River water and sea water quality monitoring in Kifissos river and estuaries (mainly, use of a portable spectrophotometer) (Examining the fate of microplastics in aquatic environments)
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Keywords
Microplastics ; Fate ; Separation ; Identification ; QuantificationAbstract
Nowadays, widespread use of microplastics, mostly in everyday products, has resulted in mass accumulation worldwide. In this thesis information about sampling, separation, identification/quantification, sources as well as concentration and fate of microplastics in marine environment are cited. Microplastics are categorized in primary and secondary. First category, contains plastics with size 5mm or less, while secondary consist a result of degradation of larger plastics. Due to insufficient management, microplastics are entering the environment mostly through waste treatment plants. In order to be able to study accumulation of microplastics it is essential to use precise methods of separation, identification & quantification. The more data we can collect from sampling, identification & quantification, the better we will be able to comprehend distribution, accumulation and fate of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics can be found in urban rivers, oceans, soil, lakes, even polar regions. However, numerous & different methods can create knowledge gaps and provoke when comparing scientific studies.
In order to achieve a precise assessment on the effects of microplastics on human beings and the environment, we need to deal with scientific gaps and at the same time take drastic measures since microplastics are invading more and more in the environment.