TY - JOUR
T1 - Nano-plastics and their analytical characterisation and fate in the marine environment
T2 - From source to sea
AU - Gangadoo, Sheeana
AU - Owen, Stephanie
AU - Rajapaksha, Piumie
AU - Plaisted, Katie
AU - Cheeseman, Samuel
AU - Haddara, Hajar
AU - Truong, Vi Khanh
AU - Ngo, Son Tung
AU - Vu, Van V.
AU - Cozzolino, Daniel
AU - Elbourne, Aaron
AU - Crawford, Russell
AU - Latham, Kay
AU - Chapman, James
PY - 2020/8/25
Y1 - 2020/8/25
N2 - Polymer contamination is a major pollutant in all waterways and a significant concern of the 21st Century, gaining extensive research, media, and public attention. The polymer pollution problem is so vast; plastics are now observed in some of the Earth's most remote regions such as the Mariana trench. These polymers enter the waterways, migrate, breakdown; albeit slowly, and then interact with the environment and the surrounding biodiversity. It is these biodiversity and ecosystem interactions that are causing the most nervousness, where health researchers have demonstrated that plastics have entered the human food chain, also showing that plastics are damaging organisms, animals, and plants. Many researchers have focused on reviewing the macro and micro-forms of these polymer contaminants, demonstrating a lack of scientific data and also a lack of investigation regarding nano-sized polymers. It is these nano-polymers that have the greatest potential to cause the most harm to our oceans, waterways, and wildlife. This review has been especially ruthless in discussing nano-sized polymers, their ability to interact with organisms, and the potential for these nano-polymers to cause environmental damage in the marine environment. This review details the breakdown of macro-, micro-, and nano-polymer contamination, examining the sources, the interactions, and the fates of all of these polymer sizes in the environment. The main focus of this review is to perform a comprehensive examination of the literature of the interaction of nanoplastics with organisms, soils, and waters; followed by the discussion of toxicological issues. A significant focus of the review is also on current analytical characterisation techniques for nanoplastics, which will enable researchers to develop protocols for nanopolymer analysis and enhance understanding of nanoplastics in the marine environment.
AB - Polymer contamination is a major pollutant in all waterways and a significant concern of the 21st Century, gaining extensive research, media, and public attention. The polymer pollution problem is so vast; plastics are now observed in some of the Earth's most remote regions such as the Mariana trench. These polymers enter the waterways, migrate, breakdown; albeit slowly, and then interact with the environment and the surrounding biodiversity. It is these biodiversity and ecosystem interactions that are causing the most nervousness, where health researchers have demonstrated that plastics have entered the human food chain, also showing that plastics are damaging organisms, animals, and plants. Many researchers have focused on reviewing the macro and micro-forms of these polymer contaminants, demonstrating a lack of scientific data and also a lack of investigation regarding nano-sized polymers. It is these nano-polymers that have the greatest potential to cause the most harm to our oceans, waterways, and wildlife. This review has been especially ruthless in discussing nano-sized polymers, their ability to interact with organisms, and the potential for these nano-polymers to cause environmental damage in the marine environment. This review details the breakdown of macro-, micro-, and nano-polymer contamination, examining the sources, the interactions, and the fates of all of these polymer sizes in the environment. The main focus of this review is to perform a comprehensive examination of the literature of the interaction of nanoplastics with organisms, soils, and waters; followed by the discussion of toxicological issues. A significant focus of the review is also on current analytical characterisation techniques for nanoplastics, which will enable researchers to develop protocols for nanopolymer analysis and enhance understanding of nanoplastics in the marine environment.
KW - Microplastic
KW - Nanoplastic
KW - Plastic
KW - Plasticizers
KW - Pollution
KW - Soil
KW - Water
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084743810&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138792
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138792
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32442765
AN - SCOPUS:85084743810
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 732
JO - Science of The Total Environment
JF - Science of The Total Environment
M1 - 138792
ER -