish oviposition and marine litter concerns.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, V. C. Shruti, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy, I. Elizalde-Martinez
Summary: Understanding and communicating instances of microplastic contamination is crucial for plastic-free transitions. Laboratory waters, salts, chemical solutions, and ethanol samples were found to contain varying levels of microplastics, mainly consisting of fibers, fragments, and films. The study highlights the importance of quality control during microplastic analysis and the need for prevention strategies to tackle microplastic contamination in commonly used reagents.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. C. Shruti, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy, Fermin Perez-Guevara, Priyadarsi D. Roy
Summary: Accurate characterization and data collection on household waste generation are crucial for promoting recycling and city management plans. Citizen science projects collaborating with waste collectors can overcome traditional data collection challenges and provide a viable solution for addressing household waste generation across different boundaries.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
V. C. Shruti, Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy
Summary: The prevalence of microplastics has raised concerns about cross-contamination, making quality control critical for assessing microplastics. This paper discusses the use of field and laboratory blanks to determine cross-contamination and highlights the inconsistent methods and biases associated with blank analysis. The findings emphasize the need to reduce bias in blank settings during the protocol design stage.
TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)