Qualitative characterisation and identification of microplastics in a freshwater dam at Gauteng Province, South Africa, using pyrolysis–gas chromatography–time of flight–mass spectrometry (Py–GC–ToF–MS)

Autor: Bongekile, Vilakati, Sivasankar, Venkataraman, Hlengilizwe, Nyoni, Bhekie B, Mamba, Kiyoshi, Omine, Titus A M, Msagati
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29:83452-83468
ISSN: 1614-7499
0944-1344
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21510-5
Popis: Pyrolysis GC-ToF-MS-based analytical study was employed in the identification of microplastics (MPs) in the freshwater of a dam Rietvlei (RTV) located at Gauteng Province, South Africa. These MPs extracted in five locations of the dam were found to contain five different plastic polymeric constituents including PE, PS, PA, PVC and PET along with phthalate esters and fatty acid (amides and esters) derivatives as additives. Based on the fragmented pyrolyzate products, the contribution of plastic polymers and additives was 74% and 26% respectively. Among polymers, PA was dominant with 52% followed by PVC (16%) and others (13%) such as PE, PET and PS in MPs. Scanning electron micrographs of MPs in this aquatic body displayed the rough and fibrous typed patterns. The residual mass of 8-14% was left after the thermal degradation of MPs in RTV samples in the temperature range of 500-550 °C. The results of thermogravimetry (TGA) and energy-dispersive (EDS) analyses are mutually dependent and coherent to each other by way of demonstrating the presence of various inorganic compounds in the form of additives and/or sorbates. The lessened intensities of carbonyl stretching in PA (1625 cm
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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