Microplastics release a range of substances into the surrounding water

Microplastic (MP) pollution of aquatic environment is a serious environmental threat. To date, attention has been given to their quantification and characterization; however, the knowledge of their potential to release any substances into ambient water is yet limited. In our study, we continuously monitored the leachates of different MPs for 12 weeks. The MPs were prepared from 16 commonly used consumer plastic products to resemble real MPs occurring in natural waters. Almost all MP materials leached considerable amounts of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon and simultaneously one or more of the following elements: Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Si and Zn. The most prominent leaching was observed from MPs containing polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer as the main polymers. The maximum released dissolved organic and inorganic carbon after the 12 weeks was approximately 65 mg and 2 mg per g MPs, respectively. The most frequently occurring metals were Ca, K and Na, while Ca reached the highest leaching values of 2.5 mg per g MPs. In general, the leaching was the most rapid during the first few weeks of MP contact with water. Further, non-target analysis was conducted to provide a better insight into the composition and properties of the organic matter released from MPs, while 80 chemical individuals were preliminarily identified. Some of them are considered harmful or potentially harmful to human health and/or to the environment (e.g., bisphenol A or phthalate esters). In general, the leaching from MPs to ambient water can be significant from various perspectives, including fluxes of carbon and metals and toxicology. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559526/document