Wang Yuqi, Wang Yunxiang
Capital Normal University High School, Beijing, 100048, China.
Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
Heliyon. 2024 Jun 10;10(12):e32805. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32805. eCollection 2024 Jun 30.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, typically smaller than 5 mm in diameter, that result from the degradation of larger plastic products. Minuscule pollutants are increasingly being found in our food supply, especially in beverages, raising substantial health concerns. Ingested microplastics can release hazardous chemicals and act as carriers of pathogens, leading to adverse health effects upon chronic exposure. Despite the numerous studies on microplastic contamination, few have assessed the influence of geographic location and container type on the presence of microplastics in beverages. Our comprehensive study bridges this research gap by collecting a particular soda beverage from Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. and examining three different types of beverage containers: aluminum, glass, and plastic. Using direct laser infrared spectroscopy, we identified the types and quantified the numbers of microplastics. Our statistical analysis, which incorporated principal component analysis, investigated the distribution of microplastics in beverage samples, focusing on the impacts of geographic location and container material. Notably, our analysis revealed that the microplastic profiles were distinguishable in some cities, although not all. Conversely, no distinguishability was revealed between the different container types. This study sheds light on the complex patterns of microplastic contamination according to geographical location and packaging. Our findings contribute to a broader effort to understand and address the widespread challenges of microplastics, with implications for public health and ecosystem preservation.
微塑料是微小的塑料颗粒，通常直径小于5毫米，由较大塑料制品降解产生。在我们的食物供应中，尤其是饮料中，越来越多地发现了这些微小污染物，这引发了人们对健康的严重担忧。摄入的微塑料会释放有害化学物质，并充当病原体的载体，长期接触会对健康产生不利影响。尽管对微塑料污染进行了大量研究，但很少有研究评估地理位置和容器类型对饮料中微塑料存在情况的影响。我们的综合研究填补了这一研究空白，从亚特兰大、芝加哥、洛杉矶和华盛顿特区收集了一种特定的汽水饮料，并检查了三种不同类型的饮料容器：铝制、玻璃和塑料。我们使用直接激光红外光谱法识别了微塑料的类型并对其数量进行了量化。我们的统计分析纳入了主成分分析，研究了饮料样品中微塑料的分布，重点关注地理位置和容器材料的影响。值得注意的是，我们的分析表明，尽管并非所有城市的微塑料特征都有差异，但在一些城市中是可以区分的。相反，不同容器类型之间没有显示出可区分性。这项研究揭示了根据地理位置和包装的微塑料污染复杂模式。我们的研究结果有助于更广泛地努力理解和应对微塑料带来的广泛挑战，对公共卫生和生态系统保护具有重要意义。
