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In marine ecosystems, living organisms are continuously exposed to a cocktail of anthropogenic contaminants, such as microplastics (MPs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Being able to adsorb organic compounds, MPs would act as an additional contamination vector for aquatic organisms. To support this hypothesis, the sorption of six EDCs on MPs, including 4-t-butylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, 17β-estradiol and its synthetic analog 17α-ethinylestradiol, has been investigated. These compounds belong to two contaminant families, alkylphenols and estrogens, included in the EU priority and watch lists of the Water Framework Directive. Sorption kinetics were studied onto polyethylene and polypropylene MPs under seawater conditions. MPs at a concentration of 0.400 mg mL−1 were added to a mix of the six EDCs, each at the individual concentration of 100 ng mL−1. The concentrations of contaminants were chosen to be close to environmental ones and comparable with those found in literature. The results demonstrated that the hydrophobicity of the compounds and the MP type are the two factors influencing the sorption capacity. The distribution coefficient (K d) of each compound was determined and compared to others found in the literature. A high affinity was demonstrated between 4-n-NP and PE, with a sorption reaching up to 2,200 ng mg−1.

Municipal landfills receive a high amount of plastic waste and due to the occurring physical and biochemical degradation processes, could be significant sources of microplastics (MP). Evaluating the threat to groundwater through the transfer of MP via landfill leachates require more research. The former "Prairie de Mauves" landfill, operated from 1963 to 1987 by the municipality of Nantes (France), and located above the alluvial groundwater of the Loire River, represents a good candidate for such investigations. Leachates and groundwater were sampled along a transect line from upstream to downstream of the landfill, in March and June 2022. MP (>25 µm) were quantified and characterized using µFTIR imaging in transmission mode. MP were observed in every sample with concentrations ranging from 0.71 to 106.7 MP/L. Concentrations in the leachates and the alluvial groundwater illustrate a migration of MP. Twelve polymers were identified and polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were predominant. After a conventional rainfall event (14.3 mm), higher concentrations, diversity, and size ranges of MP were observed. Water infiltration through the heterogeneous geological substratum therefore enhanced the migration of larger MP towards the alluvial groundwater of the Loire River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics with particle size less than 5 mm are becoming a raising global environmental crisis. These pollutants were found from the poles to the equator, in continental shelves, coasts and in the oceans, moreover, they have also been identified in the water columns, sediments and even in a variety of organisms. The majority of microplastics that ended up in the oceans originate from the land. Due to their small size, they are easily accumulated in the food chain, causing harmful effects on organisms and human health. The bivalves especially caught the interest of scientific researchers because of their direct contact with microplastics through the filter-feeding habit. Therefore, it is essential to develop methods to determine the presence of microplastics in these organisms and identify their source. This study evaluated the efficiency of extracting microplastics from the tissues of green mussels (Perna viridis) using KOH 10% solution to digest and KI 50% as the separating solution. Mussel soft tissue samples were spiked five different types of microplastics: polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and treated with KOH 10% solution and KI 50% solution. The presence of microplastics in some green mussel species was also investigated in some mussel farming areas in Giao Thuy, Nam Dinh province, Thi Nai, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province and Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province. The research results showed high efficiency of microplastic extraction and recovery with the range from 76% to 97%. Microplastic concentration obtained in all mussel samples variates from 1.0 ± 0.1 particles/g to 1.7 ± 0.6 particles/g, in which fiber microplastics predominated. Microplastics in mussel samples have small sizes of < 1,000 μm and 1,000-2,000 μm, make up 74.15-82.32% and 9.76-14.71%, respectively. Purple was dominant among all mussel samples. This study proved that using KOH 10% solution and KI 50% solution to isolate microplastics is a suitable approach and can be used in monitoring studies of microplastic pollution in bivalves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]