Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment : Green Analytical Protocols, Vectors of Pharmaceuticals and Risk to Biota

This presentation will cover different aspects of microplastics (MPs) and Macro-Plastic litter pollution in coastal waters , rivers ,sediments and lakes . Case studies of MP pollution in several coastal environments, sediments and catchments of China,. Saudi Arabia, India, Europe and Australia will be reported An important bullet point of this lecture will discuss green analytical chemistry (GAC) protocols for the analysis of MPs in water . Within the last years green, eco-friendly and sustainable solutions are making their way into analytical chemistry. Information on the consumption of toxic solvents and energy is now a part of everyday life. Emphasis on inter-laboratory studies and method validation will be reported This lecture will describe as well MPs as vectors of pharmaceuticals as well as the risks to the aquatic environment. As regards to the increasing concern of MPs as vectors of pharmaceuticals being adsorption as key element that will depend on different factors such as the hydrophobicity of the compounds having a crucial role on the sorption affinity of pharmaceuticals on MPs . Risks to the aquatic environment of MPs and Bio-Plastics to communities, biological diversity, and ecosystem processes will be evaluated. As regards to toxicity of MPs that is not only related to the toxicity they release into the environment, but also to their size and shape in particular, smaller MPs and nanoplastic particles are more toXic to organisms. Bioindicators and biomonitoring using bivalves such as Mytilus galloprovincialis- “mussel watch”- have been found to be the most suitable organisms for biomonitoring of MPs in the marine environment. Lastly, discussions on the excessive use of plastic should start soon with the involvement of the scientific community, plastic producers, politicians , NGOs and the general public in order to find a sustainable solution.