Qualitative assessment to determine internal and external factors influencing the origin of styrene oligomers pollution by polystyrene plastic in coastal marine environments,

Environmental Pollution, Volume 234, 2018, Pages 167-173, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to investigate the qualitative contribution of internal and external factors of the area contaminated by polystyrene (PS) in coastal marine environments.

This study is based on the extensive results of monitoring the styrene oligomers (SOs) present in sand and seawater samples along various coastlines of the Pacific Ocean.
Here, anthropogenic SOs is derived from PS during manufacture and use, and can provide clues about the origin of SOs by PS pollution. The monitoring results showed that, if the concentration of SOs in water is higher than those concentrations in beach sand, this area could be affected by PS plastic caused by an external factor. On the other hand, if the concentration of SOs is higher in the beach sand, the region can be mainly influenced by PS plastic derived from its own area.
Unlike the case of an external factor, in this case (internal influence), it is possible to take policy measures of the area itself for the PS plastic problem. Thus, this study is motivated by the need of policy measures to establish a specific alternative to the problems of PS plastic pollution in ocean environments.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tY68_zQrL77mknBCHlUG9OmaFprP155Y
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.046.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117335479)

The post Qualitative assessment to determine internal and external factors influencing the origin of styrene oligomers pollution by polystyrene plastic in coastal marine environments appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 631–632, 1 August 2018, Pages 449-458, ISSN 0048-9697,

Abstract:

Microplastic (MP) has become a concerning global environmental problem.
It is toxic to aquatic organisms and can spread through the food chain to ultimately pose a threat to humans. In the environment, MP can interact with microbes and act as a microbial habitat. However, effects of polystyrene MP on the gut microbiota in mammals remain unclear.
Here, male mice were exposed to two different sizes of polystyrene MP for 5 weeks to explore its effect. We observedthat oral exposure to 1000 μg/L of 0.5 and 50 μm polystyrene MP decreased the body, liver and lipid weights in mice. Mucus secretion in the gut decreased in both sizes of polystyrene MP-treated groups. Regarding the gut microbiota, at the phylum level, polystyrene MP exposure decreased the relative abundances of Firmicutes and α-Proteobacteria in the feces. Furthermore, high throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene
revealed significant changes in the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota in the cecums of polystyrene MP-treated mice.
At the genus level, a total of 6 and 8 types of bacteria changed in the 0.5 and 50 μm polystyrene MP-treated groups, respectively. Furthermore, an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) analysis identified that 310 and 160 gut microbes
were changed in the 0.5 and 50 μm polystyrene MP-treated groups, respectively. In addition, the hepatic triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TCH) levels decreased in both 1000 μg/L 0.5 and 50 μm
polystyrene MP-treated groups.
Correspondingly, the relative mRNA levels of some key genes related to lipogenesis and TG synthesis decreased in the liver and epididymal fat. These results indicated that polystyrene MP could modify the gut microbiota composition and induce hepatic lipid disorder in mice; while the mouse is a common mammal model,
consequently, the health risks of MP to animals should not be ignored.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DFJ9_Jv72VtO2k1pH6VKlJCocISuatE4
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.051.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718308064)

The post Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in mice appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Environmental Pollution, Volume 235, 2018, Pages 680-691, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Plastic debris has become an environmental problem during
recent years. Among the plastic debris, microplastics (<5 mm; MPLs)
imply an extra problem due to their capacity to enter into the fauna
through ingestion. In this work, we study the capacity of three MPLs,
that include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS) and
polystyrene carboxylate (PS-COOH), to sorb 18 perfluoroalkyl substances
(PFASs; including carboxylic acids, sulphonates and one sulphonamide)
from the surrounding waters (freshwater and seawater). Conclusions drawn
from the results are that perfluoro sulphonates and sulphonamides have
more tendency to be sorbed onto MPLs. In addition, PS and PS-COOH have
more affinity for PFASs than HDPE. Finally, the increment of
conductivity and pH of the water decreases the exposure time that is
necessary to reach equilibrium. However, the presence of salts decreases
the tendency of PFASs to be sorbed onto plastic surfaces. These results
highlight the problem associated with the presence of MPLs in inland and
marine waters since toxic compounds can be sorbed onto surrounding
plastics that could be ingested by aquatic fauna.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rtdzyjDJ0A375NPIpVx_KudbRZihrEQc

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.075.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117323436)

The post Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on microplastics under environmental conditions appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on microplastics under environmental conditions,
Environmental Pollution, Volume 235, 2018, Pages 680-691, ISSN 0269-7491,

Abstract:

Plastic debris has become an environmental problem during recent years. Among the plastic debris, microplastics (<5 mm; MPLs) imply an extra problem due to their capacity to enter into the fauna through ingestion.
In this work, we study the capacity of three MPLs, that include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS) and polystyrene carboxylate (PS-COOH), to sorb 18 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs; including carboxylic acids, sulphonates and one sulphonamide) from the surrounding waters (freshwater and seawater). Conclusions drawn from the results are that perfluoro sulphonates and sulphonamides have more tendency to be sorbed onto MPLs. In addition, PS and PS-COOH have more affinity for PFASs than HDPE. Finally, the increment of conductivity and pH of the water decreases the exposure time that is necessary to reach equilibrium. However, the presence of salts decreases the tendency of PFASs to be sorbed onto plastic surfaces.
These results highlight the problem associated with the presence of MPLs in inland and marine waters since toxic compounds can be sorbed onto surrounding plastics that could be ingested by aquatic fauna.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rtdzyjDJ0A375NPIpVx_KudbRZihrEQc

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.075.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117323436)

The post Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on microplastics under environmental conditions appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..