Composition and concentrations of microplastics including tyre wear particles in stormwater retention pond sediments.

Stormwater is recognised as a vector for microplastics (MPs), including tyre wear particles (TWPs) from land-based sources to receiving waterbodies. Before reaching the waterbodies, the stormwater may be treated. In this study, sediments from six treatment facilities (five retention ponds and a subsurface sedimentation tank) were analysed to understand MP occurrence, concentrations, sizes, polymer types and distribution between inlet and outlet.

Abundance, distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the North and South Atlantic Ocean.

Microplastics are both pervasive in the marine environment and highly detrimental to it. In this study, we investigate the abundance, distribution, and characteristics of microplastics in surface waters on a transect spanning 6 major ocean current regions in the Atlantic Ocean from Scheveningen (the Netherlands) to Montevideo (Uruguay). 50 surface trawls were completed with a manta net (mesh 500 μm, cod 333 μm) and particles were analyzed in the laboratory including polymer type identification with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.

Assessing microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils: Insights from remote, agricultural, and urban environments.

Microplastic (MP) contamination is a growing concern across many environments. However, research on MP accumulation in remote soils remains limited. This study investigated MP abundance in remote soil in western Iceland, with agricultural and urban soils as references.

Micro- and nano-plastics, intestinal inflammation, and inflammatory bowel disease: A review of the literature.

Plastics, encompassing a wide range of polymeric materials, and their downstream products (micro- and nanoplastics, MNPs) are accumulating in the environment at an alarming rate, and they are linked to adverse human health outcomes. Considering that ingestion is a main source of MNPs exposure, the impact of plastics is particularly relevant towards intestinal inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the study of MNPs has been limited by obstacles relating to sample collection, preparation, and microplastics analysis based on optical microscopy and chemical analysis, which we detail in this review alongside potential solutions.

Assessment of microplastic pollution and polymer risk in the sediment compartment of the Limfjord, Denmark.

Estuarine sediments intercept and temporarily retain microplastics before they reach the marine seafloor, impacting various organisms, including key commercial species. This highlights the critical need for research on microplastic exposure in these transitional environments. This study provides a detailed assessment of microplastic pollution in the sediment compartment of the Limfjord, a 1500 km large Danish fjord, and introduces the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) as a tool for evaluating polymer-specific risks.