Methods for the analysis of submicrometer- and nanoplastic particles in the environment

Schwaferts, Christian; Nießner, Reinhard; Elsner, Martin; Ivleva, Natalia P.

doi:10.1016/j.trac.2018.12.014

Cited by 359 publications

(273 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…The lack of suitable analytical methods for a fast and cost-efficient detection of anthropogenic particles in aquatic matrices is one of the major constraints for the comprehensive understanding of the biogeochemistry of anthropogenic NPs, such as TiO 2 and PS NPs (da Silva et al, 2011;Huvet et al, 2016;Schwaferts et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Corsi

Bergami

Grassi

2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Owing to production, usage, and disposal of nano-enabled products as well as fragmentation of bulk materials, anthropogenic nanoscale particles (NPs) can enter the natural environment and through different compartments (air, soil, and water) end up into the sea. With the continuous increase in production and associated emissions and discharges, they can reach concentrations able to exceed toxicity thresholds for living species inhabiting marine coastal areas. Behavior and fate of NPs in marine waters are driven by transformation processes occurring as a function of NP intrinsic and extrinsic properties in the receiving seawaters. All those aspects have been overlooked in ecological risk assessment. This review critically reports ecotoxicity studies in which size distribution, surface charges and bio−nano interactions have been considered for a more realistic risk assessment of NPs in marine environment. Two emerging and relevant NPs, the metal-based titanium dioxide (TiO 2), and polystyrene (PS), a proxy for nanoplastics, are reviewed, and their impact on marine biota (from planktonic species to invertebrates and fish) is discussed as a function of particle size and surface charges (negative vs. positive), which affect their behavior and interaction with the biological material. Uptake of NPs is related to their nanoscale size; however, in vivo studies clearly demonstrated that transformation (agglomerates/aggregates) occurring in both artificial and natural seawater drive to different exposure routes and biological responses at cellular and organism level. Adsorption of single particles or agglomerates onto the body surface or their internalization in feces can impair motility and affect sinking or floating behavior with consequences on populations and ecological function. Particle complex dynamics in natural seawater is almost unknown, although it determines the effective exposure scenarios. Based on the latest predicted environmental concentrations for TiO 2 and PS NPs in the marine environment, current knowledge gaps and future research challenges encompass the comprehensive study of bio−nano interactions. As such, the analysis of NP biomolecular coronas can enable a better assessment of particle uptake and related cellular pathways leading to toxic effects. Moreover, the formation of an environmentally derived corona (i.e., eco-corona) in seawater accounts for NP physical-chemical alterations, rebounding on interaction with living organisms and toxicity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Corsi

Bergami

Grassi

2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…40,49,185,247,248 The theoretical limit of detection (300 nm) has not yet been reached in recent studies using RM. 45,48,56,185,247,249,[255][256][257][258][259] In practical application, the analysis of such particles is complex and partly limited for real samples due to filter type (e.g., an uneven surface or limits in pore size), sample complexity (e.g., natural matrix), and measurement parameters. These can hamper the lateral or depth resolution of particle focusing.…”

Section: Raman Microspectroscopy For Mp Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a study be Ter Halle et al 277 on aqueous samples from the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, even a hundredfold up concentration by ultrafiltration did not yield a concentration high enough for unambiguous detection by DLS. Several approaches to concentrate and separate the nanofraction from environmental samples were tested with a focus on inorganic or other colloidal and recently NP components, as reviewed in Tiede et al, 346 Lespes and Gigault, 347 and Schwaferts et al 259 Here, we mention three recent examples for different strategies: (i) Fractionated filtration with membrane and syringe filters was applied to size-separate polymer particles in facial scrubs. The fractions were examined in bulk by analytical methods including dynamic light scattering (DLS), SEM, X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and FT-IR.…”

Section: Single-particle Spectroscopymentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Assessment of Analytical Methods for the Harmonized and Cost-Efficient Analysis of Microplastics

et al. 2020

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“…It was found that spherically shaped particles below a diameter of 50 µm occurred in high numbers, where colours and shapes suggested quartz particles; however, a clear differentiation was virtually impossible within this size range using optical methods only, for example, if the colours of the plastics were not easily distinguishable (pink particles, etc.). The IR method and Raman microspectroscopy (RM) could theoretically be used to identify the material; however, these methods are limited by the size of the particles (>10 µm) (Schwaferts, Niessner, Elsner, & Ivleva, 2019). Figure 7 shows images of the synthetic sand mixtures.…”

Section: Optical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Microplastics in the Environment – Fibres: The Disregarded Twin?

et al. 2019

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Dealing with the pollution of plastics into the environment is considered one of the major challenges of the current century. Especially microplastic pollutions are considered a significant threat to human life, especially since once these plastic particles make their way into the environment, removing them is almost impossible. Unfortunately, when researches look for microplastics in the environment, synthetic fibres are too often disregarded. This is a mistake considering that a big part of human clothing consists purely of synthetic fibres, meaning they are omnipresent in every part of human activity and so are their emissions. This work takes a critical look at the state of the art analysis methods for microplastics in soil, water and air, with a special focus on their ability (or inability) to detect fibrous materials. A case study in the form of a critical evaluation was made to highlight common problems when detecting microplastic fibres, it focused primarily on the sampling of large water volumes. Another case study explores the difficulties of microscopy in the analysis of microplastics. Furthermore, the sources of fibre pollution and which pathways they take in the environment before the end up in the maritime system are explored. Finally, this work makes a call for the creation and enforcement of standardized methods, which would potentially solve many of the current problems.

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Methods for the analysis of submicrometer- and nanoplastic particles in the environment

Cited by 359 publications

References 81 publications

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Critical Assessment of Analytical Methods for the Harmonized and Cost-Efficient Analysis of Microplastics

Assessment of Microplastics in the Environment – Fibres: The Disregarded Twin?

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