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Identification of microplastics and inorganic contaminants adsorbed on microplastics collected on the beaches of Ilha Grande
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Researchers characterized microplastics collected from beaches on Ilha Grande — a protected island in Brazil — and used advanced spectroscopic techniques to identify toxic inorganic contaminants adsorbed onto the plastic surfaces, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel, lead, and tin. The study confirms that microplastics on beaches are not only a physical hazard but also act as concentrators and carriers of heavy metals, compounding their environmental and human health risks. The findings call for future quantification studies to better understand contamination levels in this ecologically sensitive area.
Nas últimas décadas, os microplásticos emergiram como um assunto de preocupação científica global, devido à sua disseminação em ecossistemas terrestres, aquáticos e atmosféricos, e os riscos que apresentam tanto para o meio ambiente quanto para a saúde humana. Este estudo se destacou ao focar na identificação e caracterização dos microplásticos encontrados nas praias da Ilha Grande, com ênfase na identificação de contaminantes inorgânicos adsorvidos. A utilização de técnicas avançadas, como Espectroscopia no infravermelho por transformada de Fourier, Espectroscopia Raman, ablação a laser associada com um espectrômetro de massas com plasma indutivamente acoplado e espectrometria de emissão ótica com plasma indutivamente acoplado, permitiram identificar os grupos funcionais, correlações entre elementos e concentrações específicas de elementos B, Cu, Fe, Mn, V e Zn, além de identificar a presença de Cd e Ni em algumas amostras. Os resultados indicaram a presença de contaminação inorgânica por elementos como As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb e Sn, embora alguns abaixo do limite de detecção em algumas amostras. Essas identificações destacam a necessidade de investigações futuras para quantificar a presença desses contaminantes em microplásticos, considerando que esses contaminantes podem ter um impacto significativo tanto no meio ambiente quanto na saúde humana. Assim, esta pesquisa é relevante para uma compreensão mais abrangente da poluição por microplásticos nas praias da Ilha Grande e destacam a importância de estudos futuros para avaliar e mitigar os impactos desses contaminantes, preenchendo uma lacuna na pesquisa sobre a poluição por microplásticos na região de Ilha Grande.
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