微塑料已经在生物群和其他环境领域进行了研究,比如土壤。尽管地下水作为全球数百万人的饮用水和个人卫生资源非常重要,domestic,农业,采矿,和工业用途,世界上很少有关于微塑料的研究。我们提出了拉丁美洲针对这一主题的第一项研究。分析了六个封顶钻孔的丰度,浓度,和化学表征,在三个不同的深度,来自墨西哥西北部的一个沿海含水层。该含水层具有高度渗透性,并受到人为活动的影响。在18个样品中总共发现了330个微塑料。在浓度方面,间隔范围从10到34个颗粒/L,平均为18.3个颗粒/L。确定了四种合成聚合物:全同立构聚丙烯(iPP),羟乙基纤维素(HEC),羧化聚氯乙烯(PVC),和低密度聚乙烯(LDPE);每个钻孔中iPP含量最高(55.8%)。农业活动和化粪池外流被认为是这些污染物进入含水层的潜在区域来源。建议了三种可能的含水层运输途径:(1)海洋入侵,(2)沼泽入侵,和(3)通过土壤的渗透。更多关于这种情况的研究,浓度,和不同种类的微塑料在地下水中的分布需要更好地了解生物的行为和健康风险,包括人类。
Microplastics have been studied on biota and other environmental domains, such as soils. Despite the importance of groundwater as a resource for millions of people worldwide as drinking water and personal hygiene, domestic, agricultural, mining, and industrial purposes, there are very few studies concerning microplastics in this domain around the world. We present the first study in Latin America addressing this topic. Six capped boreholes were analyzed in terms of abundance, concentration, and chemical characterization, at three different depths, from a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico. This aquifer is highly permeable and affected by anthropogenic activities. A total of 330 microplastics were found in the eighteen samples. In terms of concentration, the interval ranged from 10 to 34 particles/L, with an average of 18.3 particles/L. Four synthetic polymers were identified: isotactic polypropylene (iPP), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), carboxylated polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE); with iPP being the most abundant (55.8%) in each borehole. Agriculture activities and septic outflows are considered the potential regional sources of these contaminants into the aquifer. Three possible transport pathways to the aquifer are suggested: (1) marine intrusion, (2) marsh intrusion, and (3) infiltration through the soil. More research about the occurrence, concentration, and distribution of the different kinds of microplastics in groundwater is needed to have a better understanding of the behavior and health risks to organisms, including human beings.