We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
UV filters and UV stabilisers adsorbed in microplastic debris from beach sand
Summary
Researchers detected UV filters and UV stabilizers adsorbed onto microplastic debris collected from beach sand, demonstrating that personal care product contaminants partition onto plastic particles and may be transported and concentrated in marine environments.
Microplastics (MPs) in oceans adsorb different types of pollutants, which can negatively impact the food chain. The extensive use of personal care products (PCPs) has led to their ubiquitous environmental presence, and their partition between plastic matrices and surroundings is determined by their physico-chemical characteristics and environmental conditions. This work develops and applies a methodology to determine 12 UV filters (UVFs) and UV stabilisers (UVSs) in MPs collected in beach sand. The analyses were carried out by ultrasound-assisted extraction and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. The validated procedure was applied to MPs samples taken in sand samples from 13 beaches on the Canary Islands (Spain). The results showed the presence of 10 UV filters and UV stabilisers at concentrations between 1 and 4031 ng·g, where octocrylene was the most frequently found. The target analytes were present in all the sampling beaches.