Plastic pollution from highway stormwater runoff is a direct pathway for conveying plastic and microplastics (MPs) from landbased sources to the aquatic and terrestrial environment. Vehicular traffic mainly (road dust) and atmospheric aerosol are relevant sources of MPs in stormwater runoff. Tire wear particles are the primary source of MPs in road and urban dust. Stormwater runoff, generated by rainfall events, can carry pollutants and MPs in freshwater bodies; they can be dispersed or released, posing a threat to a wide range of freshwater, terrestrial, and marine organisms. Organisms at the bottom of the trophic web (e.g., invertebrates) can ingest particles according to the dimension of their mouthparts, including small microplastics (MPs <100 μm; SMPs) and TWPs. Once in the trophic web, SMPs and TWPs may be bioaccumulated or biomagnified, reaching the top of the food web, even human beings. Due to the benthic lifestyle and diverse feeding strategies, crustaceans have been widely used as bioindicators of environmental quality regarding different pollutants. However, only a few studies specifically examine the presence of SMPs and TWPs in these natural populations, and assessing their baseline levels is still lacking for these species worldwide. There are currently no standardized methods and harmonized techniques for their collection, pretreatments, contamination procedures, and analysis in the biota compartment. Among the widespread invertebrates, king prawns (Procambarus clarkii) is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of Mexico and the United States; it is often an invasive pest introduced in other continents, including Europe. Hence, this research aims to quantify and simultaneously identify SMPs and TWPs ingested by organisms of Procambarus clarkii collected in the highway stormwater runoff near Venice, Italy. For each pool, gastrointestinal apparatus, muscle tissues, and the head were dissected and pseudodigested, avoiding denaturation/degradation of these contaminants. The quantification and chemical identification of SMPs and TWPs were performed through a cross-validation technique via Micro-FTIR and Pyr-GC/MS. Different polymer typologies were associated with highway tire degradation (e.g., rubbers, nylon). Pyr-GC/MS confirmed the presence of TWPs using specific markers. A potential translocation among the organism’s organs was investigated by comparing the abundance of SMPs and TWPs in the different dissected parts.
Ingestion of SMPs (Small Microplastics < 100 μm) and TWPs (Tire Wear Particles) in King Prawns Procambarus clarkii from Highway Stormwater Runoff
Beatrice Rosso
;Silvia Spinello;Elena Gregoris;Carlo Barbante;Andrea Gambaro;Fabiana Corami
2023-01-01
Abstract
Plastic pollution from highway stormwater runoff is a direct pathway for conveying plastic and microplastics (MPs) from landbased sources to the aquatic and terrestrial environment. Vehicular traffic mainly (road dust) and atmospheric aerosol are relevant sources of MPs in stormwater runoff. Tire wear particles are the primary source of MPs in road and urban dust. Stormwater runoff, generated by rainfall events, can carry pollutants and MPs in freshwater bodies; they can be dispersed or released, posing a threat to a wide range of freshwater, terrestrial, and marine organisms. Organisms at the bottom of the trophic web (e.g., invertebrates) can ingest particles according to the dimension of their mouthparts, including small microplastics (MPs <100 μm; SMPs) and TWPs. Once in the trophic web, SMPs and TWPs may be bioaccumulated or biomagnified, reaching the top of the food web, even human beings. Due to the benthic lifestyle and diverse feeding strategies, crustaceans have been widely used as bioindicators of environmental quality regarding different pollutants. However, only a few studies specifically examine the presence of SMPs and TWPs in these natural populations, and assessing their baseline levels is still lacking for these species worldwide. There are currently no standardized methods and harmonized techniques for their collection, pretreatments, contamination procedures, and analysis in the biota compartment. Among the widespread invertebrates, king prawns (Procambarus clarkii) is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of Mexico and the United States; it is often an invasive pest introduced in other continents, including Europe. Hence, this research aims to quantify and simultaneously identify SMPs and TWPs ingested by organisms of Procambarus clarkii collected in the highway stormwater runoff near Venice, Italy. For each pool, gastrointestinal apparatus, muscle tissues, and the head were dissected and pseudodigested, avoiding denaturation/degradation of these contaminants. The quantification and chemical identification of SMPs and TWPs were performed through a cross-validation technique via Micro-FTIR and Pyr-GC/MS. Different polymer typologies were associated with highway tire degradation (e.g., rubbers, nylon). Pyr-GC/MS confirmed the presence of TWPs using specific markers. A potential translocation among the organism’s organs was investigated by comparing the abundance of SMPs and TWPs in the different dissected parts.
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