This paper presents a method for microplastic (MP) mass quantification using Focal Plane Array-based Fourier Transform Infrared imaging technique. It discusses the issue that particle number is not conserved base quantity and hence less suited than to compare independent studies on MP in environment. concludes should be included when quantifying pollution environment, supplementing conventional approach of reporting numbers. Applying as unit measurement, data showing Danish wastewater...

Humans are potentially exposed to microplastics through food, drink, and air. The first two pathways have received quite some scientific attention, while little is known about the latter. We address exposure of humans indoor airborne using a Breathing Thermal Manikin. Three apartments were investigated, samples analysed FPA-µFTIR-Imaging spectroscopy followed by automatic analyses down 11 µm particle size. All contaminated with microplastics, concentrations between 1.7 16.2 particles m-3....

Understanding the microbial ecology of a system requires that observed population dynamics can be linked to their metabolic functions. However, functional characterization is laborious and choice organisms should prioritized those are frequently abundant (core) or transiently abundant, which therefore putatively make greatest contribution carbon turnover in system. We analyzed communities 13 Danish wastewater treatment plants with nutrient removal consecutive years single plant periodically...

Urban and highway stormwater runoff seems an obvious pathway for conveying microplastics from land-based sources to the aquatic environment. The significance of this is however largely unknown. This study presents first results on in urban stormwaters by analysing (10–2000 μm) water phase treatment ponds North Jutland, Denmark. seven treating drained different landscapes were studied. Ponds serving residential areas had lowest microplastic concentration, while with industry commerce highest....

While it seems indisputable that potable water contains microplastics (MP), the actual concentrations are much debated and reported numbers vary many orders of magnitude. It is difficult to pinpoint cause these differences, but might be variation between waters, quantification methods, some studies did not live up rigorous analytical standards. Despite urgent need understand human exposure by drinking water, there a lack trustable methods generating reliable data. Essentially, proper MP...

Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous within the environment, but approaches to analysis of this contaminant currently quite diverse, with a number analytical methods available. The comparability results is hindered as even for single method such Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) different instruments available do not allow harmonized analysis. To overcome limitation, new free charge software tool, allowing systematic identification MP in environment (siMPle) was developed. This...

Urban and highway surfaces discharge polluted runoff during storm events. To mitigate environmental risks, stormwater retention ponds are commonly constructed to treat the water. This study is first quantify of microplastics in sediments such ponds. It applied state-of-art FTIR-methods analyse composition, size, shape, mass range 10–2000 μm. Seven serving four land uses were investigated, results related catchment characteristics, sediment organic matter content, hydraulic loading. We have...

Microplastics were characterized in eight water treatment works (WTWs) England and Wales (UK). Sources included river water, groundwater, an upland reservoir. Water varied from disinfection, filtration, sedimentation, activated carbon techniques. At each WTW, five repeat samples of raw potable two sludge taken over 5 months. captured on 10 μm filters nonplastic materials digested the laboratory. ≥25 analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared microscopy. Blanks revealed consistent polyethylene...

In this study, seven roads and parking lots were sampled by a road surface cleaning truck approximately 100 kg of particulate material was collected per site. Thereafter, the samples analysed for microplastics, including tyre wear particles. The analyses revealed that constituted 0.09 % dry mass on average. Other plastic types also identified in samples, but at average 49 times lower concentrations compared to Although used residential, industrial, commercial purposes, no correlation between...

Plastics are a recent particulate material in Earth’s history. Because of plastics persistence and wide-range presence, it has great potential being global age marker correlation tool between sedimentary profiles. In this research, we query whether microplastics can be considered among the array proxies to delimit Anthropocene Epoch (starting from year 1950 above). We present study deposition history inferred sediment profiles lakes northeastern Europe. The sediments were dated with...

Large amounts of microplastics (MPs) enter our environment through runoff from urban areas. This study presents results for MPs in stormwater a wet retention pond terms its water, sediments, and vertebrate fauna. The analysis was done the size range 10–500 μm, applying focal-plane array-based µFourier transform infrared (FPA-µFTIR) imaging technique with automated data analysis. Sample preparation protocols were optimized towards this analytical method. revealed 270 item L−1 corresponding to...

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a global environmental issue, and traditionally treated wastewater has been identified as source of land-based microplastics into the aquatic environment. This study evaluated performance pilot-scale biofilter to polish treatment plant (WWTP) effluent before it enters The filter was divided four zones, allowing concentration be followed through filter. It fed with secondary from conventional WWTP in Denmark. raw contained 917 items m−3 which corresponded mass...

A complete plastic particle mass balance was established at Sweden's second-largest wastewater treatment plant. It comprised material collected its two bar screens, a 20 mm and 2 one, in the influent water after screen, effluent water, digested sludge. Macro- microplastics above 500 µm were analysed individually applying ATR-FTIR, while of 10–500 by µFTIR imaging with automated recognition. Masses plastics >500 determined weighting, smaller estimated from imaging. The total load on plant...

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of a disc filter that retains microplastic (MP) particles from treated wastewater. A focal plane array-based Fourier transform infrared imaging technique enabled MP quantification and an in-house-built software (MPhunter) facilitated automatic analysis obtained spectra. The retained 89.7% particles, 75.6% their mass. This removal efficiency is comparable to rates reported by previous studies. However, presence unexpectedly large number whose size...

Scientists have demonstrated the presence of microplastics (MPs) in tap and bottled water at various locations. On a global scale, there is still very limited information on MP pollution drinking water. There are huge differences reported concentration, but no clear conclusion can be drawn if content higher or Up to date, it not these discrepancies arise from between examined systems quantification limits, accuracy applied analytical techniques, contamination during sampling, processing,...

Abstract Plastic pollution is considered one of today’s major environmental problems. Current land-based monitoring programs typically rely on beach litter data and seldom include plastic further inland. We initiated a citizen science project known as the Mass Experiment inviting schools throughout The Danish Realm (Denmark, Greenland Faeroe Islands) to collect samples document in 8 different nature types. In total approximately 57,000 students (6–19 years) collected 374,082 items 94 out 98...

Wastewater treatment plant sludge contains large quantities of microplastics (MPs), which is a problematic substance that impedes sustainability efforts, such as in land management. MPs are resilient to degradation, but extreme conditions, high temperature and pressure, can lead residues be used fertilizers on farmlands. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) creates converting into valuable bio-crude. To this end, the current study examined resilience sewage were treated by continuous HTL operated...

The seafloor is the major sink for microplastic (MP) pollutants. However, there a lack of robust data on historical evolution MP pollution in sediment compartment, particularly sequestration and burial rate small MPs. By combining palaeoceanographic approach state-of-the-art analytical methods identification down to 11 μm size, we present first high-resolution reconstruction from an undisturbed core collected NW Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, investigate fate MPs once buried sediments by...