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Airborne particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic size cutoff of 10 µm (PM10) has been collected using a high volume air sampler at two locations (urban and residential) in the city of Ahvaz, Iran, for sixteen 24-hour periods over four months (late summer to early winter). Microplastics (MPs) in the PM were isolated after sample digestion and were subsequently characterised by established techniques. All MPs sampled (n = 322) were of a fibrous nature, with polyethylene terephthalate, nylon and polypropylene being the dominant polymers and consistent with textiles and fabrics as the principal source. Despite a distinct seasonality (temperature and wind) over the study period, the abundance, size and colour of the fibres exhibited no clear temporal trend, and no clear differences were observed between the two sites. Concentrations of MPs ranged from none detected to about 0.017/m

Introduction An outbreak of Influenza B occurred at a large United Kingdom (UK) regional adult cystic fibrosis (CF) centre in May 2016. This was late in the UK 2015–2016 influenza season and occurred on a specialist ward with strict infection control procedures. This study investigates the spread of influenza, clinical consequences and potential contributing factors. Methods Patient records, clinical status and pulmonary function data were reviewed for all inpatients during this period. Respiratory viral PCR results, influenza vaccination status of patients and staff, and environmental factors were also recorded. Affected patients were prospectively monitored for the following three months. Results 10 of 21 inpatients developed influenza B between 5th and 12th May 2016, an attack rate of 48%. All those characterised were confirmed as the same strain of influenza B/Victoria-lineage. Influenza infection resulted in a mean FEV1 reduction of 10.5% (SD 11.3, p = 0.012), which persisted at 3 months post infection (p = 0.003). Nine of the affected cases rooms were in close proximity on the ward while patients in the two isolation rooms with enhanced ventilation did not become infected. Ventilation measurements in affected rooms ranged from 1.75 to 2.10 air changes/hour, below national recommendations. Seventy percent of affected inpatients had received the 2015/16 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine, which did not contain a B/Victoria-lineage influenza B virus. Conclusion This influenza B outbreak in CF adults had a high attack rate and a significant clinical impact. Room ventilation and a limited protection from the seasonal influenza vaccine were possible contributory factors.

Lead chromate was commonly employed as a pigment in coloured road markings until restrictions led to the development of safer alternatives. In this study, the presence and concentrations of Pb and Cr have been determined in 236 road paints of various colours sampled from streets, highways, footways and carparks from eleven European countries. According to energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Pb was detected (10 mg kg

Cadmium has had a number of historical applications in plastics but is now highly regulated. In this study, plastics containing pigmented or recycled Cd at concentrations up to 16,300 μg g−1 were processed into microplastic-sized fragments and added to clean estuarine sediment. Plastic-sediment mixtures (mass ratio = 1:100) were subsequently exposed to fluids simulating the digestive conditions encountered in marine deposit-feeding invertebrates prepared from a protein and a bile acid surfactant in seawater and the mobilization of Cd measured as a function of time. Kinetic profiles over a six-hour period were complex, with some fitted using a diffusion model and others exhibiting evidence of Cd interactions between the plastic and sediment surface. The maximum concentration of Cd released from plastic-sediment mixtures was about 0.8 μg g−1 and orders of magnitude greater than Cd mobilization from sediment alone. It is predicted that large communities of deposit-feeders could mobilize significant quantities of Cd from historical microplastics.

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that has been increasingly regulated over the past few decades. The main exposure routes for the general public are the consumption of certain foods and the inhalation of cigarette smoke. However, additional exposure may occur through the current and historical use of the metal in consumer products. In this paper, the uses of Cd in consumer goods are reviewed, with the focus on brightly-coloured Cd sulphide and sulphoselenide pigments, and measurements of Cd in historical and contemporary products ascertained by XRF are reported. Cadmium is encountered across a wide range of contemporary plastic products, mainly because of the unregulated recycling of electronic waste and polyvinyl chloride. However, concentrations are generally low (

Metals commonly employed in boat paint (Ba, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn) have been determined in 63-μm-fractionated intertidal sediments and in Ulva lactuca and Fucus vesiculosus sampled in the vicinity of abandoned vessels. Metal concentrations in sediment were elevated but highly variable, both between sites and amongst replicates from the same site (e.g., mean Cu ~ 100 to 1200 mg kg

Despite the significance of groundwater to the hydrological cycle and as a source of potable water, very little information exists on microplastics (MPs) in this environment. In the present study, MPs have been determined in ten well samples obtained from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region (Shiraz, Iran) following filtration, digestion and inspection under a binocular microscope. A total of 96 MPs were identified, and concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 1.3 MP L

Ceramic fragments and fractionated (

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and pervasive contaminants whose impacts on human health are unclear but are gaining interest in the scientific literature. Human exposure to MPs may arise through inhalation and ingestion, with research into the latter route focusing on foodstuffs and beverages contaminated from the environment or during processing and preparation. What has not been considered thus far, however, is MP exposure through geophagy, or the cultural, culinary or compulsive ingestion of contaminated soil and dirt. In this study, soils from the island of Hormoz, Iran, and spices prepared from these soils were analysed for MP contamination. Fibres of polyethylene terephthalate, Nylon, polystyrene or polypropylene were detected in the soils and a composite spice derived from packaged products, with the MP concentration greatest in the latter sample (0.1 M P g-1). Although typical consumption of this material results in MP exposure that is lower than that arising from the dietary consumption of fish and bottled water, for example, geophagy more generally may represent a more significant means of exposure for humans and animals that deliberately ingest geosolids.

Non-fibrous microplastics sampled by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey throughout the North Atlantic Ocean during 2018 have been recorded and a selection (n = 17, or 16.7%) physically and chemically characterised. The average abundance of non-fibrous particles captured by the plankton silks and detectable by microscopy was estimated to be around 0.01 m-3, with the highest concentrations evident in shelf seas of northwest Europe. Amongst the samples analysed, median size was 180 μm and, based on visible properties (e.g., brittleness, layering) and infra-red spectra, all but one were identified as flakes of paint. Semi-quantitative analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with a collimated beam revealed that six flakes from European shelf seas were Cu-based antifouling formulations (without evidence of organo-Sn compounds), and five with a broader geographical distribution were Pb-based formulations of likely marine origin. Other elements regularly detected included Cr, Fe, Ti and Zn that were present in pigments or as contaminants from the underlying substrate. After fibres, paint flakes appear to be the most abundant type of microplastic in the oceans that, because of the abundance and mobility of metallic additives, deserve closer scientific attention.

The ITER Organization maintains neutronics reference models for nuclear analysis. The “lite” series of tokamak sector models has progressed over many years to the C-lite V1 model released at the end of 2013. Since then several model updates have been continuously implemented in various C-lite V2 models. The latest release, C-Model represents the 40° regular sector of the tokamak up to the bioshield with central upper, equatorial and lower ports, i.e. an even-port configuration. C-Model, as previous C-lite models, is based on a modular concept of model envelopes which fill all space of the torus sector. This envelope block structure has been adopted to facilitate model update management on the basis of single standalone models, which can be easily replaced in the model assembly. C-Model has been significantly improved with respect to C-lite in terms of specific system model design status and level of detail, focused on in-vessel and vessel components. The development of those updated system models was conducted according to the quality standards of ITER reference models. Modelling instructions, documentation and verification formed an essential part of the related activities.

Summary Background Faecal shedding of adenovirus following allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is an early sign of loss of immune control over adenovirus, but there is no consensus on the role of monitoring of faecal adenoviral load by serial testing. We investigated whether serial faecal PCR monitoring could predict the risk of adenoviraemia and survival outcomes after HSCT. Methods We did a retrospective cohort study at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK, of patients who had received their first allogeneic HSCT between Feb 1, 2003, and Sept 1, 2016, and adenovirus infection recorded in their medical records. We excluded patients who had received second or third transplants or autologous HSCT transplants. We obtained characteristics of patients and transplants, including mortality and adenoviral reactivation, from medical records and the hospital database. All patients had blood samples tested weekly for adenovirus by PCR until immunosuppression was stopped and CD3 T-cell count recovered to greater than 0·3 × 10 9 /L. Faecal PCR was done before transplantation in all patients, and after transplantation in patients who had diarrhoea, at the onset of symptoms and weekly thereafter until diarrhoea resolved. We analysed all samples available before and after HSCT. We did subgroup analyses for patients undergoing HSCT for cancer versus non-malignant conditions. We also assessed whether 5 log 10 copies per g faeces was a suitable predictive threshold for adenoviraemia. Findings We included 341 patients who had undergone a first allogeneic HSCT (median age 4·6 years, IQR 1·5–8·0, range 0–20·0). After HSCT, PCR was done in 4116 faecal samples from 293 (86%) patients who had diarrhoea and in 10 649 blood samples from 341 patients. Follow-up ended on July 14, 2017. 173 (59%) of 293 patients had adenovirus in faecal samples and 63 (18%) of 341 had adenovirus in blood samples. Maximum faecal viral load before adenoviraemia correlated significantly with maximum blood viral load ( r =0·51, 95% CI 0·38–0·61, p 10 copies per g faeces was predictive of adenoviraemia (odds ratio 10·2, 95% CI 4·9–21·6, p vs 7·8%, 3·8–13·7 in those with positive faeces only), but was significantly increased in patients who developed adenoviraemia (27·0%, 95% CI 16·7–38·4, p Interpretation We identified a threshold faecal viral load that can predict the risk of adenoviraemia. Our findings support proliferation of adenovirus in the gastrointestinal tract before viraemia develops. Faecal PCR is suitable for early detection of children and young adults at risk of adenoviraemia, and its use might help reduce non-relapse mortality in allogeneic HSCT recipients. Funding None.

Commercially-important species of fish and a crustacean from four sites in the Musa estuary and a site in the Persian Gulf have been analysed for the presence and location of microplastics (MPs). A total of 828 MPs were detected in the guts (gastrointestinal tracts), skin, muscle, gills and liver of demersal and pelagic fish (Platycephalus indicus, Saurida tumbil, Sillago sihama, Cynoglossus abbreviatus) from all five sites and in the exoskeleton and muscle of the tiger prawn, Penaeus semisulcatus, from three sites. On an individual basis, MPs were most abundant in P. indicus (mean = 21.8) and least frequently encountered in P. semisulcatus (mean = 7.8), but when normalized on a mass basis, MPs ranged from 0.16 g-1 for C. abbreviatus to 1.5 g-1 for P. semisulcatus. Microscopic analyses (polarized light, fluorescence, SEM/EDS) revealed that MPs were mainly fibrous fragments (with a few angular fragments) of various colour and size ( 1000 μm) and with strong C and O signatures. Additional particles detected that were distinctly different in colour, morphology, brittleness and elemental composition (part-metallic, and containing Cu) were suspected of being fragments of antifouling paint. The means of entry of MPs into tissues not involved in digestion are unclear but could be related to translocation or adherence. Regardless of the mode of accumulation, the presence of MPs in heavily fished species of fish and crustacean raises concerns about the potential transfer of synthetic materials into humans.

Samples of plastic collected from two beaches in southwest England (n = 185) have been analysed by XRF spectrometry for elements that are hazardous or restricted in synthetic polymers (namely, As, Ba, Br, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Sb and Se). Overall, one or more restricted element was detected in 151 samples, with 15 cases exhibiting non-compliance with respect to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive. Twelve plastics that were RoHS-non-compliant were subsequently processed into microplastic-sized fragments and subjected to an avian physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) that simulates the chemical conditions in the gizzard-proventriculus of the northern fulmar. Kinetic profiles of metal and metalloid mobilisation in the PBET were fitted using a pseudo-first-order diffusion model with rate constants ranging from ∼0.02 to 0.5 h−1, while profiles for Br were better fitted with a parabolic diffusion model and rate constants of 7.4–9.5 (μg L−1)−1h−1/2. Bioaccessibilities, based on maximum or equilibrium concentrations mobilised relative to total (XRF) concentrations, ranged from

Legacy paint on publicly-accessible structures in residential areas of Plymouth, UK (a bridge parapet, hospital railings, a goal frame, urban street paving and a telephone kiosk) and local paint-contaminated soils have been analysed for lead and other heavy metals (chromium, zinc and barium) by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Lead was detected in all paints analysed (n=56) apart from two fragments of yellow road markings, with maximum concentrations exceeding 300gkg-1. Soils were contaminated by Pb to varying degrees that depended on the condition and Pb content of the paint applications and the nature and vegetation of the soil, with a maximum concentration of 27gkg-1 and a maximum enrichment factor normalised to grain size and regional baseline soil of 270. While Cr showed no clear contamination in soils that could be attributed to paint, contamination from this source was evident for Zn in soil by the goal frame and for Ba and Zn in soil by the bridge parapet. Application of a physiologically-based extraction test to the soils revealed stomach bioaccessibilities that were variable among the samples and between the metals but that were greatest for Zn and lowest for Cr. With the exception of Cr, bioaccessibility generally decreased in the intestine, with mean intestinal bioaccessibilities relative to total metal of about 6% for Pb and Ba, 0.9% for Cr and 1.6% for Zn. From both a health and environmental perspective, Pb is the heavy metal of greatest concern because of its common occurrence at high concentrations in legacy paints, coupled with a relatively high bioaccessibility and well-documented chronic neurotoxicity. Public exposure to Pb in residential areas may arise through direct contact with paint or soil or via the intrusion of contaminated geosolids to the household on shoes or as airborne dust.

This article clarifies the role of donation physicians in the provision of high-quality end-of-life care in intensive care. We briefly address three points on which clarity is essential: the role and duties of a physician who is also a donation physician; the nature of the potential conflict(s) of interest that may arise when decision-making about EOL care is further complicated by the possibility of donation; and the importance of donation as a potential interest of people at the end of life.

Microplastics (MPs) are a pervasive and ubiquitous environmental contaminant. However, very little information exists on the quantities or characteristics of MPs in the indoor setting. In the present study, MPs have been isolated from settled classroom dust samples collected from 50 schools in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Concentrations of MPs on a number basis ranged from about 80 to over 56,000 MP per g of dry dust and there was an increase in concentration towards the centre and southeast of the city. The geographical distribution is attributed to a larger population and student density, higher traffic loading and greater industrialization in the centre and southeast and a prevailing wind from the northwest. MPs were dominated by fibres of >250 μm in length, and Raman spectrometry and SEM-EDX analysis of selected samples revealed that MPs were mainly constructed of polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene but were contaminated by various metals (e.g. lead, titanium, antimony) used as additives or acquired from the environment. Calculations using data for elementary schools indicate that children in the age range 6–14 years may be exposed to between about 5 and 440 MP day−1 through inadvertent ingestion. The health impacts of MPs on children are unknown but the results of the present study indicate a requirement for research in this area.

Plastic food packaging and containers (n = 263) have been retrieved from the scarped foredunes at Perran Beach, SW England, following a storm surge. Samples displayed evidence of cracking, scratching, discolouration, staining and hydroxyl and carbonyl stretching, but legible text indicating their origin, dates of manufacture/expiration, packaging codes and logos, coupled with online product searches, allowed 25 food packets and 87 containers to be aged. Estimates of food packaging age spanned a 43-year period (1975–2018), with a median age of 25 years, while estimates for containers spanned 57 years (1962–2019), with a median age of 19 years. Plastic derived from local littering and offshore sources appears to be trapped within the foredunes for years to decades and subsequently released as “fresh” beach litter following surges sufficient to effect scarping. Dunal systems may act as significant reservoirs of historical plastics and play a critical role in their recycling and retention in the coastal zone.

Observations of beached polypropylene inkjet cartridges, spilled from a ship container lost in the North Atlantic Ocean, have been compiled through calls on international social media. Within a period of four years from the spillage, a total of about 1500 cartridges was reported in locations as far apart as Florida and northern Norway. The distribution of cartridges reflected the principal surface currents in the ocean, with some carried by the Azores and Canary currents around the North Atlantic Gyre, and others transported northwards with the North Atlantic and Norwegian currents. Along the shorelines of the UK and Ireland, there was a clear, preferential accumulation of cartridges on west- and south-facing coasts, consistent with the direction of the North Atlantic current and the heading of the principal winds. Dates of first sightings in various regions throughout the North Atlantic (and as reported on social media) suggested that cartridges traveled on average at around 6–13 cm s−1. These observations and estimates were largely consistent with simulations of the dispersion of free floating, neutrally buoyant particles from the spillage site derived from PlasticAdrift, an empirical model based on drifter tracking data. Microscopic and X-ray fluorescence analyses of selected cartridges revealed a high degree of exterior weathering, resulting in chalking and embrittlement of the polypropylene and the formation of microplastics rich in Ti, chemical fouling of interior ink foams (where still present) by Fe oxides, and, in some cases, the presence of an electronic chip containing Cu, Au and brominated compounds. Significantly, the latter characteristic renders cartridges as electrical and electronic waste and means that current, conventional regulations on plastic cargo lost at sea are not applicable here. More generally, the study highlights the potential usefulness of social media-led citizen science to marine research, and inadequacies in the relevance and robustness of instruments and conventions that deal with plastic waste in the ocean.

Microplastics (MP) have been retrieved from settled dusts and rainfall collected monthly over a period of a year and daily over an additional period of ten days in the city of Shiraz and at an elevated remote site (Mount Derak) in Iran. Total monthly deposition ranged from about 1000 to 3500 MP m-2 at Shiraz and about 200 to 600 MP m-2 at Mount Derak, with greater deposition taking place during the dry months (June to November) than in months when precipitation events occurred. Overall, MP deposition was dominated by dry deposition, with precipitation appearing to washout MP and inhibit local resuspension of material by dampening the ground. The majority of MP in dust and precipitation (>99%) was of a fibrous nature, with the finest particles measured (

We report observations of negatively buoyant plastics washed up on the shores of a beach in southwest England in association with deposits of kelp. Items retrieved included polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle fragments, polyvinyl chloride toys, electrical casings, construction plastics, polycarbonate goggles, carcass tags, pot rubber, fishing float fragments and PET textiles, with an upper estimate of 24 t of plastic deposited during a single kelp beaching event. It appears that after kelp becomes detached from the bed during strong winds or tides or through senescence, biological debris becomes associated with or acts to transport benthic plastic landwards through entrainment, entanglement and rafting and, sometimes, attachment to the holdfast. Observations provide evidence of significant local and regional ecological transportation of plastics in temperate coastal environments that is not driven directly or solely by buoyancy, and afford a convenient, non-invasive insight into the makeup of plastic that is encountered in the benthic environment.

Highlights • Paint particles are often overlooked in the micro-debris and microplastic pools. • The sources, behaviour and impacts of paint in the marine environment are reviewed. • Paint particle emissions may be as high as 35% of the synthetic micro-debris input. • Paint is regularly detected in sea surface trawls, sediments and animal digestive tracts. • Hazardous additives in micro-paint particles render them more harmful than microplastics., Because paint particles consist of a resin (polymer) combined with one or more additives, they bear compositional similarities with microplastics. Despite these shared characteristics, however, paint particles are often undetected, deliberately overlooked or evade classification in the pool of micro-debris (all synthetic debris of < 5 mm in size), and in particular in the marine setting where an extensive body of microplastic literature exists. Accordingly, the present paper provides a critical insight into the physico-chemical properties, sources, distributions, behaviour and toxicity of paint particles in the marine environment. Paint particles contain a greater proportion of additives than plastics and, consequently, are more brittle, angular, opaque, dense, heterogeneous and layered than microplastics of equivalent dimensions. Land-based sources of paint particles, including deteriorating or disturbed coatings on roads and building, are transported to the ocean with other microplastics via urban runoff, water treatment facilities and the atmosphere. However, inputs of paint particles are enhanced significantly and more directly by the disturbance, erosion and weathering of coatings on coastal structures, boats and ships. Estimates of paint particle emissions to the marine environment vary widely, with calculated contributions to the total synthetic micro-debris input as high as 35%. Upper estimates are consistent with available (albeit limited) quantitative information on the relative abundance of paint particles amongst synthetic material captured by sea surface trawls and ingested by marine animals. Of greatest environmental concern is the high chemical toxicity of paint particles compared with similarly-sized microplastics and other synthetic debris. This results from the contemporary and historical use of high concentrations of hazardous inorganic additives in marine antifouling and land-based paints, and the relatively ready mobilisation of harmful ions, like Cu+/Cu2+, TBT+, Pb2+ and CrO42−, from the matrix. Recommendations arising from this review include greater use of particulate capturing devices, waste collection systems and recycling facilities during paint disturbance, raising awareness of the potential impacts of discarded paint amongst users, and alerting the microplastic community to the significance of paint particles and developing means by which they are isolated from environmental samples.

Fresh and freeze-dried sample sections of the coastal macroalgae, Fucus serratus and F. vesiculosus, and the brackish water macroalga, F. ceranoides, have been analysed for trace elements by field-portable-X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) spectrometry using a Niton XL3t in a low density mode with thickness correction. When analysed fresh in a laboratory accessory stand for a period of 200 seconds, As, Br, Fe and Zn were registered in the apex, mid-frond and lower stipe of all species, with detection limits of a few μg g

Very little systematic information exists on the occurrence and concentrations of antimony (Sb) in consumer products. In this study, a Niton XL3t field-portable-X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) spectrometer was deployed in situ and in the laboratory to provide quantitative information on Sb dissipated in plastic items and fixtures (including rubber, textile and foamed materials) from the domestic, school, vehicular and office settings. The metalloid was detected in 18% of over 800 measurements performed, with concentrations ranging from about 60 to 60,000μgg-1. The highest concentrations were encountered in white, electronic casings and in association with similar concentrations of Br, consistent with the use of antimony oxides (e.g. Sb2O3) as synergistic flame retardants. Concentrations above 1000μgg-1, and with or without Br, were also encountered in paints, piping and hosing, adhesives, whiteboards, Christmas decorations, Lego blocks, document carriers, garden furniture, upholstered products and interior panels of private motor vehicles. Lower concentrations of Sb were encountered in a wide variety of items but its presence (without Br) in food tray packaging, single-use drinks bottles, straws and small toys were of greatest concern from a human health perspective. While the latter observations are consistent with the use of antimony compounds as catalysts in the production of polyethylene terephthalate, co-association of Sb and Br in many products not requiring flame retardancy suggests that electronic casings are widely recycled. Further research is required into the mobility of Sb when dissipated in new, recycled and aged polymeric materials.

The Marine Protected Area Governance (MPAG) framework is applied to critically assess the governance of the Sainte Luce Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA), southeast Madagascar. Madagascar experiences rapid population growth, widespread poverty, corruption and political instability, which hinders natural resource governance. Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has been repeatedly employed to circumvent the lack of state capacity. This includes the LMMA model, which has rapidly proliferated, represented by MIHARI, Madagascar's LMMA network. The lobster fishing is the primary source of income for households in the impoverished community of Sainte Luce, one of the key landing sites in the regional export industry. However, fishers, industry actors and available data suggest a significant decline of local and regional stocks, likely due to over-exploitation driven by poverty and migration. In 2013, SEED Madagascar a UK NGO, worked to establish community-based fishery management in Sainte Luce, setting up a local management committee, which introduced a periodic no take zone (NTZ). Despite the community's efforts and some significant achievements, the efficacy of management is limited. To date, limited state support and the lack of engagement by actors throughout the value chain have hampered effective governance. The study reinforces the finding that resilient governance relies on a diversity of actors and the incentives they collectively employ. Here and elsewhere, there is a limit to what can be achieved by bottom-up approaches in isolation. Resilient management of marine resources in Madagascar relies on improving the capacity of community, state, NGO and industry actors to collectively govern resources.

Exposure of microplastics (MPs) to a cohort of adults of various demographics from different regions of Iran has been quantitatively assessed. Specifically, MPs were retrieved from filtered washes of the hand and face skin, head hair and saliva of individuals (n = 2000) after an exposure period of 24 h and were counted and, in a selected number of cases, characterised for shape-form and size microscopically. A total of over 16,000 MPs were recorded in the study, with head hair returning the most samples (> 7000, or, on average, >3.5 MPs per individual per day), saliva returning the least samples (about 650, or on average 0.33 MPs per individual), and MPs about twice as high in males than females. The number of MPs was similar amongst residents of different urbanised regions, albeit with evidence of greater quantities captured in more humid settings, and was considerably lower in residents of a remote and sparsely populated area. Polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fibres of < 100 μm in length, likely derived from clothing and soft furnishings in the indoor setting and a wider range of sources in the exterior environment, were the most abundant type of MP in all body receptors. Daily sampling of receptors from six participants over a seven-day period revealed that, despite these broad trends, both inter- and intra-individual exposure was highly heterogeneous. Although the present study has demonstrated the ubiquity of MP exposure, the resulting impacts on human health are unknown.

Temperature is an abiotic factor of particular concern for assessing the potential impacts of radionuclides on marine species. This is particularly true for tritium, which is discharged as tritiated water (HTO) in the process of cooling nuclear institutions. Additionally, with sea surface temperatures forecast to rise 0.5–3.5 °C in the next 30–100 years, determining the interaction of elevated temperature with radiological exposure has never been more relevant. We assessed the tissue-specific accumulation, transcriptional expression of key genes, and genotoxicity of tritiated water to marine mussels at either 15 or 25 °C, over a 7 day time course with sampling after 1 h, 12 h, 3 d and 7d. The activity concentration used (15 MBq L−1) resulted in tritium accumulation that varied with both time and temperature, but consistently produced dose rates (calculated using the ERICA tool) of

Decaying boats are a common sight in the coastal zone and yet the practice of abandonment appears to be exempt from any clear or enforceable regulation. In the present study we surveyed two estuaries in eastern England hosting an abundance and variety of abandoned vessels. An inventory of items and materials associated with or adjacent to each boat was recorded in order to gain an insight into the hazards and pollution risks related to abandonment. Materials most commonly observed were paints, plastics, timber,expanded-extruded polystyrene and masonry, while items logged included ropes, tyres, canisters, electronic equipment and a variety of metal objects that were either fixed to or contained by the boats. As well as representing an eyesore and inhibiting access to the shore, decaying boats are a hazard to human health and safety and are a source of pollution (e.g. plastics, heavy metals, oil-related hydrocarbons) to local sediment and interstitial waters. Recommendations to deal with the problem of boat abandonment include compulsory boat registration, making boaters aware of (and providing incentives for) safe disposal, and providing authorities and landowners with clear information on existing or new agencies and legislation.

International audience; Accurate dosimetry is critically important for ecotoxicological and radioecological studies on the potential effects of environmentally relevant radionuclides, such as tritium (3H). Previous studies have used basic dosimetric equations to estimate dose from 3H exposure in ecologically important organisms, such as marine mussels. This study compares four different methods of estimating dose to adult mussels exposed to 1 or 15 MBq L-1 tritiated water (HTO) under laboratory conditions. These methods were (1) an equation converting seawater activity concentrations to dose rate with fixed parameters; (2) input into the ERICA tool of seawater activity concentrations only; (3) input into the ERICA tool of estimated whole organism concentrations (woTACs), comprising dry activity plus estimated tissue free water tritium (TFWT) activity (TFWT volume × seawater activity concentration); and (4) input into the ERICA tool of measured whole organism activity concentrations, comprising dry activity plus measured TFWT activity (TFWT volume × TFWT activity concentration). Methods 3 and 4 are recommended for future ecotoxicological experiments as they produce values for individual animals and are not reliant on transfer predictions (estimation of concentration ratio). Method 1 may be suitable if measured whole organism concentrations are not available, as it produced results between 3 and 4. As there are technical complications to accurately measuring TFWT, we recommend that future radiotoxicological studies on mussels or other aquatic invertebrates measure whole organism activity in non-dried tissues (i.e. incorporating TFWT and dry activity as one, rather than as separate fractions) and input this data into the ERICA tool. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

Dry weight concentrations of lead in paints on a variety of structures in the urban and suburban environs of a British city (Plymouth, south west England) were determined in situ and ex situ by field-portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Lead was detected in 221 out of 272 analyses, with overall median and mean concentrations of 4180 μg g(-1) and 29,300 μg g(-1), respectively, and a maximum concentration of 390,000 μg g(-1). Highest concentrations were observed in extant paints on poorly maintained, metallic structures, including railings, gates, telephone kiosks and bridges, in various yellow road line paints, and in paints of varying condition on public playground facilities (ramps, climbing frames, monkey bars). Occupants of households in the vicinity of structures that are shedding leaded paint are at potential risk of exposure from paint particles being tracked in on shoes and clothing while children in contact with leaded paints in playgrounds and recreational areas are at potential risk from the direct ingestion of paint flakes. Since the issues highlighted in the present study are neither likely to be restricted to this city, nor to the UK, a greater, general awareness and understanding of the sources and routes of exposure of exterior leaded paint is called for.

Paints on surfaces of public playground structures in South West England have been analysed for Pb, Cr, Cd and Sb by field-portable, energy-dispersive XRF. Lead was detected (>8 μg g(-1)) in 102 out of 242 cases, with concentrations ranging from 10 to 152,000 μg g(-1) (median=451 μg g(-1)). Chromium was detected (>25 μg g(-1)) in 48 cases, and concentrations ranged from 26 to 24,800 μg g(-1) (median=1040 μg g(-1)) and exhibited a significant positive correlation with Pb concentrations. Antimony concentrations ranged from 273 to 16,000 μg g(-1) (median=2180 μg g(-1)) in 56 detectable cases, and Cd was detected in eight paints and up to a concentration of 771 μg g(-1) (median=252 μg g(-1)). The highest concentrations of Pb, Cr and Sb generally occurred in yellow or red paints but were encountered on a variety of structures and equipment (e.g. gates, flooring lines, railings and handles of climbing frames and seesaws, and the interior of a model train) and were observed in both flaking, extant paint and in formulations that appeared to have been recently applied. Maximum bioaccessible concentrations of Pb, Cr and Sb in a range of paints, evaluated in selected samples by ICP analysis following pepsin-dilute HCl extraction, were 2710, 205 and 23.6 μg g(-1), respectively, or 16.6, 0.82 and 0.56% of the respective total concentrations. Total and bioaccessible concentrations of toxic metals in playground paints that exceed various contemporary and historical standards (and in many cases for Pb, by orders of magnitude) are likely to be a more widespread and pervasive issue that needs addressing by the relevant authorities.

Polystyrene foam (expanded and extruded polystyrene: EPS and XPS, respectively) is a ubiquitous and pervasive type of marine plastic whose physical properties, transport and fate are distinctly different to those of other common (unfoamed) types of thermoplastic litter. In this study, a range of fragments of EPS and XPS retrieved from three beaches in southwest England have been characterised by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry in order to examine the chemical makeup and potential biological and geochemical impacts and interactions of this type of plastic waste. Analyses performed through sample faces and, in some cases and after dissection, through the material core, revealed variable concentrations of Fe, Ti and Zn among the fragments and, in many instances, within the same sample. This likely reflects the presence of reaction residues and pigments arising from the manufacture of polystyrene, and, for Fe and Ti, significant and heterogeneous ion and mineral acquisition from the environment during transport in suspension or while beached. Acquired oxides of Fe are partly responsible for the chemical fouling observed on the face of most samples and are able to act as an adsorbent for other metals, like Pb. Detection of Br in many fragments up to concentrations of 11,500 mg kg−1 likely results from the incorporation of the flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane, in EPS and XPS designed for (but not necessarily limited to) the construction sector. These observations suggest that EPS and XPS can act as both a source and sink for contaminants in the marine environment that merit further investigation.

Tumble dryer lint has been employed as a surrogate for synthetic and processed (microplastic) fibres discharged to the environment from laundering activities and exposed to marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovinciallis) in controlled experiments for a period of 7 d. A range of biological responses at different levels of organisation were subsequently determined, with copper employed concurrently as a positive control. Physiological changes were assessed from measurements of clearance rate, histopathological effects were evaluated from abnormalities in (or injuries to) gill and digestive gland tissues, and genetic damage was determined by measuring DNA strand breaks using the comet assay. With increasing lint concentration (over the range 56–180 mg L−1) we observed a reduction in mean clearance rate, increasing extents of abnormality in both gills (e.g. deciliation and hypertrophy) and digestive gland (e.g. atrophy and necrosis), and an increase in damage to DNA. The precise causes of these effects are unclear but likely arise from both the fibrous material itself and from chemicals (e.g. additives and metals) that are mobilised from the polymers into seawater or the digestive tract. The latter assertion is consistent with an observed increase in the release of certain trace elements (e.g. zinc) into the exposure medium with increasing lint concentration. Although microfibre concentrations we employed are significantly greater than those typically encountered in the environment, the results indicate the potential for this type of material to exert a range of adverse effects on exposed marine animals.

Samples of beached plastics and historical and contemporary consumer plastics containing hazardous elements derived from reaction residues or functional additives have been micronised and subject to extraction conditions representative of the digestive environment of seabirds. Mobilisation of Br, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb and Sb into NaCl solution, an avian physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) and a dietary-adapted PBET (DA-PBET) incorporating fish oil as part of the avian diet was monitored by ICP-MS over a 168-h period. Kinetic data were subsequently fitted using pseudo-first-order and parabolic diffusion models in order to derive rate constants for the release of hazardous elements during avian digestion of microplastics. Rate constants were variable and dependent on the nature and origin of plastic, type of residue or additive, extractant solution employed and model applied. Resulting estimates of bioaccessibility, defined as the equilibrium or maximum concentration of an element mobilised over the time course relative to its total concentration, were variable but considerable in many cases. Specifically, maximum values of about 65% of Cd and 100% of Pb were observed in consumer polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene exposed to the avian PBET and beached polyurethane exposed to the DA-PBET, respectively. The potential health risks of hazardous elements in microplastics are addressed and criteria for classification based on the European Toy Safety Directive migration (mobilisation) limits are proposed.