Microplastics meet micropollutants in a central european river stream: Adsorption of pollutants to microplastics under environmentally relevant conditions.

Autor: Titov I; Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic; Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Prague, Czech Republic., Semerád J; Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic., Boháčková J; Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic; Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Prague, Czech Republic., Beneš H; Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Heyrovského náměstí 2, Prague, 6, Czech Republic., Cajthaml T; Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic; Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: cajthaml@biomed.cas.cz.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) [Environ Pollut] 2024 Nov 01; Vol. 360, pp. 124616. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 25.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124616
Abstrakt: Microplastics have emerged as pervasive pollutants in aquatic environments, and their interaction with organic contaminants poses a significant environmental challenge. This study aimed to explore the adsorption of micropollutants onto microplastics in a river, examining different plastic materials and the effect of aging on adsorption capacity. Microplastics (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) were introduced into a river stream, and a comprehensive analysis involving 297 organic pollutants was conducted. Passive samplers were deployed to monitor micropollutant presence in the river. Sixty-four analytes were identified in the river flow, with telmisartan being the most prevalent. Nonaged PVC showed the highest telmisartan concentration at 279 ng/g (168 ng/m 2 regarding the microplastic surface), while aged PVC exhibited a fourfold decrease. Conversely, aged LDPE preferentially adsorbed metoprolol and tramadol, with concentrations increasing 12- and 3-fold, respectively, compared to nonaged LDPE. Azithromycin and clarithromycin, positively charged compounds, exhibited higher sorption to PET microplastics, regardless of aging. Diclofenac showed higher concentrations on nonaged PVC compared to aged PVC. Aging induced structural changes in microplastics, including color alterations, smaller particle production, and increased specific surface area. These changes influenced micropollutant adsorption, with hydrophobicity, dissociation constants, and the ionic form of pollutants being key factors. Aged microplastics generally showed different sorption properties. A comparison of microplastics and control sand particles indicated preferential micropollutant sorption to microplastics, underscoring their role as vectors for contaminant transport in aquatic ecosystems. Analysis of river sediment emphasized the significance of contact time in pollutant accumulation. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants under environmental conditions and contributes to a better understanding of the fate and behavior of these two types of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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