Microplastics
Microplastics (plastic items with dimensions ≤5 mm), a form of man-made litter, have been accumulating in the oceans for at least over the last four decades, while they are coming into focus as scientists begin to recognize their penetration into our ecosystems and food chains. The biggest contributor of microplastics (MPs) is the breakdown of larger secondary plastics, including textiles, packaging materials, tire wear, and consumer products that are released into the environment in an everyday base, via atmospheric deposition, littering, and wastewater processes.
As a matter of the fact, understanding the hazards posed by MPs in the ecosystems requires understanding of the alterations they undergo as a result of environmental weathering processes, like UV exposure, thermooxidation and physical stress. Currently, our team is working on the investigation of the effects that weathering poses on the physicochemical properties of the widely used plastics, leading finally to the MPs’ formation.
In this framework, the omnipresent character of microplastics (MPs) in environmental matrices, organisms and products has recently posed the need of their qualitative as well as quantitative analysis imperative, in order to provide data about their abundance and specification of polymer types in several substrates. In collaboration with Assoc. Professor Dimitra Lambropoulou and Assoc. Professor George Kyzas, BikiarisLab works on the sampling, separation, identification, and quantification of MPs in several environmental substrates, including aqueous and solid samples, utilizing microscopic and chromatographic pathways, after the development of standardized protocols. Additionally, our team participates in the research project "Development of Monitoring and Removal strategies of Emerging Micropollutants in wastewater - MOREM" (PI Assoc. Prof. Dimitra Lambropoulou), with the ultimate goal of the project being the development of an integration methodology framework combining novel sampling, monitoring and removal strategies as manage and remove emerging micropollutants such as Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products (PPCPs) and microplastics in wastewaters. In line with this project, our research activity includes the monitoring of MPs in the wastewater treatment plant of Thessaloniki.
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From another aspect, since MPs are small-sized items and possess poor biodegradation rate, they can be ingested by organisms and accumulate for long time-periods. Several studies reveal that MPs are ingested by crustaceans, lugworms, mussels, amphibians, fishes and seals and may cause damage within organisms. Some adverse effects that are provoked to several organisms, include reduced feeding activity, inhibited growth and development, energy disturbance, oxidative stress, immunity, neurotransmission malfunction, genotoxicity and even mortality in some species. However, research within this field presents some limitations regarding MPs uptake and potential cause of pathological, physiological and toxicological adverse effects. BikiarisLab participated in some collaborative studies with the School of Biology (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) giving insights into the toxicity of biomaterials microparticles and compatible polymeric microparticles, while further research within this context is in progress.