The current study quantifies microplastic concentrations and types (i.e., beads, fibers, films, foams, and fragments) in nine Indiana watersheds, representing a gradient of dominant land use (i.e., agricultural, urban, and forested). It was predicted that microplastic concentrations would be higher in watersheds with higher percentages of urban and agricultural land use than in forested watersheds. However, the results from the study revealed the presence of measurable quantities of microplastics in samples from all watersheds, with the microplastic concentration being constant with land use or longitudinally within watersheds. Fibers were found to be the most dominant form of microplastic at all sites and were transported primarily through atmospheric deposition rather than via direct runoff from the surrounding landscape. The study also highlighted that rivers have a different microplastic “signature” than large lakes, likely due to the retention characteristics of flowing water ecosystems, unique microplastic sources, and a shorter legacy of microplastic pollution.
This paper characterizes the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate) throughout a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relates them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structures were related[…]
This paper provides insights into the sustainable alternatives that can replace conventional plastic mulches, such as biodegradable mulches made from natural fibers and biopolymers. The microscopic and FTIR analyses conducted during the study showed the degradation of the fibers from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The nonwoven mulches provide higher[…]
This paper investigates the degradation of biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) and traditional polyethylene (PE) plastic under two typical abiotic conditions: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and mechanical abrasion (MA) for up to nine months. The quantitative analysis of the degradation products was carried out using membrane filtration and total organic carbon determination (MF-TOCD). The results[…]
This paper identifies technological innovation, policy formulation, advocacy and sensitization, and bioremediation as some of the approaches that are currently used for the mitigation of plastic pollution in Nigeria. This chapter also highlights the need to encourage, enhance, and disseminate scientific research on mitigating the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Nigeria. It concluded with[…]
This review provides insights into the sources of microplastics, the ecotoxicity of microplastics, and the impact microplastics have on aquatic and marine life, management, and bioremediation of microplastics. Policies and strategies adopted by the government to combat microplastic pollution are also discussed in this review. Microplastics tend to accumulate in many aquatic systems, contaminate them,[…]