Are research methods shaping our understanding of microplastic pollution? A literature review on the seawater and sediment bodies of the Mediterranean Sea

Simon-Sánchez, Laura; Grelaud, Michaël; Franci, M.; Ziveri, Patrizia

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118275

Cited by 41 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…These findings seem to be in line with recent studies that highlighted how the smaller mesh size can be determined by an increase in terms of MPs abundance and a decrease in particle size (Converton et al, 2019;Lindeque et al, 2020;Simon-Sánchez et al, 2022). Indeed, it was demonstrated in these studies that the large mesh size (500, 300, 200 µm) nets probably affect the abundance of small particles in the samples, without providing a wide range of microplastics size in the water column, compared to other smaller mesh sizes (i.e., 100 µm).…”

Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The majority of particles found were characterized as fragments that result to be the dominant shape independently of seasonal campaign and sampling area, in agreement with several studies on MPs, collected in similar regions of the Mediterranean, including the Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Lion, Gabes, and Saronikos Gulf (Fossi et al, 2017;Schmidt et al, 2018;Tziourrou et al, 2019;Zayen et al, 2020;Adamopoulou et al, 2021). The high prevalence of fragments in surface water suggests that the microplastics derived from degradation of waste, originating from population activities, especially in proximity of densely populated coastal areas, either through rivers or landfills (Collignon et al, 2012;Pedrotti et al, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2018;Simon-Sánchez et al, 2022). The macro-and mesoplastics are fragmented through the weathering, such as photo-oxidative degradation followed by thermal and/or chemical degradation and mechanical forces from wind and waves (Caldwell et al, 2019).…”

Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 88%

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Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

et al. 2022

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In this study, the abundance and properties (size, shape, and polymer type) of microplastics (MPs) in sea surface water samples, collected during two sampling campaigns over 2018–2019, in four coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Saronikos Gulf, LIgurian Sea, Gulf of Lion, and Gabes Gulf) were investigated. Coupled hydrodynamic/particle drift model simulations with basin-scale Mediterranean and high resolution nested models were used to provide a better understanding on the variability of the abundance/size of MPs, originating from wastewater and river runoff, in the four areas. Different size classes of MPs were considered in the model, taking into account biofouling induced sinking, as a possible mechanism of MPs removal from the surface. The Gabes Gulf showed the highest mean MPs abundance (0.073–0.310 items/m2), followed by Ligurian Sea (0.061–0.134 items/m2), Saronikos Gulf (0.047–0.080 items/m2), and Gulf of Lion (0.029–0.032 items/m2). Overall, the observed MPs abundance and size distribution was reasonably well reproduced by the model in the four different areas, except an overestimation of small size contribution in Saronikos Gulf. The basin-scale simulation revealed a strong decrease of smaller size MPs in offshore areas, due to biofouling induced sinking, with larger (floating) MPs being able to travel longer distances in the open sea. A significant impact of waves drift and advection of MPs from non-local sources was identified from model simulations, particularly in the Gulfs of Lion and Gabes, having a stronger effect on larger microplastics. In Gabes Gulf, most MPs originated from offshore areas, being mainly (floating) larger size classes, as suggested by the observed quite small contribution of <1 mm particles. The MPs observed abundance distribution in each area could be partly explained by the adopted sources distribution. The modeling tools proposed in this study provide useful insight to gain a better understanding on MPs dynamics in the marine environment and assess the current status of plastic pollution on basin and regional scale to further develop environmental management action for the mitigation of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 88%

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

et al. 2022

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“… 53 Despite an incontestable increasing trend, the MP sequestration (number of particles) of our study showed intra-variability over the last 54 years ( Figure 1 C). This variability was likely driven by the synergistic combination of the heterogeneous distribution of MPs along the surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea 54 and the different mechanisms, which are still poorly understood, leading the MP export from the surface to the benthic environment 14 (e.g., marine snow, biofilm formation, aggregates, ingestion–egestion, vertical migration of species, deep-ocean currents, ocean turbulence). In our sediment record, the median MP size (58.7 μm, Q 1 – Q 3 : 41–91 μm) agrees with small MPs’ prevalent dominance in the sediments.…”

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can a Sediment Core Reveal the Plastic Age? Microplastic Preservation in a Coastal Sedimentary Record

Simon-Sánchez

Grelaud

Lorenz

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The seafloor is the major sink for microplastic (MP) pollutants. However, there is a lack of robust data on the historical evolution of MP pollution in the sediment compartment, particularly the sequestration and burial rate of small MPs. By combining a palaeoceanographic approach and state-of-the-art analytical methods for MP identification down to 11 μm in size, we present the first high-resolution reconstruction of MP pollution from an undisturbed sediment core collected in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, we investigate the fate of MPs once buried in the sediments by evaluating the changes in the size distribution of the MPs and the weathering status of the polyolefins, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Our results indicate that the MP mass sequestered in the sediment compartment mimics the global plastic production from 1965 to 2016. We observed an increase in the weathering status of the polyolefins as the size decreased. However, the variability in the size and weathering status of the MPs throughout the sedimentary record indicated that these pollutants, once incorporated into sediments, remain preserved with no further degradation under conditions lacking remobilization.

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“…MNP pollutants can enter the food chain, leading to potential harsh impacts on human health [ 15 , 108 , 130 ]. There is one report that MNPs were generated when opening plastic packaging [ 4 ].…”

Section: Pathways Of Mnp Particle Exposures To Humanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering that having environmental significance, MNP pollutants have impacted not only ecological systems but also human health [ 102 , 103 ], this mini-review provides a critical updated and comprehensive overview of published works regarding the on-site detection of MNPs by means of Raman spectroscopy, which is attracting scientific attention. There have been numerous review studies on the effects of microplastics on freshwater environments [ 104 ], drinking water [ 105 ], the atmosphere [ 106 , 107 ], seawater and sediment [ 108 ], terrestrial plants [ 109 , 110 ], soil [ 111 ], groundwater [ 112 ], aquatic environments [ 113 ], various organisms [ 16 , 114 ], cellular toxicity in mammals [ 37 ], potential health repercussions [ 115 , 116 ], and much more. However, further study is still urgently needed regarding trace detection of MNPs that are aimed at early warning of harsh effects on human health based on accumulated evidence, which must be done before it is too late due to the tremendous manufacturing utility of plastics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced microplastic monitoring using Raman spectroscopy with a combination of nanostructure-based substrates

Kim

Lee

et al. 2022

J Nanostruct Chem

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Micro(nano)plastic (MNP) pollutants have not only impacted human health directly, but are also associated with numerous chemical contaminants that increase toxicity in the natural environment. Most recent research about increasing plastic pollutants in natural environments have focused on the toxic effects of MNPs in water, the atmosphere, and soil. The methodologies of MNP identification have been extensively developed for actual applications, but they still require further study, including on-site detection. This review article provides a comprehensive update on the facile detection of MNPs by Raman spectroscopy, which aims at early diagnosis of potential risks and human health impacts. In particular, Raman imaging and nanostructure-enhanced Raman scattering have emerged as effective analytical technologies for identifying MNPs in an environment. Here, the authors give an update on the latest advances in plasmonic nanostructured materials-assisted SERS substrates utilized for the detection of MNP particles present in environmental samples. Moreover, this work describes different plasmonic materials—including pure noble metal nanostructured materials and hybrid nanomaterials—that have been used to fabricate and develop SERS platforms to obtain the identifying MNP particles at low concentrations. Plasmonic nanostructure-enhanced materials consisting of pure noble metals and hybrid nanomaterials can significantly enhance the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra signals of pollutant analytes due to their localized hot spots. This concise topical review also provides updates on recent developments and trends in MNP detection by means of SERS using a variety of unique materials, along with three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates, nanopipettes, and microfluidic chips. A novel material-assisted spectral Raman technique and its effective application are also introduced for selective monitoring and trace detection of MNPs in indoor and outdoor environments. Graphical abstract

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Are research methods shaping our understanding of microplastic pollution? A literature review on the seawater and sediment bodies of the Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 41 publications

References 96 publications

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Can a Sediment Core Reveal the Plastic Age? Microplastic Preservation in a Coastal Sedimentary Record

Advanced microplastic monitoring using Raman spectroscopy with a combination of nanostructure-based substrates

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