An ultra-light sustainable sponge for elimination of microplastics and nanoplastics

Fu, Jianxin; Liu, N.; Peng, Yongjun; Wang, Guoqing; Wang, Xiaokun; Wang, Qiaoning; Lv, Min; Chen, Lingxin

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131685

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Many small-and large-scale efforts are underway to ascertain the scope of the marine plastic pollution problem and develop effective strategies to mitigate it. However, as many scientists and environmentalists have pointed out, the best strategy is to prevent new plastics from reaching the sea via rivers and wastewater treatment centers, perhaps by using lightweight degradable "sponges" [103] or bioinspired filters based on whale baleen [67].…”

Section: Reducing and Mitigating Threats To Baleen-filtering Whales F...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Baleen–Plastic Interactions Reveal High Risk to All Filter-Feeding Whales from Clogging, Ingestion, and Entanglement

Werth,

Kahane-Rapport,

Potvin

et al. 2024

Oceans

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Baleen whales are ecosystem sentinels of microplastic pollution. Research indicates that they likely ingest millions of anthropogenic microparticles per day when feeding. Their immense prey consumption and filter-feeding behavior put them at risk. However, the role of baleen, the oral filtering structure of mysticete whales, in this process has not been adequately addressed. Using actual baleen tissue from four whale species (fin, humpback, minke, and North Atlantic right) in flow tank experiments, we tested the capture rate of plastics of varying size, shape, and polymer type, as well as chemical residues leached by degraded plastics, all of which accumulated in the baleen filter. Expanded polystyrene foam was the most readily captured type of plastic, followed by fragments, fibers, nurdles, and spherical microbeads. Nurdle and microbead pellets were captured most readily by right whale baleen, and fragments were captured by humpback baleen. Although not all differences between polymer types were statistically significant, buoyant polymers were most often trapped by baleen. Plastics were captured by baleen sections from all regions of a full baleen rack, but were more readily captured by baleen from dorsal and posterior regions. Baleen–plastic interactions underlie various risks to whales, including filter clogging and damage, which may impede feeding. We posit that plastics pose a higher risk to some whale species due to a combination of factors, including filter porosity, diet, habitat and geographic distribution, and foraging ecology and behavior. Certain whale species in specific marine regions are of the greatest concern due to plastic abundance. It is not feasible to remove all plastic from the sea; most of what is there will continue to break into ever-smaller pieces. We suggest that higher priorities be accorded to lessening humans’ dependence on plastics, restricting entry points of plastics into the ocean, and developing biodegradable alternatives.

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Section: Reducing and Mitigating Threats To Baleen-filtering Whales F...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Baleen–Plastic Interactions Reveal High Risk to All Filter-Feeding Whales from Clogging, Ingestion, and Entanglement

Werth,

Kahane-Rapport,

Potvin

et al. 2024

Oceans

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“…There are various mechanisms for bioremediation: (i) bioadsorption by sponge-associated bacteria, which are capable of chelating heavy metals as copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead (Satyanarayana et al, 2012;Marzuki et al, 2020;Tanvi et al, 2020;Marzuki et al, 2023); (ii) degradation of plastics by bacteria associated with sponges (free living or associated with sponges) through intracellular and extracellular depolymerase enzymes that help to break down the plastic polymer into shorter and water soluble chains, while these chains enter the microbial cell and are metabolized by the intracellular enzymes (Bano et al, 2017;Fallon and Freeman, 2021;Fu et al, 2023;Krikech et al, 2023); and (iii) bioaccumulation and biodegradation by microalgae associated with sponges to remove pesticides through the production of antioxidant enzymes that activate the detoxification protection mechanisms of microalgae (Chu et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine sponges as promising candidates for integrated aquaculture combining biomass increase and bioremediation: an updated review

Amato,

Esposito,

Federico

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Sponge farming has been experimentally performed for more than 100 years, with early attempts mainly devoted for the supply of bath sponges and for ornamental purposes. During the last decades, sponge farming has been proposed to produce biomass specifically for those species from which many structurally diverse bioactive compounds were isolated, frequently present in a low concentration that limits their commercial production. This point is very important because it offers an environmental-friendly approach for the use of sponges as a source of natural compounds for pharmacological, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical industries. In addition, sponges can have an ecological role as filter-feeding animals with a great significance in marine benthic communities. Thanks to their aquiferous system, they can filter large amounts of sea water, retaining up to 80% of suspended particles, resulting in a good system to bioremediate the marine environment from different contaminants. Remarkably, few attempts at integrating aquaculture systems were performed by combining the increase in sponge biomass and their use for bioremediation, showing impressive results and opening new possibilities in the aquaculture sector. This review concerns both in situ and lab-based aquaculture methods for the production of sponge biomass and for the sponge-related bioremediation of the marine environment focusing on microorganisms and contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, and others). Moreover, a first overview about integrated aquaculture combining biomass increase and bioremediation, as a challenging perspective for marine biotechnologies, is included.

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Micro- and nano-plastics in food systems: Distribution, combined toxicity with environmental contaminants, and removal strategies

Wang,

Huang,

Chen

et al. 2023

Chemical Engineering Journal

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An ultra-light sustainable sponge for elimination of microplastics and nanoplastics

Cited by 11 publications

References 60 publications

Baleen–Plastic Interactions Reveal High Risk to All Filter-Feeding Whales from Clogging, Ingestion, and Entanglement

Baleen–Plastic Interactions Reveal High Risk to All Filter-Feeding Whales from Clogging, Ingestion, and Entanglement

Marine sponges as promising candidates for integrated aquaculture combining biomass increase and bioremediation: an updated review

Micro- and nano-plastics in food systems: Distribution, combined toxicity with environmental contaminants, and removal strategies

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