Open Access
Subscription Access
Microplastics in Aquatic Environment: Methods for Identification and Tools for Impact Assessment
Abstract
Despite the fact that plastic is the most common component of marine waste, microplastics (MPs) are understudied due to the difficulty in determining their distribution and quantity. The threat caused by microplastics throughout the food chain include ingestion by marine organisms, the presence of toxic materials used in the manufacture of the plastics, and the transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the microplastic particles. The different methods of extraction, detection and identification of microplastics and their environmental implications are discussed in this paper. The detection methods used for identification of microplastics (FT-IR and Raman spectrometry) and structural characterization methods such as Scanning Electron microscope and pyrolysis GC-MS are compared. Attenuated Total Reflection Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy, another analytical method used for the detection and quantification of micro plastics in biological samples is also discussed. Bioinformatics tools are applied in recent studies for the analysis of MPs, including a newly developed protocol that combines context microscopy and fingerprinting spectroscopy with automated relocalization (nanoGPS) and detection (ParticleFinder) of the same MPs in separate instruments. Programs like TUM-ParticleTyper are being developed for automated detection of MPs, their quantification and characterization. Global and targeted ‘omics’ analysis provides information on the molecular effect of acute and chronic exposure of MPs in different marine organisms. Overall, this paper outlines the role of biotechnological and bioengineering techniques in mapping the pollution caused by MPs in the marine ecosystem.
Keywords
References
Andrady, A.L. (2015). Persistence of plastic litter in the oceans. Marine Anthropogenic litter. Berlin: Springer, 57-72.
Bakir, A., Rowland, S.J. & Thompson, R.C. (2012). Competitive sorption of persistent organic pollutants onto microplastics in the marine environment. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 64: 2782–2789.
Bleidorn, C. (2016). Third generation sequencing: technology and its potential impact on evolutionary biodiversity research. Syst. Biodivers., 14: 1–8.
Bond, A.L. & Lavers, J.L. (2013). Effectiveness of emetics to study plastic ingestion by Leach’s storm-petrels (Oceanodromaleucorhoa). Mar. Pollut. Bull., 70: 171–175.
Brandt, J., Bittrich, L., Fischer, F., Kanaki, E., Tagg, A., Lenz, R., ... & Eichhorn, K. J. (2020). High-throughput analyses of microplastic samples using fourier transform infrared and Raman spectrometry. Applied Spectroscopy, 74(9), 1185-1197.
Browne, M.A., Dissanayake, A., Galloway, T.S., Lowe, D.M. & Thompson, R.C. (2008). Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilusedulis (L.). Environ. Sci. Technol., 42(13): 5026–5031.
Chen, Y., Wen, D., Pei, J., Fei, Y., Ouyang, D., Zhang, H. & Luo, Y. (2020). Identification and quantification of microplastics using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy: Current status and future prospects. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. Health, 18: 14-19.
Choy, C.A., Robison, B.H., Gagne, T.O., Erwin, B., Firl, E. & Halden, R.U. (2019). The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Sci. Rep., 9(1); 1-10
Claessens, M., Van Cauwenberghe, L., Vandegehuchte, M.B. & Janssen, C.R. (2013). New techniques for the detection of microplastics in sediments and field collected organisms. Mar.Pollut. Bull., 70: 227–233.
Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Fileman, E., Halsband, C., Goodhead, R. & Moger, J. (2013). Microplastic ingestion by zooplankton. Environ. Sci. Technol., 47(12): 6646–6655.
Collignon, A., Hecq, J.H., Galgani, F., Voisin, P., Collard, F. & Goffart, A. (2012). Neustonicmicroplastic and zooplankton in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 64: 861–864.
Corcoran, P.L., Biesinger, M.C. & Grifi, M. (2009). Plastics and beaches: A degrading relationship. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 58: 80-84.
Cózar, A., Echevarría, F., González-Gordillo, J.I., Irigoien, X., Úbeda, B. & Hernández-León, S. (2014). Plastic debris in the open ocean. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 111(28): 10239–44.
Critchell, K. & Hoogenboom, M.O. (2018). Effects of microplastic exposure on the body condition and behaviour of planktivorous reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus). PLoS ONE, 13(3), e0193308.
Davidov, K., Iankelevich-Kounio, E. & Yakovenko, I. (2020). Identification of plastic-associated species in the Mediterranean Sea using DNA metabarcoding with Nanopore MinION. Sci. Rep., 10 (1), 1-11.
Doyle, M.J., Watson, W., Bowlin, N.M. & Sheavly, S.B. (2011). Plastic particles in coastal pelagic ecosystems of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Mar. Environ. Res., 71(1): 41–52.
Ebbesmeyer, C.C. & Ingraham, W.J. (1994). Pacific toy spill fuels ocean current pathways research. EoS Transactions American Geophysical Union, 75(37): 425–430.
Eriksen, M., Mason, S., Wilson, S., Box, C., Zellers, A. & Edwards, W. (2013a). Microplasticpollution in the surface waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Mar.Pollut. Bull., 77(1–2): 177–182.
Filella, M. (2020). Challenges between Analytics and Degradation/Interactions of Microplastics with Pollutants/Presence of Additives. Handbook of Microplastics in the Environment, 1-17.
Fries, E., Dekiff, J.H., Willmeyer, J., Nuelle, M.T., Ebert, M. & Remy, D. (2013). Identification of polymer types and additives in marine microplastic particles using pyrolysis-GC/MS and scanning electron microscopy. Environ. Sci. Processes. Impacts, 15(10): 1949–1956.
GESAMP (2010). Proceedings of the GESAMP international workshop on plastic particles as a vector in transporting persistent, bio-accumulating and toxic substances in the oceans. In: T. Bowmer & P.J. Kershaw. (Eds.) GESAMPReports and Studies. pp 68. UNESCO-IOC Paris.
Harrison, J.P., Sapp, M., Schratzberger, M. & Osborn, A.M. (2011). Interactions between microorganisms and marine microplastics: A call for research. Mar. Technol. Soc. J., 45(2): 12–20.
Harrison, J.P., Ojeda, J.J. & Romero-Gonzalez, M.E. (2012). The applicability of reflectance micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the detection of synthetic microplastics in marine sediments. Sci. Total Environ., 416: 455–463.
Hidalgo-Ruz, V., Gutow, L., Thompson, R.C. & Thiel, M. (2012). Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the methods used for identification and quantification. Environ.Sci. Technol., 46(6): 3060–3075.
Hufnagl, B., Stibi, M., Martirosyan, H., Wilczek, U., Möller, J. N., Löder, M. G., ... & Lohninger, H. (2021). Computer-Assisted Analysis of Microplastics in Environmental Samples Based on μFTIR Imaging in Combination with Machine Learning. Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Imhof, H.K., Schmid, J., Niessner, R., Ivleva, N.P. & Laforsch, C. (2012). A novel, highly efficient method for the separation and quantification of plastic particles in sediments of aquatic environments. Limnol.Oceanogr. Methods, 10: 524–537.
Isobe, A., Azuma, T., Cordova, M.R., Cozar, A., Galgani, F., Hagita, R., Kanhai, L.D., Imai, K., Iwasaki, S., Kako, S., Kozlovskii, N., Lusher A., Mason, S., Michida, Y., Mituhasi, T., Morii, Y., Mukai, T., Popova, A., Shimizu, K., Tokai, T., Uchida, K., Yagi, M. & Zhang, W. (2021). A multilevel dataset of microplastic abundance in the world’s upper ocean and the Laurentian Great Lakes. Micropl. Nanopl., 1: 16.
Jacquin, J., Cheng, J., Odobel, C., Pandin, C., Conan, P., Pujo-Pay, M., Barbe, V., Meistertzheim, A. & Ghiglione, J. 2019). Microbial ecotoxicology of marine plastic debris: a review on colonization and biodegradation by the ‘plastisphere’. Front. Microbiol., 10: 865
Katija, K., Choy, C.A., Sherlock, R.E., Sherman, A.D. & Robison, B.H. (2017). From the surface to the seafloor: how giant larvaceans transport microplastics into the deep sea. Sci Adv., 3(8): e1700715.
Kaiser, D., Kowalski, N. & Waniek, J.J. (2017). Effects of biofouling on the sinking behavior of microplastics. Environ. Res. Lett., 12(12): 124003.
Kanhai, L.D.K., Gårdfeldt, K., Lyashevska, O., Hassellöv, M., Thompson, R.C. & O'Connor, I. (2018). Microplastics in sub-surface waters of the Arctic Central Basin. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 130: 8–18.
Kono, N. & Arakawa, K. (2019). Nanopore sequencing: review of potential applications in functional genomics. Dev. Growth Differ., 61: 316–326.
Krehenwinkel, H., Pomerantz, A., Henderson, J., Kennedy, S., Lim, J., Swamy, V., Shoobridge, J., Graham, N., Patel, N., Gillespie, R. & Prost, S. (2019). Nanopore sequencing of long ribosomal DNA amplicons enables portable and simple biodiversity assessments with high phylogenetic resolution across broad taxonomic scale. Gigascience. 8, giz006.
Levin, I.W., & Bhargava, R. (2005). Fourier transform infrared vibrational spectroscopic imaging: Integrating microscopy and molecular recognition. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem., 56(1): 429–474.
Limonta, G., Mancia, A., Benkhalqui, A. Bertlolucci, C., Abelli, L., Fossi, C. & Panti, C. (2019). Microplastics induce transcriptional changes, immune response and behavioral alterations in adult zebrafish. Sci. Rep., 9: 15775
Long, M., Moriceau, B., Gallinari, M., Lambert, C., Huvet, A. & Raffray, J. (2015). Interactions between microplastics and phytoplankton aggregates: impact on their respective fates. Mar. Chem., 175: 39–46.
Lusher, A. (2015) Microplastics in the marine environment: distribution, interactions and effects. In: Bergmann, M., Gutow, L. & Klages, M., Marine (Eds.), Anthropogenic Litter Berlin: Springer, 245-308.
Masó, M., Fortuño, J.M., de Juan, S. & Demestre, M. (2016). Microfouling communities from pelagic and benthic marine plastic debris sampled across Mediterranean coastal waters. Sci. Mar., 80: 117–127.
Mato, Y., Isobe, T., Takada, H., Kanehiro, H., Ohtake, C. & Kaminuma, T. (2001). Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environ. Sci. Technol., 35: 318–324.
McDermid, K.J. & McMullen, T.L. (2004). Quantitative analysis of small-plastic debris on beaches in the Hawaiian archipelago. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 48(7–8): 790–794.
Michels, J., Stippkugel, A., Lenz, M., Wirtz, K. & Engel, A. (2018). Rapid aggregation of biofilm-covered microplastics with marine biogenic particles. Proc. R. Soc. B., 285 (1885): 20181203.
Miller, M.E., Kroon, F.J. & Motti, C. A. (2017). Recovering microplastics from marine samples: A review of current practices.Mar. Pollut. Bull., 123: 6−18.
Moore, C.J. (2008). Synthetic polymers in the marine environment: A rapidly increasing, long term threat. Environ. Res., 108(2): 131–139.
Moore, C.J., Moore, S.L., Leecaster, M.K. & Weisberg, S.B. (2001). A comparison of plastic and plankton in the north Pacific central gyre. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 42(12): 1297–1300.
Morét-Ferguson, S., Law, K.L., Proskurowski, G., Murphy, E.K., Peacock, E.E. & Reddy, C.M. (2010). The size, mass, and composition of plastic debris in the Western North Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 60(10): 1873–1878.
Pawlowski, J., Audic, S., Adl, S., Bass, D., Belbahri, L., Berney, C., Bowser, S., Cepikwa, I., decelle, J., Dunthorn, M., Fiore-Dunno, A., Gile, G., Holzmann, M., Jahn, R., Jirku, M., Keeling, P., Kostka, M., Kudriyavtsev, A., Lara, E., Lukes, J., Mann, D., Mitchell, E., Nitsche, F., Romeralo, M., Saunders, G., Simpson, A., Smirnov, A., Spouge, J., Stern, R., Stoeck, T., Zimmermann, J., Schindel, D. & Vargas, C. (2012). CBOL protist working group: barcoding eukaryotic richness beyond the animal, plant, and fungal kingdoms. PLoS Biol., 10, e1001419.
Picó, Y. and Barceló, D. (2019). Analysis and prevention of microplastics pollution in water: current perspectives and future directions. ACS Omega, 4 (4): 6709-6719.
Prata, J. C., Reis, V., Matos, J. T., da Costa, J. P., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2019). A new approach for routine quantification of microplastics using Nile Red and automated software (MP-VAT). Science of the total environment, 690, 1277-1283.
Rochman, C.M. (2015). The complex mixture, fate andtoxicity of chemicals associated with plastic debris in the marine environment. In: Marine anthropogenic litter (M. Bergmann, L. Gutow & M. Klages eds.),. Berlin: Springer, 117–140.
Santos, A., van Aerle, R., Barrientos, L. & Martinez-Urtaza, J. (2020). Computational methods for 16S metabarcoding studies using Nanopore sequencing data. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J., 18: 296- 305.
Sarau, G., Yarbakht, M., Ossmann, B., Kling, L., Aste, J., Vollnhals, F., Mueller-Deile, J., Schiffer, M. & Christiansen, S.H. (2020). Context microscopy and fingerprinting spectroscopy of micro-and nanoplastics and their effects on human kidney cells using nanoGPS and particle finder. Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Analysis and Method Development, 23-32.
Song, Y.K., Hong, S.H., Jang, M., Han, G.M., Rani, M., Lee, J. & Shim, W.J. (2015). A comparison of microscopic and spectroscopic identification methods for analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 93: 202–209.
Suman, T.Y., Jia, P., Li, W., Junaid, M., Xin, G., Wang, Y. & Pei, D. (2020). Acute and chronic effects of polystyrene microplastics on brine shrimp: First evidence highlighting the molecular mechanism through transcriptome analysis, J. Hazard. Mater., 400: 123220.
Taberlet, P., Coissac, E., Pompanon, F., Brochmann, C. & Willerslev, E. (2012). Towards next generation biodiversity assessment using DNA metabarcoding. Mol. Ecol., 21: 2045–2050.
Teuten, E.L., Rowland, S.J., Galloway, T.S. & Thompson, R.C. (2007). Potential for plastics to transport hydrophobic contaminants. Environ. Sci. Technol., 41: 7759–7764.
Thompson, R.C., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, R.P., Davis, A., Rowland, S.J. & John, A.W.G. (2004). Lost at sea: Where is all the plastic? Science, 304: 838.
vanSebille, E., Wilcox, C., Lebreton, L., Maximenko, N.A., Hardesty, B.D. & Franeker, J.A. (2015). A global inventory of small floating plastic debris. Environ. Res. Lett.,10: 124006.
von der Esch, E., Kohles, A.J., Anger, P.M., Hoppe, R., Niessner, R. & Elsner, M. (2020) TUM ParticleTyper: A detection and quantification tool for automated analysis of (Microplastic) particles and fibers. PLoS ONE, 15(6): e0234766.
Von Moos, N., Burkhardt-Holm, P. & Köhler, A. (2012). Uptake and effects of microplastics on cells and tissue of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L. after an experimental exposure. Environ. Sci. Technol., 46(20): 11327–11335.
Wangensteen, O.S. & Turon, X. (2017). Metabarcoding techniques for assessing biodiversity of marine animal forests. Mar. Anim. For. Ecol. Benthic Biodivers. Hotspots, 1: 445–503.
Wegner, A., Besseling, E., Foekema, E.M., Kamermans, P. & Koelmans A.A. (2012). Effects of nanopolystyrene on the feeding behaviour of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.). Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 31: 2490–2497.
Wright, S.L., Rowe, D., Thompson, R.C. & Galloway T.S. (2013a). Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms. Curr. Biol., 23(23): R1031–R1033.
Wright, S.L., Thompson, R.C. & Galloway, T.S. (2013). The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: A review. Environ. Pollut., 178: 483–492.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Informatics Studies: ISSN: 2583-8994 (Online), 2320-530X (Print)