Monitoring microplastics in drinking water: An interlaboratory study to inform effective methods for quantifying and characterizing microplastics

Frond, Hannah De; Hampton, Leah M. Thornton; Kotar, Syd; Gesulga, Kristine; Matuch, Cindy; Lao, Wenjian; Weisberg, Stephen B.; Wong, Charles S.; Rochman, Chelsea M.

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134282

Cited by 69 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…There was an increase in scrutiny when identifying items of smaller sizes (<0.5 mm), as the accuracy of visual identification decreases as the particle size decreases. A recent study by De Frond et al (2022), highlighted that microscopy is an accurate method to determine microplastic counts down to 0.02 mm in size. Laboratories tested in the study by De Frond et al ( 2022), had recovery rates of 92 ± 12% for microplastics larger than 0.02 mm in size.…”

Section: Microplastic Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastric Microplastics in Clarias gariepinus of the Upper Vaal River, South Africa

Dahms

Tweddle

Greenfield

2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Microplastics are defined as plastics smaller than 5 mm down to 0.05 mm. These plastics enter the environment and undergo certain physical changes, most notably density changes and a relative increase of surface size. Microplastics can then release or absorb toxicants from the surrounding environment. These plastics may then enter the food chain from producers to top predators. In this study, microplastics were investigated in four study sites in the upper Vaal River, South Africa. The goal of the study was to determine the levels of plastics in water, sediment and a top predator, the benthic fish Clarias gariepinus. In this study, a 10% KOH digestion of water and fish, and density separation of sediment with NaCl (1.2 g cm3) was used to extract microplastics for identification. Microplastics were detected in water (3, 300 particles m−³), fish (7.47 particles per fish) and sediment (46.7 particles kg−1). Microplastic intake was not attributed to the microplastic shape or size of the fish that ingested it. This highlights the need to understand how niche-specific microplastic concentrations are, which will not only aid in quantifying microplastics accurately in the environment but to better understand how they may influence various ecosystems.

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Section: Microplastic Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastric Microplastics in Clarias gariepinus of the Upper Vaal River, South Africa

Dahms

Tweddle

Greenfield

2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…Originated from synthetic polymers, microplastics (size < 5 mm) can present in various shapes, sizes, and colors [ 22 , 35 ]. In this study, analyses of microplastics were separated into two parts.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, standardized field methods for collecting microplastics in sediment, sand, and surface-water samples and a novel analysis technique for the identification of microplastics have been developed and continue to be optimized. In due course, a global comparison of the amount of microplastics released can be carried out with field and laboratory protocols to elucidate the final distribution, impacts, and fate of microplastics [ 22 ]. Two innovative analysis techniques have been developed for the determination of microplastics in complex environmental samples using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and thermal desorption–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Monitoring and Analytical Characterization of Microplastics in Polychaete Worms

et al. 2022

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Microplastics (the term for plastics at sizes of <5 mm) might be introduced into the environment from domestic or agricultural activities or from the breakdown of plastic pieces, particles, and debris that are bigger in size. Their presence in the aquatic environment has caused accumulation problems, as microplastics do not easily break down and can be digested by some aquatic organisms. This study was conducted to screen and monitor the level of microplastic pollution in polychaete worms using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The study was conducted in Setiu Wetlands, Malaysia from November 2015 to January 2017 at five-month intervals and covered all monsoon changes. Results from physical and visual analyses indicated that a total number of 371.4 ± 20.2 items/g microplastics were retrieved from polychaete for all seasons, in which, the majority comprised transparent microplastics (49.87%), followed by brown with 138.3 ± 13.6 items/g (37.24%), 21.7 ± 1.9 items/g for blue (5.84%), and 12.9 ± 1.1 items/g for black (3.47%), while the remaining were green and grey-red colors. Statistical analysis using Kruskal–Wallis showed insignificant differences (p > 0.05) between the sampling station and period for the presence of a microplastics amount. Most of the microplastics were found in fiber form (81.5%), whereas the remaining comprised fragment (18.31%) and film (0.19%) forms. Further analysis with Py-GC/MS under a selective ion monitoring mode indicated that pyrolytic products and fragment ions for a variety of polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polymethylmethacrylate, were detected. This study provides an insightful application of Py-GC/MS techniques for microplastics monitoring, especially when dealing with analytical amounts of samples.

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“…Descriptions of particle characteristic categories are as follows: Shape, physical morphology (e.g., sphere, fragment, fiber); Polymer, material type (e.g., polystyrene); Density, material density; Charge, electrostatic properties/ zeta potential (e.g., positive, negative); Functional Group, chemical surface modifications (e.g., carboxylation); Particle Behavior, quantitative or qualitative descriptions of how particles behave in media (e.g., sedimentation, clumping, dispersed); Weathering, descriptions particle biofouling prior to exposures based per unit volume is partially the result of existing methods for measuring microplastics. Specifically, microplastics are most often quantified in environmental samples by manually counting particles via microscopy [30] whereas many soluble chemical contaminants are expressed in mass. Though concentrations expressed in mass or count have proven useful and informative thus far, it is critical that alternative concentration metrics beyond mass and count are reported in future microplastic toxicity studies as they may be more meaningful for the toxicological mechanism at hand.…”

Section: Concentration Metrics To Inform Toxicity Threshold Developme...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing microplastic hazards: which concentration metrics and particle characteristics are most informative for understanding toxicity in aquatic organisms?

Hampton

Brander

Coffin³

et al. 2022

Micropl.&Nanopl.

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There is definitive evidence that microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, are ubiquitous in the environment and can cause harm to aquatic organisms. These findings have prompted legislators and environmental regulators to seek out strategies for managing risk. However, microplastics are also an incredibly diverse contaminant suite, comprising a complex mixture of physical and chemical characteristics (e.g., sizes, morphologies, polymer types, chemical additives, sorbed chemicals, and impurities), making it challenging to identify which particle characteristics might influence the associated hazards to aquatic life. In addition, there is a lack of consensus on how microplastic concentrations should be reported. This not only makes it difficult to compare concentrations across studies, but it also begs the question as to which concentration metric may be most informative for hazard characterization. Thus, an international panel of experts was convened to identify 1) which concentration metrics (e.g., mass or count per unit of volume or mass) are most informative for the development of health-based thresholds and risk assessment and 2) which microplastic characteristics best inform toxicological concerns. Based on existing knowledge, it is recommended that microplastic concentrations in toxicity tests are calculated from both mass and count at minimum, though ideally researchers should report additional metrics, such as volume and surface area, which may be more informative for specific toxicity mechanisms. Regarding particle characteristics, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that particle size is a critical determinant of toxicological outcomes, particularly for the mechanisms of food dilution and tissue translocation .

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Monitoring microplastics in drinking water: An interlaboratory study to inform effective methods for quantifying and characterizing microplastics

Cited by 69 publications

References 31 publications

Gastric Microplastics in Clarias gariepinus of the Upper Vaal River, South Africa

Gastric Microplastics in Clarias gariepinus of the Upper Vaal River, South Africa

Utilizing Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Monitoring and Analytical Characterization of Microplastics in Polychaete Worms

Characterizing microplastic hazards: which concentration metrics and particle characteristics are most informative for understanding toxicity in aquatic organisms?

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