Plastic Pollutions in Aquatic Environment- A Review

Plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems is a growing environmental concern, as it has the potential to harm ecology, imperil aquatic organisms and cost ecological damage. Although rivers and other freshwater environments are known to play an important role in carrying land-based plastic trash to the world's seas, riverine ecosystems are also directly impacted by plastic pollution. A detailed understanding of the origin, movement, fate, and effects of riverine plastic waste is critical for better quantifying worldwide plastic pollution transport and effectively reducing sources and dangers. In this review, we emphasize the current scientific state of plastic debris in rivers, as well as the existing knowledge gaps, providing a basic overview of plastics and the types of polymers commonly found in rivers and the threat they bring to aquatic ecosystems. We also go through the origins and fates of riverine plastics, as well as the mechanisms and factors that affect plastic debris transit and spatiotemporal variation. We give an overview of riverine plastic transport monitoring and modeling activities, as well as examples of typical values from throughout the world. Finally, we discuss what the future holds for riverine plastic research.

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Riverine Macroplastics and How to Find Them

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11840 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tim van Emmerik ◽

Anna Schwarz

Keyword(s):

Spatiotemporal Variation ◽

Future Research ◽

Economic Damage ◽

Aquatic Environments ◽

Aquatic Species ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

Plastic Debris ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

The World

Macroplastic (>0.5 cm) pollution in aquatic environments is an emerging environmental risk, as it negatively impacts ecosystems, endangers aquatic species, and causes economic damage. Rivers are known to play a crucial role in transporting land-based plastic waste into the world&#8217;s oceans. However, rivers and their ecosystems are also directly affected by plastic pollution. To better quantify global plastic pollution pathways and to effectively reduce sources and risks, a thorough understanding of riverine macroplastic sources, transport, fate and effects is crucial. In our presentation, we discuss the current scientific state on macroplastic in rivers and evaluate existing knowledge gaps. We discuss the origin and fate of riverine plastics, including processes and factors influencing macroplastic transport and its spatiotemporal variation. Moreover, we present an overview of monitoring and modeling efforts to characterize riverine plastic transport and give examples of typical values from around the world (van Emmerik & Schwarz, 2020). With our presentation, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of riverine macroplastic research to date and suggest multiple ways forward for future research.&#160;Referencesvan Emmerik, T, Schwarz, A. Plastic debris in rivers. WIREs Water. 2020; 7:e1398. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1398

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Forecasting plastic mobilization during extreme hydrological events

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-22384 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jasper Roebroek ◽

Shaun Harrigan ◽

Tim van Emmerik

Keyword(s):

Recent Work ◽

Environmental Risk ◽

Extreme Events ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

The World ◽

Forecasting System ◽

Extreme Hydrological Events ◽

Awareness System

Plastic pollution of aquatic ecosystems is an emerging environmental risk. Land-based plastics are considered the main source of plastic litter in the world&#8217;s oceans. Quantifying the emission from rivers into the oceans is crucial to optimize prevention, mitigation and cleanup strategies. Although several studies have focused on estimating annual plastic emission based on average hydrology, the role of extreme events remains underexplored. Recent work has demonstrated that floods can mobilize additional plastics. For example, the 2015/2016 UK floods resulted in a 70% decrease of microplastic sediments in several catchments. In this project, the use of the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) flood forecasting system to assess additional mobilization of plastic pollution will be explored.

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Chronic effects of domestic and single used plastic leachates on the microcrustacea Daphnia magna

Science & Technology Development Journal - Science of The Earth & Environment ◽

10.32508/stdjsee.v5i2.557 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. first

Author(s):

Van-Tai Nguyen ◽

Thi-Phuong-Dung Le ◽

Thanh-Son Dao

Keyword(s):

Trace Metals ◽

Bisphenol A ◽

Daphnia Magna ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Aquatic Organisms ◽

Environmental Issues ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Chronic Effects ◽

Plastic Materials ◽

Negative Effect

Plastic pollution has become one of the most serious environmental issues worldwide. Plastics can contain high amount of additives (e.g., phthalate, bisphenol A, trace metals), and they could be leached out of plastics, enter the aquatic environment and cause toxic effects to aquatic organisms (including microcrustacean). In this study, we investigated chronic effects of plastic leachates from two popular plastic materials (garbage bag and disposable raincoat) on the survival, maturation and reproduction of the microcrustcean Daphnia magna. The results showed that, the plastic leachates from the two materials at the concentration up to 1000 mg/l did not cause negative effect on survival of D. magna. However, exposed to the leachates from the garbage bag (at the concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 mg/l) and from the disposable raincoat (at the concentration of 10 mg/l), the animals delayed their maturity ages compared to the control. Besides, the two kinds of leachates at the concentration of 1000 mg/l stimulated the reproduction of D. magna, resulting the increase of 17 – 37% of total offspring compared to the control, during 21 days of experiment. The results of this study contribute to the understanding on the toxicity of popular plastic materials to the microcrustacean, D. magna. Additionally, the plastic usage and emission into the environment should be paid more attention to protect the aquatic ecosystems and human health.

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Plastic Pollution and the Ecological Impact on the Aquatic Ecosystem

Handbook of Research on Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Plastic Pollution - Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9452-9.ch005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 80-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Irfan Rashid Sofi ◽

Javid Manzoor ◽

Rayees Ahmad Bhat ◽

Rafiya Munvar

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Ecological Impact ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Small Scale ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Marine Litter ◽

Plastic Debris ◽

Plastic Wastes ◽

The One

Plastic pollution in the environment is currently receiving worldwide attention. Improper dumping of disused or abandoned plastic wastes leads to contamination of the environment. Contamination by bulk plastics and plastic debris is currently the one of the most serious problems in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, small-scale plastic debris such as microplastics and nanoplastics has become a leading contributor to the pollution of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Over 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually, and around 75% of all marine litter is plastic. Plastic litter is widespread in aquatic ecosystems and comes from a variety of sources. The abundance of plastics, combined with their small size and subsequent association with plankton in the water column, allows for direct ingestion by aquatic biota at different trophic levels.

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Plastic pollution in Swiss surface waters: nature and concentrations, interaction with pollutants

Environmental Chemistry ◽

10.1071/en14218 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 582 ◽

Cited By ~ 182

Author(s):

Florian Faure ◽

Colin Demars ◽

Olivier Wieser ◽

Manuel Kunz ◽

Luiz Felippe de Alencastro

Keyword(s):

Surface Waters ◽

Marine Pollution ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Lake Surface ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Data Set ◽

Chemical Effects ◽

Beach Sediments ◽

Respective Contribution ◽

Freshwater Environments

Environmental contextPlastic, and particularly microplastic, pollution is a growing environmental concern worldwide. Research regarding marine environments has led to a substantial increase in knowledge, yet little is known as regards the situation in freshwater environments. Although the occurrence of microplastics was demonstrated in Lake Geneva in 2012, the present research aims at confirming this pollution and expanding the data set for other lakes and environments of Switzerland. AbstractMarine microplastic (<5mm) water pollution has met growing public and scientific interest in the last few years. The situation in freshwater environments remains largely unknown, although it appears that they play an important role as part of the origin of marine pollution. Apart from the physical impacts on biota, chemical effects are to be expected as well, especially with smaller particles. This study aims at assessing plastic abundance in Lakes Geneva, Constance, Neuchâtel, Maggiore, Zurich and Brienz, and identifying the nature of the particles, potential ingestion by birds and fishes, and the associated pollutants. Lake surface transects and a few rivers were sampled using a floating manta net, and beach sediments were analysed. Plastics were sorted by type (fragments, pellets, cosmetic beads, lines, fibres, films, foams) and composition (polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, etc.); fish and water birds were dissected to assess their potential exposure, and analyses were conducted on the hydrophobic micropollutants adsorbed to the microplastics as well as some potentially toxic additives they contained. Evidence of this pollution is shown for all lakes, microplastics of all types and diverse composition having been found in all samples. Birds and fish are prone to microplastic ingestion, and all the tested chemicals (both adsorbed micropollutants and contained additives) were found above the detection limit, and often the quantification limit. The sources and their respective contribution need to be confirmed and quantified, and the ecotoxicological effects need further investigation. Other questions remain open, including the transport and fate of plastic particles in the environment.

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Toxicity of Antiretrovirals on the Sea Urchin Echinometra lucunter and Its Predicted Environmental Concentration in Seawater from Santos Bay (Brazilian Coastal Zone)

Resources ◽

10.3390/resources10110114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 114

Author(s):

Renato Sakai Cid ◽

Vinicius Roveri ◽

Diogo Guedes Vidal ◽

Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis ◽

Fernando Sanzi Cortez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Urchin ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Aquatic Organisms ◽

European Medicines Agency ◽

Surface Seawater ◽

Risk Quotient ◽

Aquatic Life ◽

Environmental Concentration ◽

Predicted Environmental Concentration ◽

The World

Antiretrovirals (ARVs) have been detected in aquatic ecosystems throughout the world; however, studies focused on assessing their ecotoxicological effects on marine aquatic organisms are still rare. In the present study, the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) of 13 ARVs was estimated for surface seawater from Santos Bay, Brazil, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) guidelines. The results indicated that all ARVs need to be assessed for their ecological effects, considering that they all exceeded the EMEA guideline limits (PEC > 0.01 µg L−1). In this sense, three ARVs (namely atazanavir, nevirapine and efavirenz) were selected for the acute and chronic tests with sea urchin (Echinometra lucunter). Furthermore, the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for these three ARVs was also performed by calculating the risk quotient. The acute and chronic toxicity results showed inhibitory concentrations (IC) for the fertilization (IC50; 1 h; range: 11.46–84.61 mg L−1) and for the embryo–larval development (IC50; 42 h; range: 0.52–0.97 mg L−1) of the sea urchin, respectively. Moreover, the ERA showed that these three ARVs are potentially hazardous for aquatic life in Santos Bay, raising concerns about the continuous introduction of ARVs in aquatic ecosystems. The data presented may contribute to the provision of subsidies for the development of monitoring public policies that aim to reduce the introduction of ARVs into the aquatic environment.

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The Role of Aquatic Ecosystems (River Tua, Portugal) as Reservoirs of Multidrug-Resistant Aeromonas spp.

Water ◽

10.3390/w13050698 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 698

Author(s):

Sónia Gomes ◽

Conceição Fernandes ◽

Sandra Monteiro ◽

Edna Cabecinha ◽

Amílcar Teixeira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Nalidixic Acid ◽

Water Samples ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Aquatic Organisms ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Resistance Rates

The inappropriate use of antibiotics, one of the causes of the high incidence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria isolated from aquatic ecosystems, represents a risk for aquatic organisms and the welfare of humans. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance rates among riverine Aeromonas spp., taken as representative of the autochthonous microbiota, to evaluate the level of antibacterial resistance in the Tua River (Douro basin). The prevalence and degree of antibiotic resistance was examined using motile aeromonads as a potential indicator of antimicrobial susceptibility for the aquatic environment. Water samples were collected from the middle sector of the river, which is most impacted area by several anthropogenic pressures. Water samples were plated on an Aeromonas-selective agar, with and without antibiotics. The activity of 19 antibiotics was studied against 30 isolates of Aeromonas spp. using the standard agar dilution susceptibility test. Antibiotic resistance rates were fosfomycin (FOS) 83.33%, nalidixic acid (NA) 60%, cefotaxime (CTX) 40%, gentamicin (CN) 26.67%, tobramycin (TOB) 26.67%, cotrimoxazole (SXT) 26.67%, chloramphenicol (C) 16.67%, and tetracycline (TE) 13.33%. Some of the nalidixic acid-resistant strains were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. Multiple resistance was also observed (83.33%). The environmental ubiquity, the natural susceptibility to antimicrobials and the zoonotic potential of Aeromonas spp. make them optimal candidates for studying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic environments may provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance because anthropogenic activities frequently impact them. The potential risk of multi- and pan-resistant bacteria transmission between animals and humans should be considered in a “One Health—One World” concept.

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Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79370-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Anna Sanchez-Vidal ◽

Miquel Canals ◽

William P. de Haan ◽

Javier Romero ◽

Marta Veny

Keyword(s):

Plant Material ◽

Coastal Ocean ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Novel Ecosystem ◽

Plastic Debris ◽

Goods And Services ◽

Seagrass Meadows ◽

Lignocellulosic Fibers ◽

Natural Aggregates ◽

Negatively Buoyant

AbstractThere is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is known on the natural trapping processes leading to such landwards return. Here we investigate microplastics and larger plastic debris within beached seagrass remains including balls (aegagropilae) made of natural aggregates of vegetal fibers intertwined by seawater motion. We found up to 1470 plastic items per kg of plant material, which were mainly composed of negatively buoyant polymer filaments and fibers. Our findings show that seagrass meadows promote plastic debris trapping and aggregation with natural lignocellulosic fibers, which are then ejected and escape the coastal ocean. Our results show how seagrasses, one of the key ecosystems on Earth in terms of provision of goods and services, also counteract marine plastic pollution. In view of our findings, the regression of seagrass meadows in some marine regions acquires a new dimension.

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FOSSIL FUEL ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION: A STRATEGY USING RADIOCARBON, N-ALKANES, AND ALGAE

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/rdc.2021.37 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Túlio César Aguiar Silva ◽

Carla Carvalho ◽

Bruno Libardoni ◽

Kita Macario ◽

Felippe Braga de Lima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Gas Chromatography ◽

Environmental Contamination ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Maximum Intensity ◽

Effective Technique ◽

The World ◽

Work Samples

ABSTRACT Fossil fuels are of utmost importance to the world we live in today. However, their use can cause major impacts on the environment, especially on water resources. In this regard, algae have been intensively used as a strategy for remediation and monitoring of environmental pollution due to its efficient absorption of contaminants. In this work, samples of seaweed collected in Niterói/RJ—contaminated with kerosene and diesel—were analyzed by radiocarbon (14C) accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and by n-alkane quantification with gas chromatography to evaluate bioaccumulation in function of the dosage of contaminants. The biogenic content measured by radiocarbon analysis resulted in 95.6% for algae contaminated with 10 mL of kerosene and 67.6% for algae contaminated with 10 mL of diesel. The maximum intensity of n-C17 n-alkane in algae with 5 mL, 10 mL, and 15 mL of diesel was 768.2, 1878.1, and 5699.2 ng.g-1, respectively. While the maximum concentration of n-C27 in algae with 5 mL, 10 mL and 15 mL of kerosene was 3.3, 35.9, and 150.3 ng.g-1. We concluded that, for both contaminants, their incorporation into algae increases as the contamination dosage increases, making this methodology an effective technique for monitoring and remediation of urban aquatic ecosystems.

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Knowledge about Microplastic in Mediterranean Tributary River Ecosystems: Lack of Data and Research Needs on Such a Crucial Marine Pollution Source

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse8030216 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 216 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Cristiana Guerranti ◽

Guido Perra ◽

Tania Martellini ◽

Luisa Giari ◽

Alessandra Cincinelli

Keyword(s):

Marine Pollution ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Pollution Source ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Abundance Distribution ◽

Plastic Pollution ◽

Marine Systems ◽

Final Destination ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Freshwater Environments

Plastic debris occurring in freshwater environments, which can either come from the surrounding terrestrial areas or transported from upstream, has been identified as one of the main sources and routes of plastic pollution in marine systems. The ocean is the final destination of land- based microplastic sources, but compared to marine environments, the occurrence and effects of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems remain largely unknown. A thorough examination of scientific literature on abundance, distribution patterns, and characteristics of microplastics in freshwater environments in Mediterranean tributary rivers has shown a substantial lack of information and the need to apply adequate and uniform measurement methods.

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