Havsmiljöer är idag den slutliga anhalten för den nedskräpning av plast som kommer ifrån avloppsvatten och allmän nedskräpning. Stora mängder plastpartiklar i olika storlekar har upptäckts i haven och även inuti djur som misstagit plasten som föda. Forskning visar att en stor del av plasten är av mikroskopisk storlek, så kallade mikroplaster. Inom denna grupp förekommer textilfibrer som likt andra plaster är svårnedbrytbara i naturen. Det har genom studier påvisats att små textila fiber rinner ut med avloppsvattnet och hamnar i haven. PET är en av de vanligaste plasterna och utifrån denna tillverkas polyesterfiber som är det i särklass mest använda materialet inom textiltillverkning. Att plastfragment från textilier skadar havsmiljön är en ny upptäckt och ämnet behöver undersökas i fler dimensioner än vad forskningen hittills gjort. Projektet syftar därför till att klargöra vilka egenskaper som påverkar mängden emission av polyesterfiber vid hushållsnära tvättning. Detta uppnås genom experimentella undersökningar av olika materialkombinationer som tvättas under lika omständigheter. Tvättvattnet analyseras och fibrerna räknas för att erhålla en jämförande studie kring polyestermaterials tendens till fällning av fibrer. Tre faktorer stod till grund för framtagning av metod: utveckling och förbättring av nuvarande metod, att efterlikna hushållstvätt samt tillförlitlighet i resultat. Detta har uppnåtts genom att laborationstvättmaskiner använts istället för kommersiella då detta ger ett vetenskapligt mer säkerställt resultat, något som har bejakats i största möjliga mån i varje steg. Alla polyestermaterial är stickade, färgade och mekaniskt bearbetade på Textilhögskolan för att garantera att samtliga material är tillverkade under samma förhållanden. Olika filtreringsmetoder har testats för att fastställa säkerhet i resultatet. Framtagning av material, tvättning, filtrering och analys var de centrala huvudmomenten för det praktiska arbetet. Analysen har gjorts manuellt där varje partikel på filtret har räknats. Resultatet visade att mikrofibergarn generellt fällde mer än filamentgarn. En högre delning vid stickning gav mer emission än en lägre och att material som slitits resulterade i mer shedding. Kombination av dessa tre faktorer; mikrofibergarn, hög delning och material som slitits gav ett resultat markant större mängd fiberemission än de tyger med endast två av dessa faktorer sammansatta. Tygerna som endast innehöll en av dessa faktorer gav betydligt lägre mängd fällning. Fleecematerial stickat i mikrofibergarn visade sig fälla mindre än en slätstickad vara med samma garntyp stickad i högre delning. Metoden som använts vid framtagning av fleecematerial är ifrågasatt, då kvalitén av dessa inte tycktes motsvara en industriellt framtagen fleecevara. Därför ställer man sig kritisk till detta resultat. De tyger som gav störst respektive minst andel emission av fibrer tvättades ytterligare för att studera inverkan av upprepad tvättning. Emissionen ökade med antal tvättar tills den så småningom avtog när fibrer slitits bort. Resultatet visar att man i största möjliga mån inte bör kombinera polyestervaror i trikå med garn 100den/144f, delning 28 som är smärglad. / The marine environment today, has become the end station for plastics, waste from wastewater and general litter. Large quantities of plastic particles of different sizes have been detected in the ocean, with resulting animals ingesting this mistaking it for food. Science shows that a large part of these plastic fragments are of microscopic size, named microplastics, and within this group there are textile fibres that like other plastics are resistant and detrimental to nature. Studies have shown that when washing, the wastewater carries these small textile fibres and allows them to pass trough the purification.   PET is one of the most used plastics and common in polyester fibre manufacture, by far the most used material in textile manufacturing. A new discovery, finds that the plastic fragments damage the marine environment, and the subject needs to be analysed in more detail than research has covered so far. This project aims to clarify which properties affect the amount of polyester fibre emissions when domestic washing. To investigate this, experimental tests were carried out on different material combinations washed under the same circumstances. Water from the wash was analysed and fibres were counted in order to complete a comparative study of polyester materials tend to shed.   Three factors were considered for developing the method: development and improvement of existing method, aiming to resemble household wash and ensure reliability of results, all done by laboration washers instead of using commercial washing machines. Safety of results has been considerably affirmed during every step. Every polyester material was knitted, coloured and mechanically processed by the research group to guarantee that all of the materials was manufactured under same conditions. Different filter methods have been used to determine safety in results. Manufacturing of material, washing, filtering and analysis were the central focus for the practical work. The analysis came from manual count of every fibre particle.   The result showed that microfiber yarn generally shed more than the filament yarn. A higher gauge gave more emission than a lower and that a worn material resulted in more shedding. The combination of these three factors; microfiber yarn, high gauge and a worn material gave markedly higher results than when tested with only two factors. The tests that only contained one of these factors gave significantly lower amount of emission. Fleece knitted in microfiber yarn had a lower level of shedding than a single jersey material in same yarn type with higher gauge. The method used for manufacturing is questioned, because the quality that should correspond an industrial produced fleece was not matched. Therefore, the result is critically inspected. The two combinations from the chosen parameters that gave the most respective and the least amount fibre emission were analysed additionally with more wash to assess their further effect. Here the emission seemed to increase with the amount of wash until it eventually subsided when more or less the fibres had worn away. Based on this result, one can finally say that these three factors should not be combined to manufacture knitted material in polyester.

Mikroskräp, vilket är partiklar mindre än 5 mm, kan exempelvis bestå av textilfibrer, plast-, gummi-, väg- och förbränningspartiklar. Partiklarna sprids i miljön på grund av mänskliga aktiviteter och problemet är internationellt uppmärksammat, speciellt för mikroplaster där många vetenskapliga studier har gjorts. Det är känt att mikroskräp kan vara problematiskt då partiklarna dels kan bestå av toxiska ämnen, de kan även föra med sig skadliga ämnen via adsorption till recipient vilket kan påverka växter och djur negativt. Slutligen kan djur missta partiklarna som föda vilket kan leda till kvävning och svält. Studier på mikroskräp utförs för att öka kunskapen om bland annat spridningen och hur omgivningen påverkas av de små skräppartiklarna. Hittills har få studier gjorts på mikroskräpförekomster i urbana områden. För att öka den kunskapen om förekomsten av mikroskräp i den urbana miljön har en studie genomförts i Luleå där syftet var att undersöka typ och kvantitet mikroskräp som förekommer i den urbana miljön. Olika områdestyper har granskats och dessa är; flerfamiljshusområde, villaområde, centrum/park, centrum/trafik, handelsområde, industriområde och ett icke-urbant område. Storleks- och färgvariationer samt skillnader mellan områdestypernas skräpförekomster skulle också studeras. Prover från alla områdestyper togs under våren 2018 från orörd snö där föroreningar ackumulerats under vinterhalvåret. Med orörd snö menas sådan snö som är opåverkad från yttre faktorer som exempelvis nedtrampning eller skottning. Den smälta snön filtrerades genom två filter som hade porstorlekarna 300 µm och 50 µm. Även analyser av pH, konduktivitet, suspenderat material och glödgningsförlust gjordes på prov från alla områden. Filtren analyserades i stereomikroskop med en förstoring på cirka 40 gånger. Antalet naturliga fibrer, plastfibrer, plastpartiklar och svarta partiklar analyserades från alla filter och färgen hos fibrerna och plastpartiklarna noterades. De svarta partiklarna delades upp i väg-, eller förbränningspartiklar, gummipartiklar och sfäriska förbränningspartiklar. Resultaten visade att det förekommer mikroskräppartiklar i den urbana miljön. Det var främst svarta partiklar som detekterades, antalet uppgick till hundratals upp mot tusentals partiklar per liter. Antalet detekterade fibrer från urbana områden varierade mellan ca 150-200 stycken per liter medan det detekterats ca 40 fibrer per liter från det rurala området. Förekomsten av plastpartiklar från de olika områdestyperna var mer sällsynt då det endast detekterades från tre av sju provtagningsområden, antalet uppgick till 5-11 partiklar per liter. Det detekterades fler partiklar i den mindre storleksfraktionen, 50–300 µm i jämförelse med den större >300 µm. Fibrernas färger varierade mycket från varje provtagningsplats men vanliga färger var svart, blå och transparant. Flest partiklar detekterades i prov från de urbana områdestyperna centrum park, centrum trafik och från handelsområdet. Minst antal partiklar detekterades i det icke-urbana området som hade minst urban påverkan. Slutsatser som drogs från studien var att det förekommer och sprids mikroskräp i den urbana miljön. Områden som har större exponering av människor och trafik har också ett högre antal mikroskräppartiklar per liter samt per kvadratmeter och dag. Genom att undersöka förekomsten av mikroskräp i fler städer samt att använda ytterligare karaktäriserande metoder för att bestämma vilken typ av partikel som detekterats så hade det bidragit till ökad kunskap om förekomsten och spridningen av mikroskräp i urbana miljöer. / Micro litter, which are particles less than 5 mm, can include, for example textile- and plastic fibres, plastic-, rubber-, road-, and combustion particles. The particles are present and widespread in the environment due to human activities and the problem is internationally noted. Especially for microplastics, which is a part of micro litter, where many scientific studies are made. It is known that micro litter particles could both consist of and bring harmful elements via adsorption to the recipient where animals and plants could be adversely affected. The micro litter could also be mistaken of being food by animals. Micro litter studies are made to increase the knowledge about the occurrence, effects and fate of the small particles. So far, only a few studies are made on the occurrence of micro litter in urban areas.To increase the knowledge of the occurrence of microliter in the urban environment, a study has been carried out in Luleå (north of Sweden) where the purpose was to investigate the type and quantity of micro litter that occurs in the urban environment. Different types of areas have been studied, these are; an apartment area, an area of villas, a park and an area with a lot of traffic in the city centre, commercial area, industrial area and a rural undeveloped area. Differences in particle sizes and colour, together with the variations between the studied areas was also determined. All different studied areas were sampled during spring 2018 of untouched snow, which means undisturbed snow (not e.g. shovelled snow). Meltwater from the snow was filtrated through two filters with mesh sizes of 300 µm and 50 µm. Analysis of pH, conductivity, suspended solids and loss of ignition was also made. The filters were analysed in a stereo microscope with a magnification of around 40 times. The number of fibres, both plastic and naturally occurring, plastic particles and black particles were counted from all filters. The colour of the fibres and plastic particles were also noted. The black particles were divided between road or combustion particles, rubber particles and spherical combustion particles.The results showed that micro litter particles occur in the urban environment. The most common type of discovered micro litter was black particles, hundred up to thousands of particles per litre was detected. The number of detected fibres from urban areas varied between 150-200 per litre, while in the rural area, 40 fibres per litre were detected. The occurrence of plastic particles were more rare in the different sampling locations, since it only was detected in three of seven sampling areas and varied between 5-11 particles per litre. In the smaller particle fraction, 50– 300 µm, a higher number of particles were detected in comparison with the larger fraction (>300 µm). A large variation was seen between colours of the fibres, the most common ones were black, blue and transparent. The largest amount of micro litter was detected in the urban areas, in the park and the area with traffic in the city centre and from the commercial area. Least particles were detected in the rural area which had the least urban impact. Conclusions drawn from the study were that micro litter occurs and are widespread in the urban environment. Areas with high exposure to humans and traffic also have higher amounts of micro litter particles per litre and per square meter and day.By investigating the presence of micro litter in more cities and using additional characterizing methods for determining the type of particles that have been detected, it would have contributed to increasing knowledge about the occurrence and spread of micro litter in urban environments.

abstract: Microplastics are emerging to be major problem when it comes to water pollution and they pose a great threat to marine life. These materials have the potential to affect a wide range of human population since humans are the major consumers of marine organisms. Microplastics are less than 5 mm in diameter, and can escape from traditional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes and end up in our water sources. Due to their small size, they have a large surface area and can react with chlorine, which it encounters in the final stages of WWTP. After the microplastics accumulate in various bodies of water, they are exposed to sunlight, which contains oxidative ultraviolet (UV) light. Since the microplastics are exposed to oxidants during and after the treatment, there is a strong chance that they will undergo chemical and/or physical changes. The WWTP conditions were replicated in the lab by varying the concentrations of chlorine from 70 to 100 mg/L in increments of 10 mg/L and incubating the samples in chlorine baths for 1–9 days. The chlorinated samples were tested for any structural changes using Raman spectroscopy. High density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) were treated in chlorine baths and observed for Raman intensity variations, Raman peak shifts, and the formation of new peaks over different exposure times. HDPE responded with a lot of oxidation peaks and shifts of peaks after just one day. For the degradation of semi-crystalline polymers, there was a reduction in crystallinity, as verified by thermal analysis. There was a decrease in the enthalpy of melting as well as the melting temperature with an increase in the exposure time or chlorine concentration, which pointed at the degradation of plastics and bond cleavages. To test the plastic response to ii UV, the samples were exposed to sunlight for up to 210 days and analyzed under Raman spectroscopy. Overall the physical and chemical changes with the polymers are evident and makes a way for the wastewater treatment plant to take necessary steps to capture the microplastics to avoid the release of any kind of degraded microplastics that could affect marine life and the environment. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Chemical Engineering 2017

Há tempos a ubiquidade dos materiais plásticos no meio ambiente é assunto de discussão, com destaque para as partículas menores, ditas microplásticos (< 5 milímetros). Fibras provenientes de materiais têxteis são um subgrupo dos microplásticos e têm origem em diversas fontes, incluindo lavagens domesticas, uma vez que filtros de lavadoras e sistemas de tratamento de esgoto não são desenhados especificamente para retê-las. Quando no meio ambiente, estes materiais podem alcançar concentrações até milhares de unidades por metro cúbico, ficando disponíveis a uma gama de espécies. Neste cenário, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar parâmetros de lavagem, e características têxteis que pudessem influenciar no desprendimento de fibras em efluentes de lavadoras domesticas. Foram realizados experimentos com dez sucessivas lavagens individuais, com e sem detergente, para quatro tipos de artigo: algodão (como padrão de comparação), acrílico, poliéster e poliamida. Os efluentes foram então filtrados (< 1 milímetro, 500 mícrons, 63 mícrons, 8 mícrons) e pesados. Resultados demonstram que todos os artigos têxteis liberaram fibras na lavagem. Dez sucessivas lavagens representaram queda na massa desprendida, bem como o uso de detergentes em comparação a lavagens sem detergente. Diferenças entre artigos sugeriram variação conforme características têxteis, onde algodão liberou mais fibras, seguido de acrílico, poliamida e poliéster. Em relação ao tamanho das fibras, a maioria ficou retida no filtro da lavadora (< 1 milímetro) e na peneira de 63 mícrons, mostrando o potencial de diminuição de porosidade do filtro. A visualização de fibras em papel-filtro de 8 mícrons sugere a existência de fibras micro e nano. Convertendo massa para numero de unidades, a lavagem individual de um artigo têxtil mostrou desprender entre milhares e centenas de milhares de fibras. Para uma extrapolação mundial, cerca de 40,4 mil toneladas de algodão e 21,5 mil toneladas de fibras sintéticas seriam liberadas em efluentes de esgoto. No Brasil estes valores corresponderiam, respectivamente, a 1,6 mil e 860 toneladas ano. Caso fossem tratadas em estações de tratamento de esgoto em condições ideais, seriam liberadas, em um ano, cerca de 737 toneladas de fibras sintéticas em escala mundial e 29 toneladas em escala nacional. Uma vez em cursos d\'água, estas fibras atingiriam, em ultima instância, o ambiente marinho, indicando a necessidade por soluções que combatam este tipo de poluição, sem antes deixar de explorar as lacunas do conhecimento, relacionadas, no âmbito têxtil, especialmente às diferenças metodológicas entre os estudos. / Since decades, the ubiquity of plastic materials in the environment has been a matter of discussion. Smaller pieces, named microplastic (< 5 millimeters) gained more attention recently and are now the focus of several studies. Textile fibers are a subgroup of microplastics and can be originated from several sources, including domestic washings, once filters and sewage treatment plants are not specifically designed to retain them. In the environment, these materials can reach concentrations up to millions of units per cubic meter, being available to many species. The objective of the present study was to evaluate washing parameters and also textile characteristics, which could influence in fibers emission from domestic washing machines. Experiments were done in ten successive times, with and without detergent, for four types of articles: cotton (as a pattern for comparison), acrylic, polyester and polyamide. Resulting effluents were then filtered in different porosities (< 1 millimeter, 500 microns, 63 microns, 8 microns), weighted, related to mass of textile articles and simulated regarding number of fibers. Results demonstrated that all textile articles emitted fibers during domestic washings. Ten successive washings represented a decrease in the emitted mass, as well as the use of detergent in relation to washings without the product. Differences between articles suggested variation of results according to textile characteristics, where the ranking of emission was: cotton, acrylic, polyamide and polyester. When considering the size of fibers, the majority was retained in the filter of the washing machine (porosity < 1 millimiter) and in 63 microns sieve, when compared to 500 microns sieve, showing the importance of the filter of the washing machine and the potential to decrease its porosity. Fibers retained in the filter- paper of 8 microns, couldnt be weighted because of its low mass, but their visualization suggests the existence of fibers in micro and nano scales. Converting mass to number of fibers, one individual washing was responsible for something between thousands and hundred of thousands of units. When extrapolating values to a global perspective, it reaches something around 40.4 thousand tonnes of cotton per year and 21.5 thousand tonnes of synthetic fibers per year. In a Brazilian perspective, these values correspond, respectively, to 1.6 thousand tonnes year and 860 tonnes year. If this effluents were all treated in sewage treatment plants, in ideal conditions, still they would release something like 737 tonnes of synthetic fibers per year in a global scale and 29 tonnes of synthetic fibers per year in a national scale. Once in water bodies, those fibers would reach the marine environment, indicating the necessity of solutions that could impair this kind of pollution, not before solving knowledge gaps, specially related, in the textile area, to methodology differences between studies

Dentre as diferentes poluições presentes nos oceanos, o plástico é provavelmente, aquele que leva aos maiores impactos ambientais, sendo encontrado de praias e manguezais à giros no meio dos oceanos. Os macroplásticos, cujo tamanho é superior a 5mm, são maiores em volume e provocam um impacto socioambiental importante, porém os microplásticos, fragmentos menores que 5mm, estão em maior quantidade e podem provocar danos em organismos marinhos filtradores como mexilhões e ostras. Apesar da sua grande presença nos oceanos, ainda não se estabeleceu com clareza se causam efeitos somente físicos, por um aumento de material particulado não orgânico ingerido, ou se seus efeitos podem ser de origem química, devido à quantidade de contaminantes que possuem. Para estudar o impacto que essas partículas têm em organismos filtradores, o mexilhão Perna perna, espécie bioindicadora abundante na costa brasileira, foi exposto a partículas de polietileno encontradas em cosméticos nacionais. O microplástico foi adquirido diretamente da indústria e precisou ser identificado. A análise de FT&minus;IR mostrou que o plástico era polietileno de baixa densidade. Os organismos então foram expostos ao polietileno, virgem ou lixiviado, em duas concentrações (0,5 g&frasl;L e 2,5 g&frasl;L) por diferentes períodos (12,24,48,96 e 144 horas). Após os experimentos, os mexilhões foram coletados e dissecados e a resposta de seis biomarcadores foi analisada: O Tempo de Retenção do Vermelho Neutro nos hemócitos, Danos ao DNA e Lipoperoxidação nas brânquias e os níveis de três proteínas de estresse (AIF&minus;1, pP38&minus;MAPK e HSP&minus;70) nas glândulas digestivas. Todos os biomarcadores foram afetados pela exposição ao polietileno, porém um padrão no resultado não pôde ser observado. Os fatores de exposição analisados (Concentração, Período e Tratamento do Plástico) individualmente, ou combinados, levaram a respostas diferentes e até mesmo opostas em alguns casos. A coleta de indivíduos de P. perna in situ na região do Porto de Santos mostrou que todos os bancos naturais possuem organismos contaminados. Os resultados deste trabalho mostram que a fisiologia do mexilhão P. perna é modificada após a exposição aguda ao polietileno. Um maior número de biomarcadores deve ser analisado futuramente para elucidar quais vias estão efetivamente sendo ativadas ou inibidas. O alto nível de contaminação dos mexilhões da região do porto de Santos é um fator alarmante que deve ser discutido pela sociedade com o intuito de se criar soluções para o problema da poluição por plástico nos oceanos antes que este afete a saúde humana. / Among all different pollutants, plastic debris is one of the main environmental impacts, being found from beaches and mangrove to gyres in the middle of the oceans. Macroplastics, with size above 5mm, are larger in volume and are an important social and environmental problem, but microplastics, fragments less than 5mm can be most harmful for filter feeding animals such as mussels and oysters. However, it is still debatable if its effects are physical, due to the increase in indigestible material; or chemical, due to plastic additives such as phthalates or PCBs. To study the impact that these particles can have in those animals, the brown mussel Perna perna (Bivalvia) an abundant and an organism easy to maintain in the laboratory, was exposed to virgin or leached polyethylene (PE) microbeads, used as abrasives in Brazilian cosmetics. Polyethylene was acquired directly from the industry and therefore needed to be identified. Analysis of FT&minus;IR showed that the plastic was Low Density Polyethylene. The microplastic exposure had two concentrations (0.5 and 2.5g&frasl;l) and different periods of time (12, 24, 48, 96 and 144 hours). After the experiment, the organisms were dissected and the levels of six biomarkers were analyzed: Neutral Red Retention Time by the Hemocytes, Lipid Peroxidation and DNA Damages in the Gills and the response levels of three stress proteins (pP38&minus;MAPK, AIF&minus;1 and HSP&minus;70) in the Digestive Glands. All biomarkers were affected by the PE exposure, but the results did not follow a pattern. The exposure factors analyzed (Concentration, Period of Time and Plastic Treatment), alone or combined, led to different and sometimes opposite responses. In Situ collected samples in the Santos Harbour area showed that all natural mussel\'s beds analyzed had microplastics contaminated mussels. The results of this work showed that microplastics acute exposure in P. perna modifies its physiology. More biomarkers should be used to clarify which pathways are being activated or inhibited. The high levels of contamination of important commercial mussel\'s beds in the Santos Harbour area, is an alarming sign for the community, that should start working together to solve the plastic pollution problem in our oceans before starts to affect human health.

Le risque environnemental lié à la présence de plastiques dans les milieux aquatiques a été suggéré, pour le milieu marin, dès les années 1970. Même s’il reste incomplètement cerné (d’un point de vue écotoxicologique essentiellement), il ressort de la littérature qu’il est significatif. Même si certains travaux suggèrent qu’une grande partie de ces plastiques provient des eaux continentales, il n’existe aujourd’hui peu d’étude sur les niveaux d’imprégnation des milieux aquatiques en milieu continental et aucune à l’échelle des bassins versants urbains pour préciser l’importance des différentes sources urbaines.Dans cette étude, les macroplastiques (> 5 mm) ainsi que les microplastiques (<5 mm) sont considérés. Les flux de macroplastiques dans la Seine ont été estimés à l’aide d’une étude de terrain mais aussi à l’aide d’une approche théorique. En ce qui concerne les microplastics, les fibres (synthétiques et artificielles) ainsi que les fragments ont été étudiés dans différent compartiments du système urbain. L’air intérieur, les retombées atmosphériques, les eaux de ruissellement, les effluents et affluents de stations d’épuration ainsi que les rejets urbains en temps de pluie ont été étudiés.Les concentrations en microplastiques dans le milieu récepteur ont aussi été estimées. Le suivi de la contamination des eaux de surface a été abordé selon deux méthodes d’échantillonnage distinctes : échantillonnage par un filet avec une maille de 80 μm et par un filet de 330 µm. L’homogénéité des fibres le long de la section a aussi été estimée, tout comme la variabilité temporelle à court terme. Pour finir, un suivi mensuel sur 19 mois a été effectué en amont et en aval de Paris.Cette étude a permis de montrer que les flux de microplastiques dans la Seine représentent une masse négligeable par rapport aux flux de macroplastiques. Elle confirme aussi l’ubiquité des fibres dans tous les compartiments. Les fragments sont quant à eux particulièrement concentrés dans les rejets urbains en temps de pluie. Pour la première fois, il a été montré que le compartiment atmosphérique jouait un rôle potentiellement important, autant que source de microplastiques / Plastic pollution has been widely studied in marine environment since 1972 and mostly since 2004. Investigations on plastic pollution in freshwater and especially in urban catchments just started at the beginning of the decade, and urban plastic pollution sources and its related fluxes in rivers remains mainly unknown. Thus a specific attention should be paid to the plastic contamination in catchments exposed to severe anthropogenic pressure, especially within the urban areas. This PhD thesis focuses on the case of the Paris agglomeration and its impact on the Seine River. A double approach was carried out as both macro- (>5mm) and micro- (<5mm) plastics were considered.The amount of macroplastics conveyed by the Seine River was estimated with a field study and with a theoretical approach.Regarding microplastics, fibers (made with synthetic but also man-made polymers) and fragments were both investigated in different compartments of the urban system. The study focused on the air compartment (indoor and outdoor air as well as atmospheric fallout), the sewer system (from the washing machine disposals to the WWTP influents and effluents), and the inputs during wet weathers periods, i.e, runoff and combined sewer overflows. Fibers and fragments were also examined on the Seine River.This work aimed at providing relevant methodological keys to address sampling of microplastic in rivers. Two mesh size nets were tested (80 µm vs. 300 µm). The homogeneity of fibers distribution in rivers was also verified as the short term temporal and spatial variabilities were evaluated. In order to highlight the potential impact of the Paris agglomeration, a monthly monitoring on 5 sites upstream and downstream Paris was carried out as well.This thesis mainly highlighted the ubiquity of fibers in all compartments. Fibers were predominant in comparison to fragments in all compartments. Combined sewer overflows exhibited particularly high amounts of fragments. On the other hand, the flux of microplastics in the Seine River was proved be negligible in terms of mass in comparison to macroplastics. This study is also the first one showing that the atmospheric compartment needs to be considered as a potential significant source of microplastics

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The problems with microplastics, small plastic particles contaminating the environment, is a subject of heated discussions today. It has been recognized that the microplastics are not inert, but instead they have an impact on all enviromnental compartments. There are studies describing the negative effects of microplastics, for example on fauna and flora or on human health, but the effects on soil quality have not been sufficiently described. The aim of this thesis was to assess the short and medium term effects that microplastics could have on the soil. In this work, a series of experiments were performed to elucidate the fate of microplastics in the soil. Changes in soil organic matter thermal properties, soil respiration, amount of water and soil aggregation depending on the incubation time were monitored. Three types of agricultural land (chernozem, cambisol and phaeozem), which were contaminated with different concentrations od PET and tyre rubber, were tested. The results confirmed the specific effects of microplastics on soil properties, which were observed in non-incubated samples (i.e. at the time of incubation 0 months), microplastics did not behave inertly in the soil and affected, for example, soil properties, texture and respiration.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to investigate the removability of microplastsic particles with different shapes (fragments, sphers, fibers) by standard water treatment process, such as coagulation, filtration and sedimentation. For the experimental purpose in this study, polyvinyl chloride with a size ≤ 50 μm and a density of 1.38 g/cm3 , was used as a representative of microplastics. The coagulation has been provided by ferric sulphate in pH range 5, 6, 7 and 8 and at a diferent dose of coagulant 20, 40, and 60 mg/l. The study results has shown, that the coagulation efficiency of polyvinyl chloride particles were affected by pH. The optimal value of pH has been 7 at the coagulant dose of 20, 40 and 60 mg/l. The presence of polyvinyl chloride shown a positive effect on coagulation. It has been reflected in a reduction of the residuals of iron concentration after coagulation, at pH 5-7. Solution with polyvinyl chloride contained 1,2 mg/l dissolved organic carbon. After fitlration the concentration decreased up to 70 % at pH 7 at dose of coagulant 40 and 60 mg/l. Experiments have shown that polyvinyl chloride particles are capable of faster sedimentation after coagulation. The flocs formed during coagulation interacted effectively with the polyvinyl chloride particles and facilitate their removal...

Microplastics (MPs) constitute a risk to both human and environmental health. It is vital to identify sources and pathways to take the necessary action and limit the number of MPs in our environments. However, we currently have a limited understanding regarding MPs' variation with time in urban environments in an indoor setting. This knowledge gap is partly due to the absence of standard sampling procedures, and there is a need to develop reliable sampling techniques. This study evaluates the effectivity of a novel tape-lifting method developed for sampling MPs from various urban surfaces and applies this technique to measure weekly trends in artificial polymer deposition within an indoor environment at Umeå University. Two stone floor surfaces were sampled repeatedly on eight occasions over three weeks. Recovered MPs were identified in a microscope and categorized after shape: fibers or fragments. My developed tape-lifting method showed high MP recoveries (on average 100 ±4%) for the majority of the tested indoor surfaces (floors and tables). However, the method proved less functional for outdoor substrates (asphalt), where the recovery was significantly lower (on average, 48% ± 17). In my monitoring of MPs, I found that the deposition rate of fibers did not significantly differ between the two sampling sites or change over the three weeks. In contrast, MPs of fragment-type varied both between sampling sites and as a function of time. Here, the MP deposition rate was, on average, nearly two times higher at one of the sites, indicating substantial spatial variation. Regarding temporal variation, fragmented MPs showed an overall decrease in the number of deposited fragments over the three-week period. Interestingly the lack of variation in fibrous MPs indicates a dominating input source of fibers that is both homogenous for the room and static with time. In contrast, a specific source that is also time-sensitive appears to influence the dispersal pattern of fragmented MPs. My findings highlight the need to consider the temporal dimension of MP contamination and for research focusing on the relationship between fragmented MPs and their sources in indoor environments.