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Separations
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Separation and Analysis of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment
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Separation and Analysis of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Separations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2024) | Viewed by 12281

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Šime Ukić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: analytical chemistry; water chemistry; chemometrics; wastewater treatment
Dr. Dajana Kučić Grgić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: microplastics; biodegradation; microorganisms; composting process
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global production of plastics over the past 50 years has been about 9.1 billion tons, with an annual growth rate of about 8.7%. The use of plastics has brought enormous societal benefits, but also generates large amounts of plastic waste that often ends up in the environment, and research conducted in recent decades has shown various negative effects that have raised global concern about the impact of plastics on the environment. The problem of tiny plastic particles, known as microplastics and nanoplastics, has attracted particular attention in recent years because they are more easily ingested than larger particles. Nowadays, many countries around the world recognize microplastics and nanoplastics as emerging pollutants, which accordingly, receive more attention. Therefore, it is important to monitor the concentration of these particles in the environment and develop simple, efficient, and cost-effective methods to remove them from the environment.

This Special Issue will include articles that provide an overview of the current methods and procedures for the analysis/removal of micro- and nanoplastics in/from real samples, as well as experimental work that addresses new methods and approaches applied to specific environmental problems.

Dr. Šime Ukić
Dr. Dajana Kučić Grgić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Separations is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microplastics
  • nanoplastics
  • monitoring
  • separation methods
  • remediation of polluted environment
  • degradation
  • biodegradation
  • interaction between micro/nanoplastics and other environmental pollutants

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 9112 KiB  
Article
Detection of Microplastics by Various Types of Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in the Korean Sea
by Heejung Yoon, Beomseok Park, Junghye Rim and Hanbai Park
Separations 2022, 9(11), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations9110332 - 1 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3477
Abstract
Microplastic pollution in the ocean has a major impact on marine organisms, including digestive system damage and reduced growth and fertility. This study investigated the amount, size, color, type, and presence of heads and intestines of microplastics by size in Litopenaeus vannamei, a [...] Read more.
Microplastic pollution in the ocean has a major impact on marine organisms, including digestive system damage and reduced growth and fertility. This study investigated the amount, size, color, type, and presence of heads and intestines of microplastics by size in Litopenaeus vannamei, a type of marine organism. Microplastic analysis was performed using FTIR and digital microscopy. The number of microplastics by the size of the shrimp ranged from 1.73 to 3.8 MPs per 10 g, and the microplastic size of less than 100 μm was 77–92%, with blue showing the highest ratio. As for the type of plastic, PE and PP showed the highest ratio, and PET, PS, nylon, and PVC were found. Microplastics were found to be 11.83 MPs/10 g for heads and intestines and 3.16 MPs/10 g for samples without heads and intestines. This study adds to evidence for the presence of high levels of microplastics in the intestines and heads of shrimp. It also enhances our understanding of the need for efficient plastic waste management in the ocean and the impact of microplastics on marine biota. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Separation and Analysis of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment)
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19 pages, 7479 KiB  
Article
Application of GC/MS Pyrolysis for Assessment Residues of Textile Composites after Filtration of Washing and Rinsing Effluents
by Nino Dimitrov, Mirjana Čurlin, Tanja Pušić and Branka Vojnović
Separations 2022, 9(10), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations9100292 - 6 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2068
Abstract
Research on the sources of microplastics (MP) in the environment and the parameters that lead to the loss of microfibers from synthetic textiles during washing have recently attracted public attention. Considering the involvement of a variety of structural and process parameters, it is [...] Read more.
Research on the sources of microplastics (MP) in the environment and the parameters that lead to the loss of microfibers from synthetic textiles during washing have recently attracted public attention. Considering the involvement of a variety of structural and process parameters, it is important to choose methods for quantifying fibers as MP pollutants that migrated during the washing process. In the research to date, various sampling techniques and analytical protocols for the identification of polymers from washed synthetic textiles have been applied. In the present research, pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), was applied to verify the composition of the filter residue isolated from washing and rinsing effluents. A comparison with bases of polymeric materials has proven the presence of potential environmental pollutants in the form of microfibers released during the washing process. The investigation confirmed that fragments of cotton cellulose residues predominate in relation to polyester. Based on the list of identified compounds generated by Py-GC/MS results and their retention times the multivariate data analysis proved the influence in the bath composition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Separation and Analysis of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment)
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Review

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26 pages, 1814 KiB  
Review
Potential of Advanced Oxidation as Pretreatment for Microplastics Biodegradation
by Kristina Bule Možar, Martina Miloloža, Viktorija Martinjak, Matija Cvetnić, Hrvoje Kušić, Tomislav Bolanča, Dajana Kučić Grgić and Šime Ukić
Separations 2023, 10(2), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10020132 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5879
Abstract
In the last two decades, microplastics (MP) have been identified as an emerging environmental pollutant. Due to their small size, MP particles may easily enter the food chain, where they can have adverse effects on organisms and the environment in general. The common [...] Read more.
In the last two decades, microplastics (MP) have been identified as an emerging environmental pollutant. Due to their small size, MP particles may easily enter the food chain, where they can have adverse effects on organisms and the environment in general. The common methods for the removal of pollutants from the environment are not fully effective in the elimination of MP; thus, it is necessary to find a more suitable treatment method(s). Among the various approaches tested, biodegradation is by far the most environmentally friendly and economically acceptable remediation approach. However, it has serious drawbacks, generally related to the rather low removal rate and often insufficient efficiency. Therefore, it would be beneficial to use some of the less economical but more efficient methods as pretreatment prior to biodegradation. Such pretreatment would primarily serve to increase the roughness and hydrophilicity of the surface of MP, making it more susceptible to bioassimilation. This review focuses on advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as treatment methods that can enhance the biodegradation of MP particles. It considers MP particles of the six most commonly used plastic polymers, namely: polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane. The review highlights organisms with a high potential for biodegradation of selected MP particles and presents the potential benefits that AOP pretreatment can provide for MP biodegradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Separation and Analysis of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment)
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