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Rivers have been the recipients of waste for millennia. However, since the onset of industrial and urban development, major degradation of fluvial systems has been observed globally. This has encompassed a wide range of contaminants from numerous potential sources. Despite efforts to reduce inputs, contamination continues to persist in many catchments. Metal contamination of fluvial sediments is a well-established problem. Conversely, microplastics are an emerging contaminant, for which there is a paucity of data regarding their sources, behaviour, and fate. Based on the onset of industrialisation, Manchester is often heralded the 'first industrial city'. During the industrial period, the fluvial network became heavily contaminated. By the 1970s, it was amongst the most polluted river systems in Europe. Despite this background, no study has thus far undertaken a systematic, catchment-wide survey of sediment-associated contamination. This study assesses patterns of metal and microplastic contamination in fluvial sediments of the Irwell and upper Mersey catchments (1527 km2), which comprise the Manchester river network, from the onset of the industrial period to the present day. Five metal(loid)s have been studied and microplastics are assessed by type, size, and density for the first time. Metal concentrations in fine-grained bed sediments are heavily enriched across the entire fluvial network, even in headwater reaches. By examining spatial patterns, it is possible to attribute a portion of this to the reworking of historically-contaminated material; although, modern, urban sources are also important. Sources of metals to channel beds are numerous and spatially complex. This is also the case for microplastic contamination; although, microplastic particles are not bound to natural sediments and exert more transient behaviour in fluvial systems. Following an extreme flood event on Boxing Day 2015 and a sustained period of high flows (winter 2015/16), metal contamination was shown to present markedly conservative behaviour despite significant reworking of bed sediments. Metal mobility was generally low and was not affected in the long-term by hydrological processes. Despite this, the results indicate that bed sediment-associated metal contamination is likely to persist into the future at levels that exceed sediment quality guidelines. In contrast, flooding is very effective in flushing high concentrations of microplastics from channel beds. This suggests that microplastic contamination can be effectively reduced through source control. The environmental significance of microplastic contamination was directly observed through the ingestion of microplastics by freshwater Tubifex worms at the distal end of the Irwell system (Salford Quays). Microplastic concentrations within worm tissue were high, indicating an increased risk for trophic transfer. This also presents a potential link to the human food chain. Furthermore, both metals and microplastics accumulate in floodplain deposits. Floodplains are effective in preserving microplastics, recording the temporal evolution of microplastic contamination over the last 75 years. Maximum values are observed in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Conversely, elevated metal concentrations occur much earlier and reflect catchment-wide patterns of industrialisation and urban growth. Reworking of channel banks forms a secondary source of metals and microplastics to the active river channel and downstream environments that will persist long into the future. Thus far, microplastics have passed under the monitoring radar and sediment contamination is rarely given due consideration in assessments of river quality, such as in the Water Framework Directive. However, this study shows that both metals and microplastics within fluvial sediments are important contaminants and have significant implications for the health of the entire aquatic system.

Forskare och myndigheter runt om i världen enas idag om att stora mängder mikroplast ackumuleras i världshaven och att dessa kan tas upp av olika levande organismer. Mikroplaster definieras ofta som plastpartiklar mindre än fem millimeter och kan härstamma från olika mänskliga aktiviteter. Majoriteten av all plast som har producerats finns idag i deponier eller i naturen. Eftersom flera studier funnit att plastadditiver lakas ut ur deponier tros lakvatten från deponier vara en potentiell källa till mikroplastutsläpp. I denna studie undersöktes förekomsten av mikroplaster ≥ 100 mikrometer i behandlat lakvatten från åtta avfallsanläggningar i Sverige: sju med deponi och en utan deponi. Lakvatten från avfallsanläggningarna filtrerades genom filter med porstorlek 100 mikrometer. Partiklar på filtren inspekterades under ett stereomikroskop och undersöktes sedan med ett smälttest för att kvantifiera antalet mikroplaster. Även referensprover med kranvatten som genomgått samma provtagningsprocedur som lakvattnet analyserades för att se om mikroplaster från andra källor än lakvattnet kan ha påverkat lakvattenproverna. I lakvattenproverna från avfallsanläggningarna med deponi återfanns mikroplastkoncentrationer mellan 0 och 2,7 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. I referensproverna återfanns mellan 0,2 och 1,7 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. På grund av liknande koncentrationer i lakvattenproverna och referensproverna gick det inte att säga om mikroplasterna fanns i lakvattnet eller om de enbart kom från på kontamination vid provtagning och analys. Resultaten indikerade därför att behandlat lakvatten från avfallsanläggningar med deponier innehåller låg eller ingen halt mikroplast ≥ 100 mikrometer. Avfallsanläggningen utan deponi som undersöktes i studien var en sorteringsanläggning. Från denna anläggning återfanns mellan 2,3 och 4,2 mikroplastpartiklar per liter i lakvattenproverna medan motsvarande siffra för referensprovet var 0,2 mikroplastpartiklar per liter. Skillnaden mellan mikroplastkoncentrationerna i lakvattenproverna och referensprovet indikerar att mikroplasterna eventuellt berodde på avfallsverksamheten. Därmed är det möjligt att mikroplaster från andra avfallsverksamheter än deponering eventuellt kan släppas ut med behandlat lakvatten. För sorteringsanläggningen togs dock enbart ett stickprov. Därför krävs ytterligare studier på sorteringsanläggningar behövs för att bekräfta resultaten. Mängdberäkningar baserade på de uppmätta mikroplastkoncentrationerna, antaget att mikroplasterna fanns i lakvattnet, indikerar att eventuella utsläpp av mikroplaster ≥ 100 mikrometer via behandlat lakvatten från svenska avfallsanläggningar med deponi maximalt är i storleksordningen tiotals kilogram per år. Detta innebär att behandlat lakvatten från avfallsanläggningar är en obetydlig källa till mikroplaster i förhållande till andra mikroplastkällor i Sverige. / Researchers and authorities worldwide recognize the substantial accumulation of microplastics in the oceans as well as the uptake of these microplastics by various living organisms. Microplastics are often defined as plastic particles smaller than five millimeters and can originate from several anthropogenic activities. The majority of all plastics ever produced are accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. Since studies have found plastic additives in leachate from landfills, landfill leachate is thought to be a possible source of microplastic emissions. In this study, the occurrence of microplastics ≥ 100 micrometers was examined in treated leachate from eight waste facilities in Sweden: seven with landfills and one without. The leachate was filtered through filters with a 100 micrometer pore size. Particles on the surface of the mesh were examined under a stereo microscope and then further investigated by a melting test in order to quantify the number of microplastic particles. To see if the leachate samples might have been contaminated with microplastics from other sources, reference samples were analyzed by letting tap water go through the same sampling procedure as the leachate samples. In the leachate samples from the waste facilities with landfills, microplastic concentrations between 0 and 2.7 microplastic particles per liter were found. In the control samples the corresponding concentrations were between 0.2 and 1.7 microplastic particles per liter. Due to similar concentrations in the leachate and control samples, it was impossible to determine if the microplastics originated from the leachate or came from contamination via sampling and analysis. The results of the study therefore indicate that the microplastic concentrations in treated leachate from landfills are low or even nonexistent. The waste facility without a landfill in the study was a sorting facility. At this facility, microplastic concentrations between 2.3 and 4.2 microplastic particles per liter were found in the leachate samples. In the control sample the corresponding concentration was 0.2 microplastic particles per liter. The difference between the concentrations in the leachate samples and control sample indicate that some of the microplastics might have originated from the leachate. Therefore it is possible that other microplastics from waste activities than landfilling can end up in the leachate. However, this result is only based on one sample. Studies including more samples from more sorting facilities are needed to confirm these results. Mass calculations based on the microplastic concentrations, assuming that detected concentrations originated from the leachate, indicate that if microplastics ≥ 100 micrometers are emitted through the leachate from Swedish landfills the maximum emission is only a few tens of kilograms per year. This makes treated leachate from waste facilities insignificant in comparison to other known microplastic sources in Sweden.

Plaster i marina miljöer är ett mycket uppmärksammat problem. På senare år har även mikroplaster uppmärksammats som ett stort miljöproblem. Mikroplasterna kan anrikas med diverse föroreningar i vattnet, de misstas även för föda och tar sig in i näringskedjan. Hälsoeffekterna av detta är ännu okända, men allt mer forskning pekar på att det kan ha en negativ inverkan. En stor andel av mikroplasterna i haven kommer från tvätt av syntetkläder. De följer med tvättvattnet ut ur maskinen och då de flesta reningsverk inte effektivt filtrerar bort dessa partiklar så förs de vidare ut i våra vattendrag. Utifrån de studier som gjorts på mikroplastemission vid hushållstvätt är det svårt att göra några jämförelser eftersom det inte finns någon standardiserad metod. Det anses viktigt att ta fram standardiserade testmetoder för att kunna få jämförbara resultat vid utvecklandet av textila material som släpper minimalt med fibrer i tvätt. Tygprover av polyetylentereftalat analyserades med syftet att utvärdera och validera en metod för att mäta fibersläpp i tvätt, framtagen hos Swerea IVF genom forskningsprogrammet Mistra Future Fashion. Metoden bygger på gyrowashtest i kombination med optisk mikroskopi med tillhörande mjukvara som automatiskt kvantifierar antalet partiklar. Enligt den statistiska analysen misslyckades försöket att upprepa metoden utan signifikanta skillnader. Troligtvis berodde detta på skillnader i förutsättningar, som exempelvis att en laserskärare nyttjades i detta projekt. För att underlätta förbehandlingen och öka repeterbarheten togs en fixtur fram för dammsugning. Fixturen gjorde även att spridningen på provresultaten minskade. Dock visade resultaten på interaktion mellan material och dammsugningsmetod vilket gör det opassande att dra entydiga statistiska slutsatser beträffande de enskilda huvudfaktorerna. Fixturen ger inga skillnader i antalet observerade fibersläpp för återvunnen polyester, men i resultatet för ny polyester syns en signifikant skillnad vid användandet av fixturen. På grund av interaktion och avvikelser för fler än en konstruktionsparameter i materialparen så går det inte att dra några signifikanta slutsatser om eventuella skillnader mellan ny och återvunnen polyester. Metoden är inte lämplig för att mäta den reella fiberemissionen vid hushållstvätt och endast funktionell för att kartlägga skillnader då en parameter i taget varieras. Vidare bör man undvika att göra jämförelser mellan försök utförda med olika förutsättningar innan dess inverkan ordentligt fastställts. / Plastics in the marine environment are an issue that has gotten a lot of attention. Lately microplastics have also been observed as an environmental problem. Contaminants in the water can be adsorbed onto the microplastics, they can also be mistaken for food and enter the food web. The health effects of this are still unknown, but research suggests that it can have a negative impact. A large proportion of the microplastics in the oceans are derived from synthetic clothing. They are shed from the garments during laundry and since most wastewater treatment plants do not efficiently filter out these particles, they end up in the ocean. Today there is no standardized method of measuring shedding and therefore difficult to make any comparisons between studies. It is considered important to develop standardized testing methods to obtain comparable results in the development of textile materials that shed less. Fabric samples of polyester were analyzed for the purpose of evaluating and validating a method of measuring shedding in laundry, developed by Swerea IVF through the research program Mistra Future Fashion. The method is based on gyrowash combined with optical microscopy and connected software that quantifies the number of particles. The method could not be reproduced at the University of Borås without significant differences in shedding. This is probably due to differences in conditions, such as the use of a laser cutter in this project. To facilitate pre-treatment and increase the reproducibility, a fixture was developed for vacuuming. The fixture also reduced the statistical dispersion of the test results. However, the results showed an interaction between the material and the method of vacuuming, thus making it inadvisable to draw any conclusions regarding each individual factor. For the recycled polyester there is no difference in shedding with the use of the fixture, but in the case of virgin polyester a significant difference is observed. Due to interaction and deviations of more than one construction parameter in the paired materials, it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding differences in shedding between virgin and recycled polyester. The method is not suitable for measuring the actual shedding in household laundry and only functions to compare differences when one parameter is varied solely. Furthermore, comparisons between trials carried out under different conditions should be avoided unless their impact has been properly established.

Neste trabalho foram analisados sedimentos marinhos de três praias da Baía de Guanabara (praia de São Bento e praia da Bica, na Ilha do Governador, e praia de São Francisco, em Niterói), Rio de Janeiro, para avaliar a presença de microplásticos (fragmentos plásticos com tamanho ≤ 5 mm) nestes ambientes. Os detritos plásticos visíveis (macroplástico) foram separados dos sedimentos manualmente e pesados. Os detritos plásticos não visíveis foram separados por densidade com solução saturada de cloreto de sódio. Os fragmentos plásticos obtidos com a separação por densidade foram caracterizados por microscopia óptica para avaliar forma e superfície, e foram classificados e quantificados em função de seu tamanho. Os fragmentos microplásticos foram separados e caracterizados por espectrometria de absorção na região do infravermelho por reflexão atenuada (ATR FT IR). Os espectros obtidos foram comparados com espectros padrão de polímeros. As três praias se apresentam contaminadas com lixo macroplástico e com lixo microplástico. Na praia da Bica, foram coletados 173 fragmentos, dos quais 73% são microplásticos. Na praia de São Bento foram 81 fragmentos e na praia de São Francisco foram 73 fragmentos, dos quais 70% e 86%, respectivamente, são microplásticos. Nas três praias foram encontrados fragmentos microplásticos de poliestireno expandido. Nas praias da Bica e de São Bento foram encontrados fragmentos de polietileno; nas praias de São Bento e São Francisco foram encontrados fragmentos microplásticos de polipropileno. O descarte irregular de lixo e atividades industriais e comerciais no entorno da baía podem ser apontados como possíveis fontes contaminantes / In this study samples of sediment of three beaches of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, (São Bento beach and Bica beach, in Ilha do Governador and São Francisco beach, in Niterói) were analyzed to investigate the contamination with microplastics (plastic fragments ≤ 5 mm). Samples of sediment were examined by naked eye to sort items of plastic debris from other materials. After separation plastic items were weighted. Non visible plastic debris were separated from sediments by density difference applying a concentrated saline NaCℓ solution. Plastic fragments picked up from supernatant were characterized by optical microscopy to analyze morphology and classified in size fractions. From sediments of Bica beach were collected 173 plastic fragments and 73% of them were microplastic. In São Bento beach were collected 81 fragments and in São Francisco beach were collected 73 fragments, from which 70% and 86%, respectively, were microplastic. The three beaches are contaminated with both microplastic and macroplastic. Microplastic fragments were characterized by ATR FT IR. Expanded polystyrene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of the three beaches. Polyethylene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of Bica and São Bento beaches and polypropylene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of São Bento and São Francisco beaches. Littering, illegal-dumping and industrial activities are possible sources of microplastic contamination of Guanabara Bay

Neste trabalho foram analisados sedimentos marinhos de três praias da Baía de Guanabara (praia de São Bento e praia da Bica, na Ilha do Governador, e praia de São Francisco, em Niterói), Rio de Janeiro, para avaliar a presença de microplásticos (fragmentos plásticos com tamanho ≤ 5 mm) nestes ambientes. Os detritos plásticos visíveis (macroplástico) foram separados dos sedimentos manualmente e pesados. Os detritos plásticos não visíveis foram separados por densidade com solução saturada de cloreto de sódio. Os fragmentos plásticos obtidos com a separação por densidade foram caracterizados por microscopia óptica para avaliar forma e superfície, e foram classificados e quantificados em função de seu tamanho. Os fragmentos microplásticos foram separados e caracterizados por espectrometria de absorção na região do infravermelho por reflexão atenuada (ATR FT IR). Os espectros obtidos foram comparados com espectros padrão de polímeros. As três praias se apresentam contaminadas com lixo macroplástico e com lixo microplástico. Na praia da Bica, foram coletados 173 fragmentos, dos quais 73% são microplásticos. Na praia de São Bento foram 81 fragmentos e na praia de São Francisco foram 73 fragmentos, dos quais 70% e 86%, respectivamente, são microplásticos. Nas três praias foram encontrados fragmentos microplásticos de poliestireno expandido. Nas praias da Bica e de São Bento foram encontrados fragmentos de polietileno; nas praias de São Bento e São Francisco foram encontrados fragmentos microplásticos de polipropileno. O descarte irregular de lixo e atividades industriais e comerciais no entorno da baía podem ser apontados como possíveis fontes contaminantes / In this study samples of sediment of three beaches of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, (São Bento beach and Bica beach, in Ilha do Governador and São Francisco beach, in Niterói) were analyzed to investigate the contamination with microplastics (plastic fragments ≤ 5 mm). Samples of sediment were examined by naked eye to sort items of plastic debris from other materials. After separation plastic items were weighted. Non visible plastic debris were separated from sediments by density difference applying a concentrated saline NaCℓ solution. Plastic fragments picked up from supernatant were characterized by optical microscopy to analyze morphology and classified in size fractions. From sediments of Bica beach were collected 173 plastic fragments and 73% of them were microplastic. In São Bento beach were collected 81 fragments and in São Francisco beach were collected 73 fragments, from which 70% and 86%, respectively, were microplastic. The three beaches are contaminated with both microplastic and macroplastic. Microplastic fragments were characterized by ATR FT IR. Expanded polystyrene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of the three beaches. Polyethylene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of Bica and São Bento beaches and polypropylene microplastic fragments were found in sediments of São Bento and São Francisco beaches. Littering, illegal-dumping and industrial activities are possible sources of microplastic contamination of Guanabara Bay

Microplastic is a widespread pollutant in marine and fresh water systems. A major pathway by which microplastics end up in these systems is via storm water. Storm water is generated as precipitation drain off of impenetrable surfaces like paving. Microplastic analysis of storm water make up a good foundation for better understanding what sources and factors contribute to microplastic pollution in marine and fresh water systems. This study puts emphasis on characterization and quantification of microplastics through visual characterization. As visual characterization is a subjective form of analysis, the characterization was performed based on guidelines in order to minimize the risk of identifying false positives. The concentration of microplastic was found to be higher in the current study than in comparison to larger water bodies and storm water streams in less urban areas. Fragments, i.e. irregular shaped particles with the appearance of being broken from a larger piece of litter, were found to be the most abundant type of microplastics, pointing at littering as a major source of microplastics in storm water.

Microplastics are emerging pollutants in the marine environment, including a range of polymers modified by varying quantities of additives and sorbed pollutants, differing in size, colour, and shape. This study focuses on characterization and quantification through visual characterization of microplastics >300 μm in surface water and at 5-meter depth in the Gulf of Bothnia. A comparison between a reference area and an urban impact area was made to estimate if the water is more polluted near rural or industrial areas. The visual characterization was based on general guidelines provided by GESAMP to minimize the risks of identifying false positives. The concentrations of microplastics were found to be similar in the current study in comparison to other studies in the Baltic Sea. There was insufficient evidence to conclude a difference between the reference area and the urban impact area. A key finding in this study was that fragments, i.e. irregular shaped hard particles having appearance of being broken down from a larger piece of litter were the most abundant type of microplastics particles found. The vast majority of the identified polymers by ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) consisted of Polyethylene (PE) and Polystyrene (PS)

Microplastics have been found in all aquatic environments and once they entered they cannot be removed. This has put new focus on the sources of microplastics where the textile industry has gained large attention. Much consideration has been given to the production of fleece fabric and the use of polyester but this report aims to explore the whole design- and production process and mapping those activities which has a large impact on microplastic release. Together with participants from five (5) Swedish Outdoor Brands and seven (7) field experts has this report mapped possible challenges and solutions. Main findings are 20 different challenging areas with 19 suggested solutions on how to prevent microplastic pollution. The result is the first in its kind doing a comprehensive study of the whole textile design- and production process and provides a broad foundation for further research. As there still is a considerable lack of knowledge about many of the issues that were brought up, both within the design- and production processes, has a shared responsibility among companies, organizations, universities and private persons been raised. Through common platforms are inspiration and awareness spread and this report aims to contribute to the gap in the current knowledge.

The marine environment is polluted by plastics of all forms and sizes. To reduce this serious pollution, it is important to identify its sources. This work focuses on the me-chanically induced breakdown of plastic into smaller fragments as a source of secondary microplastic, the time scale in which these microplastics are formed as well as the influ-ence of different environmental conditions like matrix conditions, collision potential or UV irradiation on the abrasion and fragmentation behaviour of plastic debris. Since a systematic investigation of parameter influence is not possible in the environ-ment, laboratory experiments were developed to simulate natural conditions such as drift on the beach or wave action in the (low tide) surf and swash zone. For this purpose, selected plastic objects (PET bottles, HDPE caps, PS cups and LDPE bags) were ex-posed to collision and/or friction forces under different conditions. Besides visual in-spection of the destruction procedure, a number of different methods was used to char-acterize the process, e.g., counting of visible fragments (larger than 350 μm), micro-scopic analysis of the surface structure (binocular, SEM) and highly resolved analysis of particle numbers in the size range below 350 μm. In order to extract microplastic parti-cles (<5 mm) from the matrix, extraction methods were developed that were adapted to the given sample properties (matrix volume). Furthermore, based on the particle num-bers, the power law model was applied to analyse the fragmentation process in the con-text of the observed particle size distributions. Plastic samples exhibited various signs of mechanical impairment in form of surface abrasion, cracks, tears, perforation, crumpling and finally fragmentation. The formation of fragments in different sizes (macro-, meso- and microplastics) was observed. The plastic objects were classified according to their degree of destruction to elucidate the effect of the different experimental conditions. Results show that fragmentation and abrasion depend on individual properties of the plastic objects such as thickness or shape and on the potential of weakening the plastic structure by mechanical forces (collisions) or chemical degradation (UV irradiation). Environmental conditions also influence the plastic damage; surface abrasion plays a major role on the beach; fragmentation will most likely happen in the surf- and in the swash zone. However, both processes occur simultaneously and interact with each oth-er. Formation of secondary microplastics was shown to be likely in the marine environ-ment; it must therefore be considered as an important process in the light of microplastic contamination.