“…The features of microplastics in snow reported to date differ considerably among the reported descriptions 3,17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] . Although Zhang and others pointed out in their review article 19 that this diversity might be attributable more to differences in sampling and analytical methods used than to actual regional differences, we strove to extract meaningful information by comparing our results with those reported from earlier studies.…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 58%
“…5b). These compositions were observable in global snow samples 14,19,20,[25][26][27] . Bergmann et al 14 reported that PA, varnish, rubber, EVA and PE are dominant in European snow.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 80%
“…Pioneering research conducted by Bergman and others 14 brought to light the presence of great numbers of fine microplastics in snow from Europe and the Arctic, and highlighted atmospheric transport and deposition as notable pathways for MPs meriting more research. Subsequently, several studies have confirmed that MP pollution in snow spreads worldwide 3,17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] . Nevertheless, because of limited data, little is known about the features and pathways of microplastics in snow.…”
Snowfall is regarded as a carrier of airborne microplastics (MPs). Deposited snow can function as a temporary reservoir for atmospheric MPs. Nevertheless, knowledge and understanding of microplastics in snow remain sparse. This study investigates the abundance, composition, size, and shape of microplastics in snow specimens from various nature preservation areas and also from urban sites in Hokkaido. Various polymeric-type microplastics with mostly fragment shapes were detected among the specimens. Results demonstrated that MP abundance generally decreases concomitantly with increasing remoteness of sampling sites. Observed features of microplastics at different locations and their relation to geographical settings have indicated that the ubiquitously observed fine particles (mainly alkyd, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and polyethylene) are attributable to long-distance atmospheric transportation, while the rubber and larger particles especially found near highways and cities are from local sources of plastic.
“…The features of microplastics in snow reported to date differ considerably among the reported descriptions 3,17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] . Although Zhang and others pointed out in their review article 19 that this diversity might be attributable more to differences in sampling and analytical methods used than to actual regional differences, we strove to extract meaningful information by comparing our results with those reported from earlier studies.…”
Section: Discussioncontrasting
confidence: 58%
“…5b). These compositions were observable in global snow samples 14,19,20,[25][26][27] . Bergmann et al 14 reported that PA, varnish, rubber, EVA and PE are dominant in European snow.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 80%
“…Pioneering research conducted by Bergman and others 14 brought to light the presence of great numbers of fine microplastics in snow from Europe and the Arctic, and highlighted atmospheric transport and deposition as notable pathways for MPs meriting more research. Subsequently, several studies have confirmed that MP pollution in snow spreads worldwide 3,17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] . Nevertheless, because of limited data, little is known about the features and pathways of microplastics in snow.…”
Snowfall is regarded as a carrier of airborne microplastics (MPs). Deposited snow can function as a temporary reservoir for atmospheric MPs. Nevertheless, knowledge and understanding of microplastics in snow remain sparse. This study investigates the abundance, composition, size, and shape of microplastics in snow specimens from various nature preservation areas and also from urban sites in Hokkaido. Various polymeric-type microplastics with mostly fragment shapes were detected among the specimens. Results demonstrated that MP abundance generally decreases concomitantly with increasing remoteness of sampling sites. Observed features of microplastics at different locations and their relation to geographical settings have indicated that the ubiquitously observed fine particles (mainly alkyd, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and polyethylene) are attributable to long-distance atmospheric transportation, while the rubber and larger particles especially found near highways and cities are from local sources of plastic.
“…In the present study, µ-Raman spectroscopic analysis (µ-Raman-XploRA™ PLUS, HORIBA France SAS) with two lasers with wavelengths of 532 nm and 785 nm and Raman shift of 100-3500 cm − 1 was used to detect the chemical composition of MPs. Then, the obtained spectra were compared with the open access database in Open Specy (https://wincowger.shinyapps.io/OpenSpecy/) (Abbasi et al, 2022). About 10% of the particles that were visually more abundant and had very similar appearance properties to MPs were selected for µ-Raman analysis (Mahon et al, 2017).…”
The presence of Microplastics (MPs) in the environment is a serious threat to the health of humans and ecosystems. One common source of environmental MPs pollution is the sludge and effluent discharged by wastewater treatment facilities. Typically, there are no specific measures to remove MPs in treatment plants. The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of MPs in the inlet wastewater, outlet effluent, and sludge of one of the wastewater treatment plants of Qom city in Iran. Monthly sampling was done in the spring and summer of 2022. A total of 18 samples were obtained from wastewater, effluent, and sludge. MPs were identified and separated according to valid guidelines. MPs were subjected to SEM and µ-Raman analysis for further investigation. The average MPs in wastewater and effluent were 710 ± 34.67 and 51 ± 4.42 (MPs/L), respectively, while it was 30.76×103 (MPs/kg) in sludge. The average removal efficiency of MPs in the treatment plant was 97.6%. Overall, polyethylene terephthalate and fibers were the most frequent in the samples. Dominant sizes of MPs in wastewater and sludge were 250–500 µm, while their size in effluent was 250 − 100 µm. Considering the results, it is estimated that 2652×106 MPs enter the environment through effluent every day and can lead to air, soil, and surface water pollution. It makes the need for decisions at the international level to reduce the production and consumption of plastics more necessary.
“…This may be because snowflakes are larger and have slower terminal velocities than raindrops. It is therefore imperative to pay more attention to the substantial role that snowfall plays in the transference of MPs from the atmosphere to the soil and surface water (Abbasi et al, 2022 ). Fig.…”
Petroleum-derived plastics are linked to a variety of growing environmental issues throughout their lifecycle, including emission of greenhouse gases, accumulation in terrestrial and marine habitats, pollution, among others. There has been a lot of attention over the last decade in industrial and research communities in developing and producing eco-friendly polymers to deal with the current environmental issues. Bioplastics preferably are a fast-developing family of polymeric substances that are frequently promoted as substitutes to petroleum-derived plastics
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Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have a number of appealing properties that make PHAs a feasible source material for bioplastics, either as a direct replacement of petroleum-derived plastics or as a blend with elements derived from natural origin, fabricated biodegradable polymers, and/or non-biodegradable polymers. Among the most promising PHAs, polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are the most well-known and have a significant potential to replace traditional plastics. These biodegradable plastics decompose faster after decomposing into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic chemicals. Bioplastics have been extensively utilized in several sectors such as food-processing industry, medical, agriculture, automobile industry, etc. However, it is also associated with disadvantages like high cost, uneconomic feasibility, brittleness, and hydrophilic nature. A variety of tactics have been explored to improve the qualities of bioplastics, with the most prevalent being the development of gas and water barrier properties. The prime objective of this study is to review the current knowledge on PHAs and provide a brief introduction to PHAs, which have drawn attention as a possible potential alternative to conventional plastics due to their biological origin, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, thereby reducing the negative impact of microplastics in the environment. This review may help trigger further scientific interest to thoroughly research on PHAs as a sustainable option to greener bioplastics.
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