The Prevalence of Microplastic Pollution (and How to Find It)
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The Prevalence of Microplastic Pollution
(and How to Find It)
James L. McGrath
University of Rochester
http://nanomembranes.org
jmcgrath@bme.rochester.edu
Biomedical Engineering
Material Science Program
Biochemistry and Biophysics IRSS: Microplastics and
Pulmonary Risk:
Environmental Health Sciences Center
Environmental prevalence,
Co-Founder: exposure and mechanisms
of pulmonary action.
Society of Toxicology.
April 13, 2021
Microplastics
@ Rochester
Fleece is a
One of the highest concentrations is where major source
Rochester’s Genesee River meets Lake Ontario
Wayne’s World UR Optics Professor Wayne Knox Home of Wayne Knox
fleece fiber? glass shard?
Goergen Hall Tap Water
Greece
7.5 miles
mixed piping
Rush, NY
Reservoir
(3 days)
18 miles of 19th century
cast-iron pipes Filtration
• Water plant is the only construction
on the lake.
• No recycling. Only natural inputs.
• Filtered through anthracite and sand.
• Gravity driven.
Entrainment of Debris and
Plastics En Route to Goergen Hall
Total Debris Nile Red
Madejski et al., 2020 Sustainability 7:44501
Geyer, Jambeck, Law Sci. Adv. 2017;3: e1700782
Fibers and Resins
Produced
1950 - 2015 = 7800 Mt
2002 - 2015 = 3600 MtLD & HD PE
PP
Geyer, Jambeck, Law Sci. Adv. 2017;3: e1700782
PVC
PET
PUR
PS
PP&A Fibers
Others Includes Additives)
Polyethylene
10%
Fibers (Textiles) Polyester 29%
14%T)
(PE
Rayon (Cellulose Acetate)
6%
Nylon (Polyamide)
Polystyrene
7%
17%
Polyurethane 8% Polypropylene
9%
Polyvinyl Chloride
PET (non-fibrous)How do Plastics Enter the
Environment and Enter Us?
More
Primary
Sources Sources Secondary
µPlastics
µPlastics
e nt =
m
1 gar fibers
0
~190 ash! Even more
per w Sources
Average person
consumes a credit card
of plastic each week (5g)
Senathirajah, K., et al. Journal of
Hazardous Materials 404 124004 2021Official Definition of
‘Microplastics in Drinking Water)’
“Solid polymeric materials to which chemical additives
or substances may have been added, which are
particles which have at least three dimensions that are
greater than 1 nm and less than 5 mm.”
“Polymers that are derived in nature that have not been
chemically modified (other than by hydrolysis) are excluded”
Particle Size (meters)
Sub-micron Small Large
Nanoplastics Plastics Microplastics Microplastics
Macroplastics
100 nm - 100 µm -
1 - 100
Cross nmbarriers and most abundant
tissue 1 - 100Easiest
µm to measure > 5 mm
1000 nm 5000 µm
10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2
1 nanometer 1 micrometer 1 millimeterBehavioral Changes for NP < 100 nm
• Longer feeding times
• Lower activity levels
5 µm PS particles
• Found in liver, kidney, deep within intestinal tissue
• Metabolic profiles for oxidative stress and
neurotoxicity
10 µm PS particles
• Superficial regions of the gut
• No evidence of neurotoxicityMicroplastics in Human Tissue
> 50 µm
Polypropylene
~ 10 µm
Polarized
White light
Cellulosic
light
FiberBreathable Plastics
33% contain
petrochemicals
Small Microplastics
Not a
‘fiber’
‘fiber’
3Isolation of Microplastics
Zalasiewicz et al., (2016)
Antropocene, 13:4-17
Large microplastics captured with a coarse mesh
Madejski et al., 2020 Sustainability 7:44501
Dissolution Resistant
Environmental Plastic?
Sample
(‘Laemmli’)
Buffer
Pre-treatment w/
spiked 10 µm Beads In Situ dissolution
Biological Tissues, Waste-water, River Bottoms require harsh
treatments (extended exposure to KOH) and enzymesIdentifying Plastics: Affordable
but Low Precision Methods
Madejski et al., 2020 Sustainability 7:44501
Fibers
Particulate
• 25x Debris Density
• Long Fibers
Films • Additional Residues
Nomarski
Nile Red Staining Maes et al., 2017 Scientific
Reports 7:44501
Birefringence
Miles of Pipes
Madejski et al., 2020
Sustainability 7:44501
Finished Water Post-Filtration W2S3 Pipes Underneath Goergen Hall Post-Filtration W2S3Identifying Plastics: Precise but
Expensive and Slow Methods
EDS: Elemental
Analysis ($1M+) Chemical
finger printing
(Raman/FTIR )
10 µm 1 µm
Madejski et al., 2020 Sustainability 7:44501
WeTek Confocal Raman ~ $250,000
Material signals gets weak < 10 µm
Agilent FTIR/LDIR > $250,000
Does not resolve < 10 µmTake Homes
• Microplastics are ubiquitous pollution that is in the air and
in our food chain.
• The smallest microplastics are small enough to breach
tissue barriers.
• The problem is only going to get worse.
• Solutions to isolating and identifying microplastics need
to be affordable and distributable to match the scope of
the problem.Nanomembrane Research Group
Trainees
Sam Walker (Exosome Capture from Biofluids)
Founding Team * @ Vanderbilt
** @ RIT *** @ Adarza Inc
Alec Salminen (Vascular Models, µSiM) Jim McGrath Tom Gaborski**
Molly McCloskey (Modular µSiM, BBB, iPSCs) Philippe Fauchet* Chris Striemer***
Raquel Ajalik (Modular Devices,Tendon chip)
Michael Klazco (Virus Detection, Surface Coatings)
Anant Agrawal (Cell Culture) Alumni
Jess Snyder (Diffusion, EO)
Bill Houlihan, PhD (High Content Microscopy) Barrett Nehilla (Cell Culture)
Dan Ahmad (Machine Learning, Transmigration) Dave Fang (pnc-Si mechanisms)
Victor Zhang (Tendon Chip Vasculature) Maryna Kavalenka (Gas Flow)
Samantha Romanick, PhD (Microplastics, Lung Barrier) Charles Chan (SiMPore - Materials)
Nakul Nataraj (SiMPore - Cell Culture)
Collaborators Joe Qi (pnc-Si on SiN)
Knox, Elder, Flax,DeLouise, Korfmacher, Waugh, Kim, Josh Winans (NPN, Fouling)
Pietropoaili, Johnson, Shestopalov, Abdolrahim, Miller, Bob Carter (Lift-off)
Tucker Burgin (Dialysis & ECMO)
Schwarz, Awad, Kelly,Dave
Glading, Taylor,
Rowley Mukaibo (UR); Karl Smith (Dead End Filtration, Fouling)
Gaborski, Abhyankar, Borkholder, (RIT); Amemiya (Pitt); Tejas Khire (Vascular Models)
Tabard-Cossa, Godin (U Ottawa); Baltus, Gracheva Jirachai Getpreecharsawas (Electrokinetics)
(Clarkson); Latulippe (McMaster); Webb (Nottingham); Henry Chung (Microfluidics)
Dawson (UC Dublin); Englehardt (U. Bern); Nelson Kayli Hill (Dialysis)
(Chicago), Singer, Kurabayashi (Michigan) Greg Madejski (Adv. Membranes, Microplastics)
Kilean Lucas (Exosome Capture)
Funding SiMPore Inc. Jared Carter
NSF, NIH, CSTI, UR, J&J, NYSTAR, Jamie Roussie Josh Miller Geoff Rosenberger
CEIS, Coulter Foundation, DOD, EHSC Rick Richmond JP Desormeaux Kevin RogersYou can also read
