Chemistry Program, Department of Natural and Exact Sciences, San Pablo Campus, University of Cartgena, Cartagena 130015, Colombia.
Chemical Engineering Program, School of Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolivar, Parque Industrial y Tecnológico Carlos Vélez Pombo Km 1 Vía Turbaco, Cartagena 130001, Colombia.
Molecules. 2023 Jan 20;28(3):1042. doi: 10.3390/molecules28031042.
Microplastic (MP) contamination has become a problem of great interest to the community at large. The detection of these particles in different ecosystems and foods has been the subject of study. However, the focus of these investigations has been on the identification and quantification of PM by DSC and Pyr-GC/MS and not on how they are transported to reach the air we breathe. In this study, the values of morphological parameters for plastic particles in a range between 1 and 2000 µm, present in the breathable air of 20 neighborhoods in the city of Cartagena, Colombia, were obtained to determine the characteristics that make these particles airborne. The values of parameters were obtained, such as roundness, sphericity, curvature, and the convexity of the particle, as well as its compactness and size, which influence its transport through the air and its ability to be ingested and inhaled. The data obtained in this study allows for simulations and the analysis of the behavior of microplastics once in the environment to predict future settlements. The DSC showed us the melting temperatures of PP, PE, PET, and PS, the Pyr-GC/MS showed the fragmentation patterns, and the presence of these MPs in the samples was confirmed.
微塑料 (MP) 污染已成为广大社会关注的问题。这些颗粒在不同生态系统和食物中的检测已成为研究的主题。然而，这些研究的重点是通过 DSC 和 Pyr-GC/MS 来识别和量化 PM，而不是研究它们是如何被运输到我们呼吸的空气中的。在这项研究中，获得了哥伦比亚卡塔赫纳市 20 个街区可吸入空气中直径在 1 至 2000 µm 之间的塑料颗粒的形态参数值，以确定使这些颗粒成为空气传播的特征。获得了诸如颗粒的圆度、球形度、曲率和凸度以及其紧凑度和大小等参数的值，这些值会影响其在空气中的传输以及被摄入和吸入的能力。本研究中获得的数据允许对微塑料进入环境后的行为进行模拟和分析，以预测未来的沉降。DSC 显示了 PP、PE、PET 和 PS 的熔融温度，Pyr-GC/MS 显示了碎片模式，并且证实了这些 MPs 在样品中的存在。
