abstract
Plastics are indispensable and persistent materials used in daily life that can be fragmented into micro- or nanoplastics. They are long polymer chains mixed with additives that can be toxic when in contact with distinct species. The toxicity can result from polymer matrix, additives, degradation products and adsorbed contaminants. Notwithstanding, there is still an immense gap of information concerning the individual and mixed impacts of plastics. Hence, in this study, we characterize the most common plastic materials widely used in our daily life by its polymer type and compile the environmental and human health hazards of these polymers including the impacts of monomers, additives, degradation products and adsorbed contaminants based on literature review. In summary, polyvinyl chloride is the most toxic polymer type used daily (monomer and additives); additives are more toxic than monomers to wildlife and humans; and the most toxic additives are benzene, phthalates and lead stabilisers.
keywords
PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS; MYTILUS-EDULIS L.; FRESH-WATER; POLYSTYRENE NANOPARTICLES; MICROPLASTIC PARTICLES; MARINE DEBRIS; SYNTHETIC PARTICLES; ARENICOLA-MARINA; TROPHIC TRANSFER; GUT MICROBIOTA
subject category
Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; Toxicology
authors
Rodrigues, MO; Abrantes, N; Goncalves, FJM; Nogueira, H; Marques, JC; Goncalves, AMM
our authors
Helena Isabel Seguro Nogueira
Assistant Professor with Aggregationacknowledgements
This study was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES) through national funds UID/AMB/50017/2019 granted to Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) and UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), and through the Regional Operational Programme CENTR02020 within the scope of the project CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000006. A. M. M. Gonsalves acknowledges FCT (SFRH/BPD/97210/2013) co-funded by the Human Potential Operational Programme (National Strategic Reference Framework 2007-2013), European Social Fund (EU), and the program POPH/FSE, and University of Coimbra Contract IT057-18-7253. N. Abrantes is recipient of an FCT researcher contract (IF/01198/2014) and M. O. Rodrigues is recipient of a research grant from FCT (SFRH/BD/136931/2018) funded by National Funds and Community Funds through FSE.