| 1. |
- Carmona, Eric, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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A dataset of organic pollutants identified and quantified in recycled polyethylene pellets
- 2023
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Ingår i: DATA IN BRIEF. - 2352-3409. ; 51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastics are produced with a staggering array of chemical compounds, with many being known to possess hazardous properties, and others lacking comprehensive hazard data. Furthermore, non-intentionally added substances can contaminate plastics at various stages of their lifecycle, resulting in recycled materials containing an unknown number of chemical compounds at unknown concentrations. While some national and regional regulations exist for permissible concentrations of hazardous chemicals in specific plastic products, less than 1 % of plastics chemicals are subject to international regulation [1] . There are currently no policies mandating transparent reporting of chemicals throughout the plastics value chain or comprehensive monitoring of chemicals in recycled materials.The dataset presented here provides the chemical analysis of 28 samples of recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pellets obtained from various regions of the Global South, along with a reference sample of virgin HDPE. The analysis comprises both Target and Non-Targeted Screening approaches, employing Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and Gas Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (GC-HRMS). In total, 491 organic compounds were detected and quantified, with an additional 170 compounds tentatively annotated. These com-pounds span various classes, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, plastic additives. The results highlight the prevalence of certain chemicals, such as N-ethyl-o-Toluesulfonamide, commonly used in HDPE processing, found in high concentrations. The paper pro-vides a dataset advancing knowledge of the complex chemical composition associated with recycled plastics.
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| 2. |
- Rummel, Christoph D., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Leachates from UV-Weathered Microplastic in Cell-Based Bioassays
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 53:15, s. 9214-9223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Standard ecotoxicological testing of microplastic does not provide insight into the influence that environmental weathering by, e.g., UV light has on related effects. In this study, we leached chemicals from plastic into artificial seawater during simulated UV-induced weathering. We tested largely additive-free preproduction polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene and two types of plastic obtained from electronic equipment as positive controls. Leachates were concentrated by solid-phase extraction and dosed into cell-based bioassays that cover (i) cytotoxicity; (ii) activation of metabolic enzymes via binding to the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR gamma); (iii) specific, receptor-mediated effects (estrogenicity, ER alpha); and (iv) adaptive response to oxidative stress (AREc32). LC-HRMS analysis was used to identify possible chain-scission products of polymer degradation, which were then tested in AREc32 and PPAR gamma. Explicit activation of all assays by the positive controls provided proof-of-concept of the experimental setup to demonstrate effects of chemicals liberated during weathering. All plastic leachates activated the oxidative stress response, in most cases with increased induction by UV-treated samples compared to dark controls. For PPAR gamma, polyethylene-specific effects were partially explained by the detected dicarboxylic acids. Since the preproduction plastic showed low effects often in the range of the blanks future studies should investigate implications of weathering on end consumer products containing additives.
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| 3. |
- Rummel, Christoph D., et al.
(författare)
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Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2328-8930. ; 4:7, s. 258-267
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the aquatic environment, microplastic (MP; <5 mm) is a cause of concern because of its persistence and potential adverse effects on biota. Studies of microlitter impacts are mostly based on virgin and spherical polymer particles as model MP. However, in pelagic and benthic environments, surfaces are always colonized by microorganisms forming so-called biofilms. The influence of such biofilms on the fate and potential effects of MP is not understood well. Here, we review the physical interactions of early microbial colonization on plastic surfaces and their reciprocal influence on the weathering processes and vertical transport as well as sorption and release of contaminants by MP. Possible ecological consequences of biofilm formation on MP, such as trophic transfer of MP particles and potential adverse effects of MP, are virtually unknown. However, evidence is accumulating that the biofilm-plastic interactions have the capacity to influence the fate and impacts of MP by modifying the physical properties of the particles. There is an urgent research need to better understand these interactions and increase the ecological relevance of current laboratory testing by simulating field conditions in which microbial life is a key driver of biogeochemical processes.
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