Atmospheric emission of nanoplastics from sewer pipe repairs
Atmospheric emission of nanoplastics from sewer pipe repairs
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DOI：
10.1038/s41565-022-01219-9
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发表时间：
2022-10-06
影响因子：
38.3
通讯作者：
Laskin, Alexander
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Morales, Ana C.;Tomlin, Jay M.;Laskin, Alexander
纳米塑料颗粒是环境污染物，对水生和大气系统有不利影响，通过吸入、摄入和皮肤渗透对人类健康造成有害影响（1-3）。目前，人们明确假设环境纳米塑料（EnvNPs）是排放到陆地和水生环境中的微塑料或更大的塑料碎片的风化碎片，而大气中EnvNPs仅归因于风和其他机械力的雾化作用。然而，人们对意外EnvNPs的来源和排放知之甚少，因此在各种风险评估中基本上没有考虑到(4)。在这里，我们表明，大量的EnvNPs可能直接排放到大气中，作为蒸汽负载的废物成分，从一种通常用于修复城市污水管道的技术中排放。对排放的废冷凝水进行综合化学分析，发现大量不溶性胶体存在，这些胶体在干燥后形成固体有机颗粒，其组成和粘度与EnvNPs一致。我们认为，这些全球使用的下水道维修做法可能在人口密集的城市地区普遍存在EnvNPs的空气排放(5)，并可能对空气质量和毒理学水平产生重要影响，需要减轻这些影响。
Nanoplastic particles are inadequately characterized environmental pollutants that have adverse effects on aquatic and atmospheric systems, causing detrimental effects to human health through inhalation, ingestion and skin penetration(1-3). At present, it is explicitly assumed that environmental nanoplastics (EnvNPs) are weathering fragments of microplastic or larger plastic debris that have been discharged into terrestrial and aquatic environments, while atmospheric EnvNPs are attributed solely to aerosolization by wind and other mechanical forces. However, the sources and emissions of unintended EnvNPs are poorly understood and are therefore largely unaccounted for in various risk assessments(4). Here we show that large quantities of EnvNPs may be directly emitted into the atmosphere as steam-laden waste components discharged from a technology commonly used to repair sewer pipes in urban areas. A comprehensive chemical analysis of the discharged waste condensate has revealed the abundant presence of insoluble colloids, which after drying form solid organic particles with a composition and viscosity consistent with EnvNPs. We suggest that airborne emissions of EnvNPs from these globally used sewer repair practices may be prevalent in highly populated urban areas(5), and may have important implications for air quality and toxicological levels that need to be mitigated.