In a correspondence article published on January 27, 2022, in the journal Microplastics and Nanoplastics, experts on (micro)plastics from several research institutions argued why the perspective article by Todd Gouin on microplastics as a vector for the long-range environmental transport (LRET) of chemicals “should be seen as an expression of the author’s personal point of view, but should not be used as a source of information in discussions about the long-range environmental transport (LRET) of chemical plastic additives.”
In a stepwise approach, Juliane Glüge from the ETH Zürich, Switzerland, and co-authors elaborate on nine shortcomings they identified in Gouin’s Perspective. According to the commentary, Gouin neglected some important factors which influence the plastic-driven LRET of chemicals. For instance, the perspective article focused on microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter but neglected particles larger than 5 mm. And when considering chemical transport, Gouin focused on environmental contaminants that can adsorb (bind) to plastic particle neglecting the additives used in plastics. Glüge et al. report that the perspective mainly considered evaporation of plastic additives into air while disregarding that the release of additives into water, or in the gastrointestinal tract of organisms after ingestion, can also be a relevant exposure pathway. For example, Gouin argued that substances are rapidly metabolized within an organism, providing bisphenol A (BPA; CAS 80-05-7) and nonylphenol (CAS 104-40-5) as examples. Glüge and co-authors point out that other substances, such as the antioxidant UV-328 (CAS 25973-55-1), are metabolized only slowly. Consequently, for such chemicals, leaching within organisms represents a relevant exposure pathway.
The commentary further clarifies that “particulate organic matter is not a good analogue to plastics to learn about LRET” and that plastic pollution like fishing nets do not necessarily come from local sources. In addition, it explains that “the fact that much of the plastic debris from land-based sources remains near the coast does not mean that plastic debris cannot undergo LRET.” The commentary’s authors say that the perspective calls for more research on topics that have already been analyzed as well as for better models even though existing models can sufficiently reflect long-range transport of large plastic particles.
Based on the raised points, Glüge and co-authors feel that Gouin drew his conclusions “based on inaccurate assumptions and cherry-picking of available information.” Thus, the authors recommend omitting the perspective article when discussing plastic particles as a vector for LRET of chemical additives.
Reference
Glüge, J. (2022). “Comment on ‘Addressing the importance of microplastic particles as vectors for long-range transport of chemical contaminants: perspective in relation to prioritizing research and regulatory actions.” Microplastics and Nanoplastics DOI: 10.1186/s43591-021-00021-z
Read more
Gouin, T. (2021). “Addressing the importance of microplastic particles as vectors for long-range transport of chemical contaminants: perspective in relation to prioritizing research and regulatory actions.” Microplastics and Nanoplastics. DOI: 10.1186/s43591-021-00016-w
