Microplastics detected in cirrhotic liver tissue.

Background: The contamination of ecosystem compartments by microplastics (MPs) is an ubiquitous problem. MPs have been observed in mice tissues, and recently in human blood, stool and placenta. However, two aspects remain unclear: whether MPs accumulate in peripheral organs, specifically in the liver, and if liver cirrhosis favours this process.

Microplastic concentrations, characteristics, and fluxes in water bodies of the Tollense catchment, Germany, with regard to different sampling systems.

The widespread presence of microplastics in multiple environmental compartments has largely been demonstrated. Assessing the ecological risk that microplastics pose is, at the present stage, hindered due to methodical differences. Moreover, different methods hamper meaningful comparisons between studies and data on microplastics <300 μm is scarce.

Microplastics in lakeshore and lakebed sediments - External influences and temporal and spatial variabilities of concentrations.

Microplastics have been predominantly studied in marine environments compared to freshwater systems. However, the number of studies analyzing microplastic concentrations in water and sediment within lakes and rivers are increasing and are of utmost importance as freshwaters are major pathways for plastics to the oceans. To allow for an adequate risk assessment, detailed knowledge concerning plastic concentrations in different environmental compartments of freshwaters are necessary.

Microplastics in a deep, dimictic lake of the North German Plain with special regard to vertical distribution patterns.

The investigation of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater has received increased attention within the last decade. To date, sampling is mainly conducted at the surface of both rivers and lakes and only a few studies assessed the vertical distribution of MPs in the water column of freshwater bodies. To contribute to the understanding of MP pollution in the water column of freshwater lakes, this study evaluated the vertical profile of MPs in Lake Tollense considering particles between 63 and 5000 μm in size.

On the representativeness of pump water samples versus manta sampling in microplastic analysis.

To broaden the understanding of sources, pathways and sinks for microplastic pollution in the environment, the exact and representative determination of pollution levels is crucial. Still, sampling techniques differ greatly between studies and the influence of these differences is not fully understood. Thus, we evaluate the representativeness of manta trawling and pump sampling for microplastics in a freshwater lake.

Microplastic analysis in the South Funen Archipelago, Baltic Sea, implementing manta trawling and bulk sampling.

Microplastic contamination in surface waters of the South Funen Archipelago in Denmark was assessed. Therefore, ten manta trawls were conducted in June 2015. Moreover, 31 low-volume bulk samples were taken to evaluate, whether consistent results in comparison to the net-based approach can be obtained.

Microplastic in beach sediments of the Isle of Rügen (Baltic Sea) - Implementing a novel glass elutriation column.

To extent the understanding on microplastics in the marine environment we performed a case study at four beaches on the Isle of Rügen considering abundance and spatial distribution of microplastics in beach sediments. For the analysis, density separation via a glass elutriation column was implemented. In advance, efficiencies were tested for two polymers, being not buoyant in water.

Marine litter abundance and distribution on beaches on the Isle of Rügen considering the influence of exposition, morphology and recreational activities.

The abundance, weight and composition of marine debris were determined at the northwest coast of the Isle of Rügen in 2015. A total number of 1115 macrolitter items were registered, resulting in an abundance of 304±88.96 items per 100m of beach length and therefore being greater than the abundances found for other beaches at the Baltic Sea.

Microplastic pollution in lakes and lake shoreline sediments - A case study on Lake Bolsena and Lake Chiusi (central Italy).

Rivers and effluents have been identified as major pathways for microplastics of terrestrial sources. Moreover, lakes of different dimensions and even in remote locations contain microplastics in striking abundances. This study investigates concentrations of microplastic particles at two lakes in central Italy (Lake Bolsena, Lake Chiusi).