Seeking for a perfect (non-spherical) microplastic particle : the most comprehensive review on microplastic laboratory research

Putar, Ula (author), Kalčíková, Gabriela (author)

In recent decades, much attention has been paid to microplastic pollution, and research on microplastics has begun to grow exponentially. However, microplastics research still suffers from the lack of standardized protocols and methods for investigation of microplastics under laboratory conditions. Therefore, in this review, we summarize and critically discuss the results of 715 laboratory studies published on microplastics in the last five years to provide recommendations for future laboratory research. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of microplastic particles used in laboratory studies are manufactured spheres of polystyrene ranging in size from 1 to 50 µm, that half of the studies did not characterize the particles used, and that a minority of studies used aged particles, investigated leaching of chemicals from microplastics, or used natural particles as a control. There is a large discrepancy between microplastics used in laboratory research and those found in the environment, and many laboratory studies suffer from a lack of environmental relevance and provide incomplete information on the microplastics used. We have summarized and discussed these issues and provided recommendations for future laboratory research on microplastics focusing on (i) microplastic selection, (ii) microplastic characterization, and (iii) test design of laboratory research on microplastics.

• Language: English
• Keywords: microplastics, toxicity, adsorption, aging, leaching, laboratory study, leachate, ecotoxicity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 424, pt. C, art. 127529
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-138864
• UDC: 504.5:678
• ISSN on article: 0304-3894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127529
• COBISS.SI-ID: 83029507
• Publication date in RUL: 24.08.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of hazardous materials
• Shortened title: J. hazard. mater.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0304-3894
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25748224

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mikroplastika, strupenost, adsorpcija, staranje, izluževanje

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0191
• Name: Kemijsko inženirstvo

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J2-2491
• Name: Vpliv mikroplastike na rastlinsko čistilno napravo