Deciphering morphology patterns of environmental microfibers: Insights into source apportionment

Yan，Ruoqun1; Li，Jiangpeng1; Li，Jiawei1; Liu，Yang1; Xu，Zhe1; Ge，Xinyu1; Lu，Xiao1; Yadav，Krishna Kumar2,3; Obaidullah，Ahmad J.4; Tang，Yuanyuan1

2024-08-01

10.1016/j.watres.2024.121814

Water Research   影响因子和分区

0043-1354

1879-2448

Microfibers, a prevalent form of microplastics, undergo diverse environmental interactions resulting in varied morphological changes. These changes can offer insights into their environmental trajectories. Despite its importance, comprehensive studies on microfiber morphology are scarce. This study collected 233 microfibers from the East China Sea and South China Sea. Based on morphological features observed in microscopic images of microfibers, such as curvature, cross-sectional shapes, diameter variations, and crack shapes, we identified a general morphological pattern, classifying the environmental microfibers into three distinct morphological types. Our findings highlight noticeable differences in morphological metrics (e.g., length, diameter, and surface roughness) across three types, especially the diameter. Microfibers of Type I had an average diameter of 19.45 ± 4.93 μm, significantly smaller than Type II (263.00 ± 75.15 μm) and Type III (299.68 ± 85.62 μm). Within the three-dimensional (3D) space fully defined by these quantitative parameters, the clustering results of microfibers are also consistent with the proposed morphology pattern, with each category showing a potential correlation with specific chemical compositions. Type I microfibers correspond to synthetic cellulose, while 94.79 % of Types II and III are composed of polymers. Notably, we also validated the great applicability of the morphology categories to microfibers in diverse environmental compartments, including water and sediments in nearshore and offshore areas. This classification aids in the efficient determination of microfiber sources and the assessment of their ecological risks, marking a significant advancement in microfiber environmental studies.

Classification Microfiber Morphology Source identification

SCI ; EI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

20242216182225

Clustering algorithms ; Microfibers ; Offshore oil well production ; Risk assessment ; Surface roughness

Oil Field Production Operations:511.1 ; Light, Optics and Optical Devices:741 ; Fiber Optics:741.1.2 ; Information Sources and Analysis:903.1 ; Accidents and Accident Prevention:914.1 ; Physical Properties of Gases, Liquids and Solids:931.2 ; Materials Science:951

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

2-s2.0-85194415347

Scopus

1.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control,School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.Faculty of Science and Technology,Madhyanchal Professional University,Bhopal,Ratibad,462044,India
3.Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Research Group,Scientific Research Center,Al-Ayen University,Thi-Qar,Nasiriyah,64001,Iraq
4.Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry,College of Pharmacy,King Saud University,Riyadh,P.O. Box 2457,11451,Saudi Arabia

Yan，Ruoqun,Li，Jiangpeng,Li，Jiawei,et al. Deciphering morphology patterns of environmental microfibers: Insights into source apportionment[J]. Water Research,2024,259.

Yan，Ruoqun.,Li，Jiangpeng.,Li，Jiawei.,Liu，Yang.,Xu，Zhe.,...&Tang，Yuanyuan.(2024).Deciphering morphology patterns of environmental microfibers: Insights into source apportionment.Water Research,259.

Yan，Ruoqun,et al."Deciphering morphology patterns of environmental microfibers: Insights into source apportionment".Water Research 259(2024).