New Insights into Microplastic Contamination in Different Types of Leachates: Abundances, Characteristics, and Potential Sources

Municipal solid waste(MSW)is an important destination for abandoned plastics.During the waste disposal process,large plastic debris is broken down into microplastics(MPs)and released into the leachate.However,current research only focuses on landfill leachates,and the occurrence of MPs in other leachates has not been studied.Therefore,herein,the abundance and characteristics of MPs in three types of leachates,namely,landfill leachate,residual waste leachate,and household food waste leachate,were studied,all leachates were collected from the largest waste disposal center in China.The results showed that the average MP abundances in the different types of leachates ranged from(129±54)to(1288±184)MP particles per liter(particlesL1)and the household food waste leachate exhibited the highest MP abundance(p<0.05).Polyethylene(PE)and fragments were the dominant polymer type and shape in MPs,respectively.The characteristic polymer types of MPs in individual leachates were different.Furthermore,the conditional fragmentation model indicated that the landfilling process considerably affected the size distribution of MPs in leachates,leading to a higher percentage(>80%)of small MPs(20–100 lm)in landfill leachates compared to other leachates.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study discussing the sources of MPs in different leachates,which is important for MP pollution control during MSW disposal.

Changes in the Water Area of Chahannaoer and Its Influencing Factors from 1986 to 2020

Based on the long-term Landsat remote sensing data,the dynamic changes in the water area of Chahannaoer from 1986 to 2020 were analyzed,and the influencing factors of lake changes were analyzed combined with meteorological data and human factors.The results show that in the past 35 years,the water area of Chahannaoer tended to reduce obviously on the whole;annual average evaporation and annual average relative humidity gradually decreased,and annual average temperature,annual average precipitation,and annual average wind speed increased.Precipitation and relative humidity were significantly positively correlated with water area;temperature and average wind speed were negatively correlated with water area,but the correlation was not significant;there was a weak correlation between evaporation and water area.Precipitation and relative humidity were the main climatic factors affecting the change of water area in Chahannaoer.

Toward a rapid and convenient nanoplastic quantification method in laboratory-scale study based on fluorescence intensity

The thorough investigation of nanoplastics(NPs)in aqueous environments requires efficient and expeditious quantitative analytical methods that are sensitive to environmentally relevant NP concentrations and convenient to employ.Optical analysis-based quantitative methods have been acknowledged as effective and rapid approaches for quantifying NP concentrations in laboratory-scale studies.Herein,we compared three commonly used optical response indicators,namely fluorescence intensity(FI),ultraviolet absorbance,and turbidity,to assess their performance in quantifying NPs.Furthermore,orthogonal experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of various water quality parameters on the preferred indicator-based quantification method.The results revealed that FI exhibits the highest correlation coefficient(>0.99)with NP concentration.Notably,the limit of quantification(LOQ)for various types of NPs is exceptionally low,ranging from 0.0089 to 0.0584 mg/L in ultrapure water,well below environmentally relevant concentrations.Despite variations in water quality parameters such as pH,salinity,suspended solids(SS),and humic acid,a robust relationship between detectable FI and NP concentration was identified.However,an increased matrix,especially SS in water samples,results in an enhanced LOQ for NPs.Nevertheless,the quantitative method remains applicable in real water bodies,especially in drinking water,with NP LOQ as low as 0.0157–0.0711 mg/L.This exceeds the previously reported detectable concentration for 100 nm NPs at 40µg/mL using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.This study confirms the potential of FI as a reliable indicator for the rapid quantification of NPs in aqueous environments,offering substantial advantages in terms of both convenience and cost-effectiveness.