(Micro-)Plastics in Saturated and Unsaturated Groundwater Bodies: First Evidence of Presence in Groundwater Fauna and Habitats
Sustainability2024
25 citations
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Score: 55
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Valentina Balestra,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Valentina Balestra,
Diana M. P. Galassi
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Valentina Balestra,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo,
Valentina Balestra,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
David Chelazzi,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
Laura Sforzi,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Valentina Balestra,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Tiziana Di Lorenzo,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Laura Sforzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Laura Sforzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Samuele Ciattini,
Samuele Ciattini,
Samuele Ciattini,
Valentina Balestra,
Marco Laurati,
Marco Laurati,
Diana M. P. Galassi
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Valentina Balestra,
Valentina Balestra,
David Chelazzi,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Valentina Balestra,
David Chelazzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Diana M. P. Galassi
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Léonardo Piccini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Marco Laurati,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Samuele Ciattini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Serena Benedetta Cabigliera,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Marco Laurati,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
Tania Martellini,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Samuele Ciattini,
Samuele Ciattini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Laura Sforzi,
Laura Sforzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Marco Laurati,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
David Chelazzi,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
David Chelazzi,
Tania Martellini,
Alessandra Cincinelli,
Diana M. P. Galassi
Diana M. P. Galassi
Diana M. P. Galassi
Summary
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in three Italian groundwater systems, including karst caves and an alluvial aquifer, providing early evidence that microplastics are present in underground water habitats. The study also found that groundwater-dwelling invertebrates had ingested microplastic particles, raising concerns about pollution impacts on these fragile and largely unstudied ecosystems.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is a growing concern in every known ecosystem. However, MP presence in groundwaters and the ecological impact they can have on groundwater fauna is still poorly investigated. Here, we assess the presence of MPs in three Italian groundwater bodies, comprising two karst caves and two monitoring bores of a saturated alluvial aquifer. In addition to water samples, groundwater invertebrates were collected to assess their potential ingestion of MPs. For water samples, chemical characterization of polymers was done by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) 2D imaging, while fauna samples were analyzed with a tandem microscopy approach (fluorescence microscopy and FTIR). The abundance of MPs in water samples varied from 18 to 911 items/L. The majority of MPs were fibers (91%), with a mean size in the range of 100 µm and 1 mm. Black, red, and blue were the most abundant colors (30%, 25%, and 19%, respectively). The most abundant polymer was artificial/textile cellulose (65%), followed by PET (21%). MPs were found in every groundwater taxon. Pellets were the most abundant in each specimen (87% on average), while the largest were fragments, with a mean dimension of 26 µm. Cellulose was found to be the most abundant polymer (51%). This study is the first to highlight the presence of MPs ingested by groundwater fauna. Further investigations are urgently required to assess the potential ecological impact MPs can have on the resident fauna in these sensitive ecosystems.