Metals in microplastics: determining which are additive, adsorbed, and bioavailable

Abstract

Microplastics from the North Atlantic Gyre deposited on Guadeloupe beaches were sampled and characterized. A new method is developed to identify which elements were present as additives in these microplastics. The method used both acidic leaching and acidic digestion. Several elements (Al, Zn, Ba, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Cr) were identified as pigments. Furthermore, some elements used as additives to plastics (especially the non-essential elements) seem to contribute to most of the acidic leaching, suggesting that these additives can leach and adsorb onto the surface microplastics, becoming bioavailable. Based on the acidic leaching element content, only Cd should represent a danger for fish when ingested. However, further studies are needed to determine the potential synergetic effect on health caused by the ingestion of several elements and microplastics.