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Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment
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Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2022) | Viewed by 36504

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hrissi K. Karapanagioti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
Interests: environmental chemistry; liquid pollution; sorbent development; microplastic pollution; microplastic formation and degradation; organic chemicals associated with microplastics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Patras, Greece
Interests: water reuse; environmental geochemistry; soil pollution; heavy metals; microplastics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plastics and microplastics, along with nanoplastics are pollutants of emerging concern The topic of microplastics in water bodies, especially freshwater, has only scarcely been studied and requires more attention. Many people drink raw water without any treatment and no treatment for microplastic removal is currently employed for drinking water. In general, we know that much lower particles were observed in treated water compared to the raw water. Thus, this is a topic directly related to human exposure and needs to be further addressed. This Special Issue will include studies related to microplastics found in water bodies such as the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, creeks, streams, canals, fjords, ponds, wetlands, water reservoirs, but also aquifers and especially karstic systems. It will also include studies that are related to microplastics found in drinking water sources as well as in drinking water both tap and bottled water.

Dr. Hrissi K. Karapanagioti
Dr. Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microplastics
  • lakes
  • rivers
  • aquifers
  • karstic systems
  • sea
  • ocean
  • drinking water
  • bottled water

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 152 KiB  
Editorial
Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment
by Hrissi K. Karapanagioti and Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis
Water 2022, 14(9), 1324; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091324 - 19 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2346
Abstract
Nowadays, plastics and microplastics, along with nanoplastics, are pollutants of emerging concern [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 3355 KiB  
Article
Microplastic Pollution in the Surface Waters from Plain and Mountainous Lakes in Siberia, Russia
by Natalia Malygina, Elena Mitrofanova, Natalia Kuryatnikova, Roman Biryukov, Dmitry Zolotov, Dmitry Pershin and Dmitry Chernykh
Water 2021, 13(16), 2287; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162287 - 21 Aug 2021
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 5562
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) contaminations of freshwater and marine environments has become a global issue. Lakes in southern Siberia provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are essential elements in the annual and interannual runoff distribution of the Great Siberian Rivers. However, the extent [...] Read more.
Microplastics (MPs) contaminations of freshwater and marine environments has become a global issue. Lakes in southern Siberia provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are essential elements in the annual and interannual runoff distribution of the Great Siberian Rivers. However, the extent of their MPs pollution remains unknown. In this paper, for the first time, we analyze the concentrations, composition, and spatial distribution of MPs in six lakes in southern Siberia. The studied lakes are located both in the Altai mountains and the West Siberian plain. Some of them are significantly impacted by human activities, while others are located in protected areas with no permanent population. Nevertheless, MPs were detected in all of the studied lakes. MPs concentrations ranged from 4 to 26 MPs L−1. Comparing with other inland lakes, South Siberian lakes presented moderate MPs concentrations. Among the registered MPs forms, fragments and films were dominant, with a size range between 31 and 60 nm. The MPs’ sources depend on local human activities (fishing, transport, landfilling). Therefore, sufficiently high concentrations were observed even in remote lakes. The present study set a baseline that emphasizes the need for increased attention to waste management and sustainable water use in Siberian freshwater environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)
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15 pages, 3249 KiB  
Article
Microplastics Investigation Using Zooplankton Samples from the Coasts of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)
by Grigoria Vasilopoulou, George Kehayias, Demetris Kletou, Periklis Kleitou, Vassilios Triantafyllidis, Anastasios Zotos, Konstantinos Antoniadis, Maria Rousou, Vassilis Papadopoulos, Polina Polykarpou and George Tsiamis
Water 2021, 13(16), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162272 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4088
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea has the highest accumulation of microplastics in the world. Although numerous studies about microplastic’s abundance and distribution have been conducted, the majority sampled surface waters. Especially for the Eastern Mediterranean, there is no information concerning the deeper strata. This study [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean Sea has the highest accumulation of microplastics in the world. Although numerous studies about microplastic’s abundance and distribution have been conducted, the majority sampled surface waters. Especially for the Eastern Mediterranean, there is no information concerning the deeper strata. This study fills this gap by studying the microplastic spatial and temporal distribution along the coasts of Cyprus, utilizing zooplankton samples collected from the entire 0–50 m depth layer. The average microplastics’ abundance was 41.31 ± 22.41 items/m3 indicating that the Eastern Mediterranean seems to be much more polluted than the western basin. The fibers outnumbered the abundance of the fragments by a factor of ten. Most fibers were sized between 0.5 and 1.0 mm, and 81.24% were transparent. The average area of the fragments was ≤0.05 mm2, and most of them were hard-rounded (53.38%). The microplastics to zooplankton ratio ranged between 0.021 and 0.241. A positive correlation was found between the abundance of microplastics and the total zooplankton, especially the copepods. Studies of microplastics in zooplankton samples taken from the water column are expected to provide better insights into the role of these pollutants in marine ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)
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9 pages, 1407 KiB  
Article
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: A Case Study in Cultivation of Watermelons and Canning Tomatoes
by Ekavi A. Isari, Dimitrios Papaioannou, Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis and Hrissi K. Karapanagioti
Water 2021, 13(16), 2168; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162168 - 7 Aug 2021
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 5638
Abstract
Thirty soil samples were collected from fields that have been used for cultivating watermelons and canning tomatoes for over 10 years. The microplastics (MPs) within these samples were separated with a density floatation method and the use of sieves and filters. The microplastics [...] Read more.
Thirty soil samples were collected from fields that have been used for cultivating watermelons and canning tomatoes for over 10 years. The microplastics (MPs) within these samples were separated with a density floatation method and the use of sieves and filters. The microplastics found were black and originated from the black agricultural mulch film (BMF) used in these cultivations. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy revealed that these microplastics are of the same material as the virgin BMF and as a virgin polyethylene film used as blank. SEM images showed that used BMF and MPs found in soil were oxidized by their exposure to sunlight and create fibrous edges that lead to the creation of smaller size MPs. The number of MPs found in fields with watermelon (301 ± 140 items kg−1) were more than four times higher than in fields with canning tomatoes (69 ± 38 items kg−1) due to the double planting each year and to the second planting last year being closer to the sampling episode. All the sample sites were collected from agricultural fields away from the industrial area; therefore, these results prove that agricultural activities might have caused contamination of soils with MPs. This is corroborated even more by the fact that no MPs were found in five extra samples that were taken from uncultivated areas as blanks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)
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13 pages, 2148 KiB  
Article
Baseline Study on Microplastics in Indian Rivers under Different Anthropogenic Influences
by Simone Lechthaler, Kryss Waldschläger, Chavapati Gouse Sandhani, S. A. Sannasiraj, V. Sundar, Jan Schwarzbauer and Holger Schüttrumpf
Water 2021, 13(12), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13121648 - 11 Jun 2021
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 10312
Abstract
Microplastic particles are found in environmental compartments all over the world and receive a great deal of attention, especially in the aquatic environment. Currently, a particularly high input of microplastics via Asian rivers is assumed, but so far, there are hardly any data [...] Read more.
Microplastic particles are found in environmental compartments all over the world and receive a great deal of attention, especially in the aquatic environment. Currently, a particularly high input of microplastics via Asian rivers is assumed, but so far, there are hardly any data through field measurements. Three rivers in South India were considered for this purpose to focus on their microplastic load. The emphasis was on the comparison of microplastic concentrations in urban and rural rivers. While two rivers in the megacity Chennai (Tamil Nadu) were found to have an average microplastic concentration of 0.4 microplastic particles/L, a rural river near Munnar (Kerala) had an average concentration of 0.2 microplastic particles/L. Rough estimates of annual microplastic discharge from the Adyar River (Chennai) into the Bay of Bengal are found to be as high as 11.6 trillion microplastic particles. This study should be one of the first baseline studies for microplastic loads in South Indian streams and should be complemented with further environmental sampling before, during and after the monsoon season to get more detailed information on the storage and transportation of fluvial microplastics under different weather conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)
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11 pages, 1951 KiB  
Article
Use of the Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Mollusca, Bivalvia) as a Bioindicator of Microplastics Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystems: A Case Study from Lake Iseo (North Italy)
by Paolo Pastorino, Marino Prearo, Serena Anselmi, Vasco Menconi, Marco Bertoli, Alessandro Dondo, Elisabetta Pizzul and Monia Renzi
Water 2021, 13(4), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040434 - 7 Feb 2021
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 5585
Abstract
The monitoring of microplastics pollution in freshwater environments trails behind its practice in marine ecosystems. We evaluated the use of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) as a potential bioindicator of microplastic litter in freshwater lakes. Samples were collected from three [...] Read more.
The monitoring of microplastics pollution in freshwater environments trails behind its practice in marine ecosystems. We evaluated the use of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) as a potential bioindicator of microplastic litter in freshwater lakes. Samples were collected from three sites (Lovere, Costa Volpino, Castro) at the northern end of Lake Iseo (one of the major subalpine lakes in north Italy) and compared for water physicochemical parameters, biometrical features of zebra mussels, and microplastics items/specimens (color, shape, size, and chemical composition). We hypothesized that since a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on the Oglio River discharges into this area of the lake, the microplastics in D.polymorpha could be measured and compared in samples from the three sites at different distances from the WWTP. There was no difference in the physicochemical water parameters and biometric features between the samples from the three sites, whereas there was a significant difference in items/specimen between the sites in decreasing order (mean ± standard deviation): Costa Volpino (0.23 ± 0.43) > Lovere (0.07 ± 0.25) > Castro (0.03 ± 0.18). The chi-square test showed a significant difference in shape, color, and chemical composition frequency in the samples from the three sites. The chemical composition of the microplastics was polyethylene terephthalate (45%), nylon (20%), polypropylene (20%), polyamide resin (10%), and polyvinyl chloride (5%). Our data show that the amount of microplastics the zebra mussel accumulated was greater the closer the sampling site to the WWTP. Our findings suggest that the zebra mussel may provide a useful tool to monitor microplastics pollution in lakes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in Water Bodies and in the Environment)
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