Microplastics in Water

The University is one of the leading pioneers in Microplastic Research and has developed methods for cutting-edge analysis in our world class facilities.

Over the past decade, microplastic debris in both marine and freshwater systems has become an emerging issue. There is an increased interest to understand the impacts of microplastics on aquatic wildlife, as the impacts still remain poorly understood (Thmpson et al. 2004).

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5.0 mm in size (Arthur et al. 2009). There are two main ways microplastics are formed and enter a body of water: primary and secondary microplastics (Arthur et al. 2009). Primary microplastics consist of manufactured raw plastic material, such as virgin plastic pellets, scrubbers, and microbeads (Browne et al. 2007, Arthur et al. 2009) that enter the ocean via runoff from land (Andrady 2011). Secondary microplastic introductions occur when larger plastic items (meso-and macro-plastics) enter a beach or ocean and undergo mechanical, photo (oxidative) and/ or biological degradation (Thompson et al. 2004, Browne et al. 2007, Cooper and Corcoran 2010, Andrady 2011). This degradation breaks the larger pieces into progressively smaller plastic fragments which eventually become undetectable to the naked eye. 

Impacts of microplastics on wildlife are not well understood at this time. However, a number of organisms, both vertebrates and invertebrates have been found to ingest microplastics. Scientists are concerned that organisms ingesting plastic debris may be exposed to contaminants sorbed to the plastic (Teuten et al. 2007). Plastic debris provides a sink and a source for chemical contaminants. Additives used in the manufacturing of plastics can leach from the plastics into the marine environment (Andrady 2011). On the other hand, hydrophobic contaminants present in the water may sorb to the plastic particles (Carpenter et al. 1972, Teuten et al. 2007, Andrady 2011). Thus, microplastics may provide a mechanism to transport concentrated contaminants to organisms (Browne et al. 2007)

To find out more about some of the research carried out at Brunel University on the subject, please see: Environmental marine litter monitoring. This study, supported by the European Space Agency’s Space Solutions initiative, was convened to developing an environmental monitoring technology and services to help combat the global marine litter crisis, particularly microplastic. Brunel, in collaboration with CGG MacDonald and Mott , worked on this collaborative project with an aim to generate an automated workflow that allows for the quantification and identification of microplastics in terrestrial, lacustrine, fluvial and coastal sediments deposited in sites identified by satellite-derived Earth Observation data.

For more information or to discuss your microplastics testing requirements, please contact Dr Wayne Lam at wayne.lam@brunel.ac.uk

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