Effects of pre-treatment on characterization of microplastics in biosolids via optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy.

Microplastics (MPs) in biosolids used as soil amendments are of growing concern. The purpose of this study was to improve the characterization of MPs in complex biosolid matrices by optimizing sample preparation for morphological and chemical analyses with different spectroscopic techniques. We compared extraction procedures involving Fenton oxidation (F), Fenton plus sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Fenton plus cellulase (FE).

Environmental factors influence airborne microplastic deposition in the soil of urban allotment gardens.

The widespread contamination of urban soils by airborne microplastics (MPs) is an emerging environmental concern, particularly in urban allotment gardens (UAGs) where food production occurs. This study investigates the vertical distribution of MPs in three UAGs in Berlin, Germany, over 90 days. Soil samples were collected at three depths (surface, 1-15 cm, and 15-30 cm) and analysed for MPs composition and concentration, with a detection limit of 0.

Revealing microplastic dynamics: the impact of precipitation and depth in urban river ecosystems.

Research on microplastics in Latin America is limited compared to a global perspective. Brazil plays a significant role in this context, as it possesses 12% of the world's freshwater reserves, constituting 53% of South America's water resources. There has been growing concern regarding the plastic pollution of the country's freshwater systems in recent years.

How natural and anthropogenic factors should drive microplastic behavior and fate: The scenario of Brazilian urban freshwater.

Brazil maintains its position at the top of the global ranking of plastic producers, yet recycling efforts have been incipient. Recent data reveals an annual production of approximately 14 million tons of plastic waste, not accounting for the surge in the usage of plastic masks and related materials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, what remains largely unreported is that over half of post-consumer plastic packaging in Brazil is managed without any monitoring, and it remains unclear how this will contribute to the occurrence of plastic waste and microplastics in Brazilian freshwaters.

Sorption of endocrine disrupting compounds onto polyamide microplastics under different environmental conditions: Behaviour and mechanism.

Microplastics of polyamide are commonly found in aquatic environments and might act as vectors of different contaminants such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC). Therefore, sorption of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 17β-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) on polyamide microplastics was studied under different simulated environments. The results suggest that the sorption process was affected by the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and salinity, where both positive and negative effects were observed.

First evidence of microplastic contamination in the freshwater of Lake Guaíba, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has raised concern about their potential impacts on and risks to the biota. While the presence of microplastics in a marine environment has been well studied, the impact of microplastic contamination in freshwater bodies is understudied. In the present study, baseline data about contamination with microplastics in Lake Guaíba in southern Brazil are presented.

Photodegradation of Emerging Contaminant 2-(tiocyanomethylthio) Benzothiazole (TCMTB) in Aqueous Solution: Kinetics and Transformation Products.

Direct photolysis of the emerging contaminant 2-(thiocyanomethylthio) benzothiazole (TMCTB) was performed in aqueous solution at different concentrations with high-pressure mercury lamp (5.0, 8.0, 13.