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Estimation of Microplastic Particle Concentration Considering Unmeasured Particle Size Range and Concentration Conversion
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Researchers applied a rescaling method based on power-law distributions to estimate microplastic particle concentrations across unmeasured size ranges using field data from Tokyo Bay's Tsurumi River estuary. The study also demonstrated that converting between concentration units (count, mass, volume, surface area) can alter the relative ranking of sampling sites, with implications for ecological risk assessment.
本稿では, マイクロプラスチック粒子 (MPs) の特性を考慮した生態リスク評価 (特に曝露評価) の実施に向けて, 国外で提案され活用されている未計測の粒径範囲を含むMPsの濃度推定方法および濃度換算方法を用いて, 日本国内における実際の測定データへの適用を行うことを目的とした。まず, 東京湾鶴見川河口域の表面水中で採取・計測された測定データを連続型のベキ分布に適合させ, 未計測の粒径範囲を含むMPsの粒径分布を推定する方法 (再スケーリング法) を詳述した。次に, 再スケーリング法を東京湾での実測データに適用し, 未計測範囲を含む個数濃度を推定した。また, 東京湾鶴見川河口域での実測データに基づき, 有害性評価で用いられる重量, 体積, 表面積濃度への単位換算を行い, 濃度単位によって地点間の濃度の高低が変化する可能性があることを示した。これらの結果に基づき, 再スケーリング法及び単位換算方法の課題などについて議論した。
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