Microplastics in the environment – A problem of growing concern!
The presence and effects of microplastics have drawn more and more attention among current environmental issues. Microplastics or “micro litter” is a broad group, in which flakes of paint, fibers and rubber particles are included as well. The size fraction considered varies, but microplastics refer in the literature frequently to 0.1-5 mm (eg EFSA, 2016).
Eurofins has recently closed a cooperation agreement with a leading Nordic research institute within the field of microplastics. Thereby we can now, in projects, offer microplastics determination in water as well as solid matrices (soil, sediment, sludge). Besides this new collaboration, the EnForce profile at Örebro University, where Eurofins participates, has also been expanded with a new focus area on microplastics.
It is difficult to give an exact figure of the amount of microplastics that is released into nature. The sources are numerous and the uncertainties are large (NV report 6772), but as the biggest source, road traffic has been pointed out (approx. 8200 tonnes/year). Other major sources consist of artificial turfs, boats, building façades, plastic production and waste water treatment plants. Occurrence in environmental matrices such as wastewater, landfill leachates and surface water varies and depends on several factors and is currently being investigated in several projects. The same applies to solid matrices such as sediment, soil and sludge. The composition is usually divided between primary (eg pellets) and secondary microplastics. The latter is formed at breakdown of larger pieces of plastic and wear of products. It should also be noted that plastic fibers in certain matrices are more frequent than plastic particles.
A lot of research is still required to fully elucidate the toxicological and physical impact of microplastics, but there is a growing number of reports showing that aquatic organisms are affected. Among the physical effects, damage to the gastrointestinal tract and mechanical intestinal blockage as well as a false sense of saturation can be mentioned. Another effect is that uptake of small particles in the tissue can induce reactions in the immune system. Other impacts demonstrated include growth inhibition, behavioral disorders, reproduction and mobility effects.
The, by far, most common method of determining microplastics is by microscopy. The work is highly specialized and requires great experience. Contamination is also a potential problem, from sampling via test material to laboratory determination. Frequently, the sample must also undergo different types of pretreatment to enable microscopic determination.
The analysis of microplastics is project based, and content together with reporting are tailored to your project. Therefore, please contact us for further discussions.
Contact Eurofins experts for further information
Questions on microplastics can be answered by Patrick van Hees: tfn 010-490 8151, e-mail: patrickvanhees@eurofins.se