Laboratory Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Recommendations for quantifying synthetic particles in waters and sediments.

Masura, Julie; Baker, Joel; Foster, Greg; Arthur, Courtney; Herring, Carlie E.

doi:10.25607/obp-604

Cited by 39 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Plastic waste is becoming a major emerging pollutant with suggestions it will be considered a geological indicator of the Anthropocene (Zalasiewicz et al, 2016). Microplastics, tiny pieces of plastics <5 mm (Masura et al, 2015), are becoming a global concern with these tiny pollutants identified in the deepest ocean trenches (Peng et al, 2018) and at the highest point on earth (Napper et al, 2020). The majority of the research on microplastics to date has focused on marine areas and it is suggested that microplastics are a contaminant of emerging concern (Wagner et al, 2014;Eerkes-Medrano et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek

Forrest

McMahon²,

Adams³

et al. 2022

Front. Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in microplastic concentrations were examined during various temporal events including heavy rain and snowmelt in a river and an urban stream receiving stormwater. Additionally, microplastic concentrations were measured in an urban river during an active combined sewage overflow event. Microplastic concentrations downstream of a combined sewage outfall were observed to increase seven times compared to ambient conditions. During heavy rainfall an increase of 50 times the microplastic concentration was observed in the urban creek with microplastic concentrations doubling in the urban river. However, the largest increase in microplastic concentration at both locations was observed during the primary snowmelt of spring, with microplastic concentrations increasing 114 times in the urban creek and 11 times in the urban river. These results suggest that more research is required to further establish the influence of both combined sewage overflows and snowmelt as a major temporal conduit of microplastics to freshwater environments.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek

Forrest

McMahon²,

Adams³

et al. 2022

Front. Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Regarding sediment sampling, 11 samples per 100 m of beach can estimate MP concentration at a 90% confidence level . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) recommends using 400 g per sediment sample, followed by drying and weighing, while the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) technical subgroup suggests using at least five replicates of the top 5 cm of sediment . Standardization of separation and digestion procedures could include defining NaI as the standard for salt saturation or H 2 O 2 as the standard for oxidative digestion.…”

Section: Detection Separation and Quantification Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics in the Great Lakes: Environmental, Health, and Socioeconomic Implications and Future Directions

Fuschi

MacDonell

et al. 2022

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny pieces of plastic (<5 mm) that have been manufactured, shed from textiles, or formed as the degradation products of macroplastics. They can be taken up by aquatic organisms, leading to their incorporation into the food chain. Humans can consume MPs from fish as well as other impacted sources including bottled and tap water. MPs may pose risks to exposed organisms, and they can also act as vectors carrying additional adsorbed chemical pollutants and pathogens. MPs are an especially important focus regarding the Great Lakes because plastics comprise most of the litter, and the Great Lakes serve as a source of drinking water for 40 million people. This perspective summarizes the current state of MP pollution in the Great Lakes and potential risks posed to the environment, wildlife, and humans. A survey of detection, separation, and quantification methods is included. Potential remedies are explored, focusing on policy, human behavior, and the goal of a circular economy. Further research directions include standardizing detection and removal methods, assessing the health risk of MPs in the Great Lakes, and evaluating mitigation options.

show abstract

“…Samples were processed adapting the protocol suggested by Masura et al (2015) for microplastics, which consists in isolating these by first digesting the organic matter and then separating the mineral fraction by gravimetry. Properly labeled sediment samples were weighed and oven-dried at a temperature of 60 °C for 24 h. And then weighed again.…”

Section: Sample Treatment and Microplastic Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics in sediments of the Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil

Camargo

Girard

Sanz‐Lázaro

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastics (<5 mm) can have negative and deleterious environmental effects. However, the scarce information on the levels of microplastics and the factors underlying their input in wetlands, limits the understating of the vulnerability of these ecosystems to microplastics. To contribute closing this important information gap, the concentration (items/m−2), size and the variables related to the distribution of microplastics in fluvial sediments of the Cuiabá River, a tributary of the Pantanal, the world largest flooded Savanna and a UNESCO World Heritage were investigated. The mean microplastic level was 576.8 ± 577.8 items/m−2 of sediments which were mainly fragments (309.0 ± 319.6 items/m−2) and fibers (267.8 ± 339.9 items/m−2). The maximum level was 1938.8 items/m−2 found in the urban stretch of the sister cities of Cuiabá and Várzea Grande, the largest urban agglomeration in the study area. Unexpectedly, the composition of the microplastic with highest average level (240.7 ± 310.4 items/m−2), a blue synthetic fiber, could not be unequivocally determined by RAMAN spectrometry. Its complex composition includes Pb, Li and Nb, suggesting it may derive from electronic waste. Polypropylene (159.2 ± 133.4 items/m−2) and Polyvinyl Chloride (104.6 ± 217.2 items/m−2) were the second and third polymers with higher average levels. The average size of microplastics particles in sampling sites ranged from 0.18 mm to 1.74 mm. Microplastic concentration was positively related to urban areas. Similarly, microplastics particles size decreased with distance from urban areas. These results suggest that urban areas along the Cuiabá River, with poor waste management, are a major source of microplastic pollution in the Pantanal floodplain and that electronic waste might contribute significantly to this contamination. This study highlights the importance of adequate waste management in cities to limit microplastic contamination in areas of ecological importance, such as the Pantanal.

show abstract

Laboratory Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Recommendations for quantifying synthetic particles in waters and sediments.

Cited by 39 publications

References 0 publications

Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek

Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek

Microplastics in the Great Lakes: Environmental, Health, and Socioeconomic Implications and Future Directions

Microplastics in sediments of the Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About