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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
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Risk assessment framework for microplastic in marine environments.

Andrey Ethan Rubin1, Rima Gnaim2, Shiri Levi3

  • 1Porter School of Earth and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.

The Science of the Total Environment
|August 22, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Polypropylene (PP) plastic products pose the greatest environmental hazard among common and alternative plastics. This study evaluated microplastic risks, finding PP most damaging to marine ecosystems due to oxidation, acidification, and microbial inhibition.

Keywords:
Hazard potentialMarine environmentMicroplasticMultifactorNatural watersRisk assessment

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Marine Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Microplastic (MP) contamination threatens marine ecosystems.
  • Conventional plastics like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) are major contributors.
  • Alternative plastics include recycled polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a multifactor hazard evaluation of conventional and alternative plastics.
  • To assess risks including MP abundance, water acidification, oxidation, fragmentation, and bacterial inhibition.
  • To determine the most hazardous plastic type for marine environments.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of MP abundance from global monitoring campaigns.
  • Year-long weathering experiments to assess oxidation and fragmentation.
  • Laboratory tests on water acidification potential and bacterial growth inhibition.
  • Development of a risk assessment framework weighting multiple hazard factors.

Main Results:

  • PE-based plastics are the most abundant MPs (up to 82%).
  • PS and PP showed higher oxidation, leading to significant water acidification (pH reduction up to three orders of magnitude).
  • Weathered PS was most fragile; PP and PS extracts inhibited marine microorganism growth.

Conclusions:

  • Polypropylene (PP)-based plastic products present the highest overall hazard.
  • This multifactorial analysis provides a holistic view of plastic risks in marine environments.
  • Findings highlight the need for careful selection of plastic materials to mitigate environmental impact.