A Mini-Review of Strategies for Quantifying Anthropogenic Activities in Microplastic Studies in Aquatic Environments

Lin, Chun-Ting; Chiu, Ming‐Chih; Kuo, Mei‐Hwa

doi:10.3390/polym14010198

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…While color variations were observed in the fibers, they did not significantly influence the uptake process. We recognize the limitations of our study, particularly the absence of microFTIR analysis, and propose future research to employ advanced analytical techniques, such as microFTIR, to enhance the accuracy and reliability of microplastic identification (Lin, Chiu & Kuo 2023, 2022. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report detailing MP ingestion by freshwater fishes from a wetland in Thailand.…”

Section: Fulton' S Condition Indexmentioning

confidence: 90%

Untitled

2023

JSM

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Microplastic (MP) ingestion has been reported in several marine species but knowledge regarding MPs in freshwater species is limited, with only a few studies on the occurrence of MPs in freshwater fish, particularly in Thai freshwater ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of MPs for the first time in the gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of freshwater fishes from the Nong Luang Wetland, Chiang Rai, Thailand. A total of 100 fish specimens representing 15 species from 8 families were examined. Basic fish measurements as total length and total weight were used to calculate Fulton's condition index (F). The GITs were subsequently removed and MPs were extracted by visual inspection and digestion solution. Qualitative attributes such as color and MP types (fibers, rod-shaped and fragments) were also recorded. Results showed relatively low MP prevalence at 21.0%, with 25 MP particles removed from the GITs of specimens representing 7 species. The number of ingested MP particles ranged between 1 and 4 per fish, with an average of 1.19±0.68. MP particles were categorized as fibers (92.0%), rod-shaped (4.0%) and fragments (4.0%) with blue fibers the most prevalent. No significant correlations were observed between the number of MP particles and the body length, weight, and F value of fish. These findings provide the first evidence of MP contamination in fishes from a Thai wetland as a baseline for future studies and risk assessments on the biota of many aquatic systems spread across the country.

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Section: Fulton' S Condition Indexmentioning

confidence: 90%

Untitled

2023

JSM

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“…Considering only potential sources close to the sampling sites to predict the microplastic distribution may be a mistake (Lin et al, 2022). In this context, Lin et al (2022) suggests that the watershed can be used as a sampling unit and that anthropogenic activities may be quanti ed in terms of land use percentages on the margins of the watershed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of urbanization and water quality on microplastic distribution in Conceição Lagoon watershed, Brazil

de Castro,

Lemes da Silva,

das Neves Lopes

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Urbanization in watersheds leads to the introduction of sources of microplastics and other pollutants in water bodies. However, the effect of urbanization on microplastic pollution and the relationship between microplastics and water quality are not well understood. We assessed the distribution of microplastics in tributaries urbanized, non-urbanized and in the receiving lagoon body of Conceição Lagoon watershed.The results show that urbanization signi cantly affects water quality but does not differentiate tributaries in terms of microplastic concentrations. Microplastic concentrations were lower in the receiving lagoon body compared with the tributaries, highlighting their importance in microplastic pollution in the studied lagoon. Microplastic concentration was correlated with low N:P ratios in the lagoon and associated with high levels of total phosphorus, which indicate the discharge of e uents. The correlations between microplastic concentration, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the lagoon were based on the temporal variations of these variables. Precipitation and wind velocity had in uence on microplastic distribution in the watershed. Our ndings underscore the importance of evaluating water quality parameters and meteorological variables to comprehend the microplastic distribution at small watersheds.

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“…Most of the research has classified each sampling site according to the predominant human activities that surround it to analyze the source of microplastics qualitatively (Lin et al 2022). Furthermore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are well recognized as point sources of microplastics because huge volumes of microplastic-containing effluents are continually discharged (Grbić et al 2020), even though the majority of the microplastics are removed from the influents (Talvitie et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can water mites’ parasitism influence the number of microplastics ingested by aquatic insects?

Khedre,

Ramadan,

Ashry

et al. 2024

Appl Water Sci

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Microplastic pollution endangers both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Their spread across the food chain also endangers human health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be viewed as the final barrier between microplastics and the environment. In addition, it is well-known that water mites are abundant parasites in aquatic ecosystems, and nearly all insect orders with aquatic stages are considered potential hosts for at least one water mite species. However, no studies have been conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of parasites on population dynamics in freshwater ecosystems or the role of predators in shaping the behavior and life histories of aquatic organisms. Thus, this work aimed to study the seasonal abundance, distribution, composition, and risk assessment of MPs in surface water, aquatic insects (Coroxide and Notonectidae), and for the first time, water mites (Hydrachnidiae), as well as the effect of water mites’ parasitism on the number of MPs ingested by aquatic insects in two of the most polluted wastewater sites (S1 and S2) in Sohag Governorate, Egypt. The two wastewater sites receive different wastewater inputs (domestic and industrial). The results showed that the MPs abundance in surface water was higher in S2 than in S1 during the four seasons of the year, where the microplastic abundance in surface water was 2.05 ± 0.79 and 3.01 ± 0.9 particles/L in S1 and S2, respectively. Also, MPs were significantly higher in S2 in two insect taxa (Corixidae and Notonectidae) that are known to be infected by water mites. In contrast, the number of MPs was lower in S1, where water mites were absent. In addition, our results showed that adult water mites accumulated MPs. Overall, the 500–2000 µm size range was the most prevalent for both wastewater sites. Fibers were the most common MP morphotype discovered, followed by fragments. The dominant colors of MP were blue, red, and black. Furthermore, FTIR spectroscopy revealed the existence of three distinct polymers, namely polyester (PES), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the effect of water mites’ parasitism on the number of MPs ingested by aquatic organisms. However, Further research is needed to confirm our suggestion.

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A Mini-Review of Strategies for Quantifying Anthropogenic Activities in Microplastic Studies in Aquatic Environments

Cited by 17 publications

References 78 publications

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Effect of urbanization and water quality on microplastic distribution in Conceição Lagoon watershed, Brazil

Can water mites’ parasitism influence the number of microplastics ingested by aquatic insects?

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