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Mapping of heavy metal contamination associated with microplastics marine debris - A case study: Dubai, UAE
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XRF analysis of 480 microplastic pieces extracted from Dubai beach sediments identified 14 heavy metals including five EPA priority pollutants (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb) sorbed onto PE and PP microplastics, demonstrating microplastics serve as carriers for toxic metals in coastal marine environments.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitously detected in the environment. The adverse impact of microplastics on marine life is well documented. Previous research has shown that MPs can adsorb heavy metals, however, this fact has not been investigated along the coast of Dubai, UAE. Elemental composition of MPs debris was determined using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic (XRF) analysis. The analyzed MPs were extracted from 80 sediment samples collected from the wrack lines of 16 Dubai, UAE beaches. A total of 480 MPs pieces extracted from the samples were analyzed in order to detect heavy metals. The polymer composition was previously confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy, showing that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the most abundant MPs. 14 heavy metals were identified in the samples: Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pd, and Co with different concentrations. Five of them (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) are priority pollutants according to EPA. Their average concentrations in oxide form were CrO (2.96 %), NiO (0.32 %), CuO (0.45 %), ZnO (0.56 %), and PbO (1.49 %).
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