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Comparison of cellulolytic enzyme treatment and Fenton oxidation for analysis of microplastics in tire rubber particles
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Researchers compared cellulolytic enzyme treatment and Fenton oxidation as pretreatment methods for quantifying tire rubber microplastics in road dust. Both treatments increased particle number, reduced particle size, and made particles more spherical, with Fenton producing smaller parameter values—suggesting both alter MP characteristics in ways that must be accounted for in quantification studies.
Uncertainties in the quantification of microplastics in various products arise from the applied pretreatment processes. Road dust, a significant source of microplastics, requires precise quantification methods to ensure accuracy. In this study, we examined the impact of pretreatment processes on the accuracy of microplastic quantification in road dust, specifically focusing on tire rubber particles. We compared the effects of cellulolytic enzyme (EZM) and Fenton (FT) treatments by analyzing the changes in particle number, size, shape, and identification accuracy for each treatment. Both treatments increased the number of tire rubber particles, reduced their size, and made them more spherical. Notably, the FT treatment resulted in smaller particle parameters (Feret, MinFeret, Major, Minor, and Area) compared to the EZM treatment. Identification accuracy also varied, with 89% of tire rubber particles identified after EZM treatment, compared to 51% after FT treatment. Furthermore, microplastic volume was overestimated by 4.5% following EZM treatment and underestimated by 21% after FT treatment. These findings demonstrate that pretreatment procedures significantly influence the accuracy of microplastic quantification. Our study underscores the need for further research to determine whether current microplastic estimates are accurate, as the estimated volume can change due to organic removal processes. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Pretreatment to eliminate organic materials is necessary for improving the efficiency of microplastic analysis. Tire rubber particles (TRPs) are a significant plastic material found in urban surfaces. Pretreatment can reduce the size of TRPs and lead to material misidentification of materials. Compared to the Fenton oxidation treatment, cellulolytic enzyme treatment results in less particle fragmentation and volume modification.
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Researchers developed an efficient pretreatment method for analyzing microplastics in urban road dust that contains composite materials like tire wear particles and road marking paint fragments. They compared enzymatic decomposition and Fenton oxidation methods, evaluating how each affected the recovery and characteristics of these composite microplastics. The study provides practical guidance for improving the accuracy of microplastic analysis in complex urban environmental samples.
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Researchers adapted microplastic analysis methods for isolating and counting tire road wear particles from environmental samples, a challenging task due to the varied composition and density of these particles. They found that alkaline digestions are compatible with tire rubber but hydrogen peroxide can damage the particles, and developed visual criteria to distinguish tire particles from bitumen. The adapted methods were validated with road dust samples and confirmed by electron microscopy and pyrolysis mass spectrometry.
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Researchers developed an improved method for measuring tire wear particles in road dust that accounts for differences in rubber composition across tire brands and types. They found that the standard ISO method, which assumes a fixed ratio of synthetic to natural rubber, can significantly misestimate tire wear concentrations. The refined approach provides more accurate measurements of this major source of microplastic pollution from road traffic.
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