Over the past decade, an increasing number of researchers have studied plastic pollution, one of the world's most pressing environmental hazards. They have Over the past decade, an increasing number of researchers have studied plastic pollution, one of the world's most pressing environmental hazards. However, these results are often compared to conventional measurements, and there are many challenges to compare. Three Brazilian researchers have published a new method of analyzing microplastic particle pollution, which could enable environmental impact assessment. They analyzed seven samples containing 100 MPs and found that the impact on the environment will be very different, with MPs larger in volume, mass, and specific surface area being greater in one sample than the others. The authors also highlight the issue of morphology or particle shape.
2주 전 ~에 의해 Barker ~에
Over the past decade, an increasing number of researchers have studied plastic pollution, one of the world’s most pressing environmental hazards. They have made progress, but are facing challenges such as comparability of results, particularly for microplastic particles.
For example, there is no standard sample collection and analysis methodology. Most studies present results based on the number of particles as if they were environmentally equivalent, regardless of their size, volume, mass, or surface area.
An article published by three Brazilian researchers Environmental Science and Pollution Research It aims to contribute to progress in this field by proposing a new perspective on particle morphology.
Using a theoretical approach, the authors suggest that incorporating morphological attributes into the analysis can reveal important differences between microplastic particle samples; this suggests that samples that were initially considered equivalent because they contained the same number of particles actually had different environmental effects due to differences in particle size. and shape.
Microplastic particles (MPs) are artificial polymers between 0.001 and 5.0 millimeters or 1-5,000 micrometers (μm) in length and found in all media. Few studies have been published on pollution by lawmakers in Brazil, particularly regarding inland wetlands.
“Most research on MPs reports the number of particles in units adopted for the sample type, from volume in the case of water, to mass when the analysis includes soil and sediment, and individuals for biota. We have been researching MPs in the lab for several years and have found that size matters and makes a difference. “We are measuring particle size in all samples. In this study, we found samples with similar numbers of MPs, but with significant differences. The paper’s first author, Décio Semensatto, told Agência FAPESP, “There are very different depending on particle size and particle mass and volume. plastic pollution levels,” he said. He is a professor at the Federal Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP).
Other authors of the paper are Professor Georgia Labuto and Cristiano Rezende Gerolin, a former researcher at UNIFESP.
According to Semensatto, the group is about to complete an article on the Guarapiranga reservoir, which is a drinking water source for São Paulo and the two nearby towns Itapecerica da Serra and Embu-Guaçu. “We collected samples during the wet and dry seasons and found more MPs in one season than in the other, with an even greater difference in the mass and total plastic volume of each sample. Using only the number of particles as a parameter focuses on one dimension only, and different particle sizes have different effects on ecosystems. It ignores the fact that it has implications.”
According to the latest paper, the researchers analyzed seven samples, each containing 100 MPs. These will be considered equivalent based on conventional pollution measurements. However, comparisons have shown that their impact on the environment will be very different. In one sample, MPs were larger in volume, mass, and specific surface area. It therefore had more plastic than the others and was likely to result in a larger number of even smaller particles when broken down by physical and chemical degradation.
The authors also highlight the issue of morphology or particle shape. For example, samples containing fibers had less volume, mass, and surface area.
“We’re also investigating the issue of specific surface area, which is extremely relevant, especially when studying MPs as carriers of other contaminants such as metals or pharmaceuticals,” Semensatto said. Said. “Particle size affects the surface area available for the adsorption of these pollutants. In addition, MPs also form a plastisphere that acts as a substrate for organisms and disperses these organisms to other environments, with consequences for global health.”
The plastisphere is a community of bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses, and other microorganisms that have evolved to live on man-made plastic.
“By considering particle volume, mass, and specific surface area, we can better understand how MPs contaminate water bodies and transport other substances responsible for pollution, including microorganisms,” Semensatto said. Said. “Analyzing all attributes of samples opens up new possibilities and expands the comparability of results.”
The magnitude of the problem
World plastics production, which was only 2 million tons in 1950, reached 348 million metric tons in 2017. According to a report by The Pew Charitable, the global plastics industry is valued at US$522.6 billion and its capacity is expected to double by 2040. Trusts and SystemIQ partner with the Universities of Oxford and Leeds in the UK.
Plastic production and pollution affect human health and increase greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic can be swallowed by more than 800 marine and coastal species or cause accidents involving them. About 11 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans each year.
In 2022, 175 countries represented at the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution to sign a legally binding commitment to end global plastic pollution by 2024. To this end, they established an intergovernmental negotiating committee, which held its first session in December.
“With this work, we aimed to contribute to academic efforts to develop routines and methodologies for dealing with plastic pollution,” Semensatto said. said. “Our article suggests a debate within the academic community. The proposal is open to debate. We invite other scientists to measure MPs and report their morphological characteristics as a contribution to the discussion of their environmental significance.”
In this context, a Semensatto-affiliated group at UNIFESP is working with the São Paulo State Environmental Authority (CETESB) to develop protocols for collecting water samples and analyzing MPs in the state’s coastal region. The main goal is to find a way to compare results so that lawmakers can be part of continuous environmental monitoring, which they are not currently in São Paulo.
This project is under the auspices of Rede Hydropoll, a network of researchers from various institutions studying water source pollution.