Using marine mussels to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of two different commercial microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) in the aquatic environment pose a serious threat to biota, by being confounded with food. These effects occur in mussels which are filter-feeding organisms. Mussels from the genus Mytilus sp.

Effects of microplastics on key reproductive and biochemical endpoints of the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna.

Human activities have directly impacted the environment, causing significant ecological imbalances. From the different contaminants resulting from human activities, plastics are of major environmental concern. Due to their high use and consequent discharge, plastics tend to accumulate in aquatic environments.

Understanding Interface Exchanges for Assessing Environmental Sorption of Additives from Microplastics: Current Knowledge and Perspectives.

Although the impacts of plastic pollution have long been recognized, the presence, pervasiveness, and ecotoxicological consequences of microplastic-i.e., plastic particles < 5 mm-contamination have only been explored over the last decade.

Threats to sustainability in face of post-pandemic scenarios and the war in Ukraine.

As the World slowly emerged from the then-ongoing pandemic, War broke out in Europe with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The enduring military conflict in Ukraine has had sweeping consequences at the human, social, economic, and environmental levels, not only for the nations involved but across Europe and globally. Damaged infrastructures, severe disruption of economic activity, and forced migration have led to negative impacts on sustainability.

Draft Genome Sequence of Zalerion maritima ATCC 34329, a (Micro)Plastic-Degrading Marine Fungus.

Zalerion maritima is a marine fungus that has been studied for the biodegradation of (micro)plastics. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain ATCC 34329, which was shown to have a size of 58.4 Mb, a GC content of 44.

Microplastics in Internal Tissues of Companion Animals from Urban Environments.

Companion animals living in urban areas are exposed to environmental contaminants, which may include microplastics. A preliminary study was conducted by collecting postmortem samples from the internal tissue (lungs, ileum, liver, kidney, and blood clots) of 25 dogs () and 24 cats () living in an urban environment in Porto metropolitan area, Portugal. Suspected microplastics were found in 80 samples from 35 animals (18 cats and 17 dogs), often occurring in more than one tissue of the same animal (71.

A straightforward method for microplastic extraction from organic-rich freshwater samples.

The extraction of microplastics from organic-rich freshwater samples is challenging and limited information is available in the literature. This study aims at developing efficient methods for water volume reduction and organic matter removal in freshwater samples, while focusing on the reduction of the economic and environmental costs, maintaining microplastics integrity and avoiding contamination. For the water volume reduction approach, centrifuging freshwater samples (water, sediment, algae, leaves, driftwood, fish tissue) at different speeds (3500, 6000 rpm) and times (5, 10 min) showed that 3500 rpm for 5 min was efficient to settle the mineral and organic material, while preserving the polymers and showing high microplastic recovering rates (93 ± 6%).

Effects of virgin and weathered polystyrene and polypropylene microplastics on Raphidocelis subcapitata and embryos of Danio rerio under environmental concentrations.

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants of freshwater ecosystems. However, few ecotoxicity assays have been conducted on freshwater organisms using environmentally relevant concentrations of virgin and weathered microplastics. This work assessed the adverse effects of virgin and artificially weathered fragments of polystyrene and polypropylene on the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata (72 h growth inhibition assay) and on embryos of the fish Danio rerio (96 h fish embryo assay) under environmentally relevant concentrations (2000-200,000 MP L) and high concentrations (12.

Considerations when using microplates and Neubauer counting chamber in ecotoxicity tests on microplastics.

The ubiquity of microplastics raises issues regarding contamination control measures and laboratory practices. The objective was to adapt the use of counting chambers and plastic microplates on the ecotoxicity evaluation of microplastics. Counting chambers, originally used to quantify cells, can also be used to count high concentrations of microplastics (<100 μm) used in laboratory assays.

Preparation of biological samples for microplastic identification by Nile Red.

Many methods have been used to isolate and identify microplastics from biological matrices. In biological samples, Nile Red can stain undigested residues, such as fats, soaps, and gels formed during organic matter removal, hindering the identification of fluorescent microplastics (≥2 μm). Thus, adjustments on sample preparation (e.

Selection of microplastics by Nile Red staining increases environmental sample throughput by micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Nile Red staining enables visual identification and quantification of fluorescent particles as a proxy to microplastics at low cost and high throughput, including those of small sizes (≥2 μm), when preceded by proper natural organic matter removal, but providing no chemical characterization. On the other hand, micro-spectroscopy methods allow chemical characterization of particles based on their spectra, essential for polymer identification, but are costly and time-consuming. This work addresses the combination of both Nile Red staining with micro-Raman spectroscopy for the identification of microplastics.

A One Health perspective of the impacts of microplastics on animal, human and environmental health.

Microplastics contamination is widespread in the environment leading to the exposure of both humans and other biota. While most studies overemphasize direct toxicity of microplastics, particle concentrations, characteristics and exposure conditions being used in these assays needs to be taken into consideration. For instance, toxicity assays that use concentrations over 100,000 times higher than those expected in the environment have limited practical relevance.

Microplastics and fibers from three areas under different anthropogenic pressures in Douro river.

Sources contributing to specific concentration of microplastics and fibers are still not completely understood. This study aimed at assessing the concentrations of microplastics (2-5000 μm) and fibers (18-5667 μm) in three areas of distinct influences in the Douro river, Porto, Portugal: (i) a countryside area; (ii) a wastewater treatment effluent release zone; and (iii) an area in proximity to a boat dock and maintenance station. Nile Red staining coupled with microscopy allowed the identification of small microplastics (≥2 μm) with a median concentration of the three areas of 231 MP L.

Contamination issues as a challenge in quality control and quality assurance in microplastics analytics.

Microplastics are widely distributed environmental contaminants. To understand their impacts on the environment and health, more high-quality results are needed. Since microplastics are present in every environment, including indoor air, proper precautions must be adopted in order to prevent contamination of samples and overestimation of environmental concentrations.

Worldwide contamination of fish with microplastics: A brief global overview.

Widespread contamination of microplastics may lead to internalization in fish. This literature review from March 2019 to March 2020 details that a median of 60% of fish, belonging to 198 species captured in 24 countries, contain microplastics in their organs. Carnivores species ingested more microplastics than omnivores.

The importance of contamination control in airborne fibers and microplastic sampling: Experiences from indoor and outdoor air sampling in Aveiro, Portugal.

Airborne microplastics and microfibers are released from daily materials, contaminating both indoor and outdoor air. Sampling in Aveiro, Portugal, revealed concentrations of 6 fibers m, with more synthetic fibers found in outdoor than indoor (8.5% vs.

Identification of microplastics in white wines capped with polyethylene stoppers using micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Beverages, often packaged in plastic, can be a source of microplastics in the human diet. In this study, an improved method for detection of microplastics in white wines capped with synthetic stoppers is explored. Visual quantification in the stereomicroscope or using Nile Red were excluded due to the small size of particles.

Environmental status of (micro)plastics contamination in Portugal.

Plastics and microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. This critical review is the first attempt at analyzing sources, concentration, impacts and solutions of (micro)plastic litter in Portugal based on all currently available literature. We found that, besides sea-based sources (e.

Major factors influencing the quantification of Nile Red stained microplastics and improved automatic quantification (MP-VAT 2.0).

Automated count of Nile Red fluorescent microplastics allows fast and reliable quantification. However, factors involving staining, digital camera conditions and settings introduce variability to the results. The objective of this paper is to identify and propose solutions to these factors and improve on the previous MP-VAT script.

An easy method for processing and identification of natural and synthetic microfibers and microplastics in indoor and outdoor air.

Microplastics and microfibers can contaminate every matrix, including in the atmosphere, thus leading to incidental inhalation. However, concentrations of airborne synthetic particle in indoor and outdoor environments are not well understood due to the complexities of sampling, sample processing and identification. This work aims at producing a simple protocol to determine the concentrations of airborne microplastics and fibers.

Effects of spatial and seasonal factors on the characteristics and carbonyl index of (micro)plastics in a sandy beach in Aveiro, Portugal.

Coastal environments are highly contaminated with plastics of various sizes. In order to understand the distribution and factors influencing (micro)plastics contamination in the environment, sampling of a sandy beach in Costa Nova, Aveiro, Portugal, was conducted by collecting plastic particles and sediments for density separation in transects from the mean low tide line to the dunes, during wet and dry seasons. For surface collection, microplastics comprised 69.