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Metal adsorption by naturally aged polymers in the river ganga: An environmental assessment
Summary
Researchers investigated how naturally aged microplastics from the Ganga River adsorb metals, assessing the environmental risk of metal-loaded plastic particles in a major river system. The study found that aged microplastics adsorb higher concentrations of metals than virgin particles, increasing their potential for toxicity transfer.
Microplastics (MPs) have become a focal point in environmental pollution studies due to their persistence and potential to adsorb hazardous substances, particularly metals. MPs act as carriers of metals, transferring them to aquatic organisms and ultimately to humans through a sequence of food chains. The high concentration of metals causes serious effects on aquatic organisms, especially top-level organisms like fish. The mechanism behind the adsorption of metals on the surface of MPs in the aquatic environment is still being researched. Our research aimed to understand the potential of different polymers to adsorb metals in both the laboratory and natural environment. We studied the adsorption tendencies of MPs (Low-density polyethylene, High-density polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate), for Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in controlled laboratory settings. Comparatively, we also investigated the various naturally degraded polymers sampled from the river Ganga for their ability to adsorb metals from the river itself. The river water was also analysed to know the common metals present in it. For the analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) was used to analyse metal adsorption on the polymer surface while Induced Coupled Plasma Micro-Spectroscopy (ICPMS) was used to quantify heavy metals in the river environment. The results demonstrated the significant affinity of MPs for Pb and Cd in the laboratory setup, with higher adsorption observed at higher metal concentrations. The naturally aged polymers showed varying concentrations of adsorbed metals like Aluminium (Al), Iron (Fe), Titanium (Ti), and Copper (Cu) validating the adsorption properties and highlighting the tendency of comprehensive adsorption capacity by MPs in the natural environments. This study draws attention towards the ecological risk posed by MPs as vectors for metal pollutants, emphasizing the need for effective pollution management strategies to safeguard aquatic ecosystems and public health. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559404/document