Microplastics (MPs) contamination in water environment has recently been documented as an emerging environmental threat due to their negative impact on the ecosystem. Their sources are many, but all of them are from synthetic materials. The sources of MPs are cosmetics and personal care products, breakdown or abrasion processes of other plastic products, textile and tyre, bitumen and road marking paints. Because of their low density and small particle size, they are easily discharged into the wastewater drainage systems. Therefore, the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are indicated to be the main recipients of MPs before getting discharged into the natural waterbodies. Therefore, understanding the occurrence and fate of MPs in WWTPs are of great importance towards its control. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review to better understand the pathways of MPs before entering the WWTPs, characteristics of MPs in wastewater, and the removal efficiency of MPs of the existing wastewater treatment technologies adopted by the WWTPs. This review also covers the development of potential microplastics treatment technologies investigated to date. Based on the review of existing literature, it is found that the existing WWTPs are inefficient to completely remove the MPs and there is a risk that they may get discharged into the ambient water sources.

Recent research suggests anthropogenic disturbance may disproportionately advantage non-indigenous species (NIS), aiding their establishment within impacted environments. This study used novel laboratory- and field-based toxicity testing to determine whether non-indigenous and native bryozoans (common within marine epibenthic communities worldwide) displayed differential tolerance to the common marine pollutant copper (Cu). In laboratory assays on adult colonies, NIS showed remarkable tolerance to Cu, with strong post-exposure recovery and growth. In contrast, native species displayed negative growth and reduced feeding efficiency across most exposure levels. Field transplant experiments supported laboratory findings, with NIS growing faster under Cu conditions. In field-based larval assays, NIS showed strong recruitment and growth in the presence of Cu relative to the native species. We suggest that strong selective pressures exerted by the toxic antifouling paints used on transport vectors (vessels), combined with metal contamination in estuarine environments, may result in metal tolerant NIS advantaged by anthropogenically modified selection regimes.

Particles of spent antifouling paint collected from a marine boatyard were ground and subsequently administered to the filter-feeding bivalve, Mytilus edulis, maintained in static aquaria. Concentrations of Cu and Zn were measured in seawater throughout a 16 h feeding phase and a 24 h depuration phase, in rejected and egested particles collected during the respective phases, and in the organisms themselves at the end of the experiments. Concentrations and distributions of Cu and Zn in processed particles indicated that M. edulis was able to ingest paint particles, regardless of whether nutritionally viable silt was present, and no mechanism of particle discrimination was evident. Enrichment of Cu and Zn in the visceral mass of individuals and in the aqueous phase during depuration supported these assertions, although elevated concentrations in other compartments of the organism (e.g. shell, gill) suggested that biotic and abiotic uptake of aqueous metal was also important. Particles of antifouling paint enriched in Cu and Zn are ingested and digested by the marine bivalve M. edulis.

Rapid development of industrial production has stimulated the growth of consumption of raw and auxiliary materials including organic paints, among which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are proved harmful to the population who inhale the polluted air based on epidemiologic studies. Therefore, new types of environment-friendly paints were developed to replace solvent-based paints (SBPs). Nevertheless, new types of paints containing VOCs failed to replace SBPs entirely due to certain disadvantages. Hence, five kinds of paints were employed in simulation experiments to assess the health risk of primary receptor including three kinds of water-based paints (WBPs) and two kinds of SBPs. Conclusions showed that mean TVOC concentration in breathing zone of primary receptor ranged from 9.5 to 13.6 mg/m³ and 3.4 × 10³ to 1.4 × 10⁴ mg/m³ for WBPs and SBPs, respectively. Assessments of non-cancer risk concluded that nearly one third quantified compounds exceeded corresponding thresholds for WBPs, and the maximum risk value was 101.33; for SBPs, the maximum risk value reached 50760.20, and twenty-two compounds exceeded the reference limits. The calculation of cancer risk values showed that seventeen compounds were higher than acceptable limit amongst which 1,2-dibromoethane had maximum values of 1.27 × 10⁻² to 3.24 × 10⁻² for WBPs; for SBPs, all quantified compounds exceeded the acceptable limit, and 82.61% VOCs were distributed in a scope larger than 1 × 10⁻³. Additionally, a removal efficiency of 60% was considered for primary receptor with personal protective equipment, and subsequent results confirmed its inability of lowering the risk resulted from hazardous VOCs. The calculated potential health risk could be applied to estimate the total health risk for both primary and secondary receptor based on consumed materials. The finding suggested that WBPs could improve VOCs exposure condition and reduce the direct and potential health risk significantly for primary receptor, although they might dissatisfy acceptable limit.

Lead in paint is a major public health concern and has drawn much attention from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). However, there is limited research on lead-based paint, especially its use in toys, which poses an explicit health risk to vulnerable children. The present study sampled 100 different toys purchased from the three largest online shopping platforms in China: JD, Taobao (TB) and Tmall (TM). These selected toys have been sold nearly 3 million times in total, suggesting that they may have reached the dwellings of millions of children. It was found that the toys sold by JD and TM, which are considered organized sellers, had average lead concentrations of 25 mg/kg and 32 mg/kg, respectively, much lower than that of toys sold by unorganized sellers on the TB platform, at 219 mg/kg. Approximately 12% of the toys purchased from TB contained paint with total lead concentrations exceeding China's regulatory standard for paints in toy manufacturing, and nearly 36% of the toys purchased from TB exceeded the equivalent US regulatory standard and EU standard. These results suggest that further action is needed to verify the health and safety standards of toys sold by such unorganized sellers. Moreover, this study found that China's regulatory standard (90 mg/kg) based on soluble lead may underestimate the risk posed by lead in paints, and it is suggested that future regulatory thresholds for lead levels in paints for toy manufacture be based on total rather than soluble lead concentrations. The present study also explored various influencing factors on lead concentration, and found that lead concentrations were related to toy price, age group, color, and sales volume.

Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are emerging contaminants that are ubiquitous in fresh and marine aquatic systems due to their extensive use in cosmetics, plastics, paints, textiles, and many other industrial products. The estrogenic effects of organic UV filters have been long demonstrated in vertebrates, and other hormonal activities may be altered, according to more recent reports. The impact of UV filters on the endocrine system of invertebrates is largely unknown. We have previously reported that some UV filters may affect ecdysone-related genes in the aquatic insect Chironomus riparius, an ecotoxicologically important model organism. To further analyze other possible effects on endocrine pathways, we first characterized four pivotal genes related with hormonal pathways in insects; thereafter, these genes were assessed for alterations in transcriptional activity after exposure to 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC) or benzophenone-3 (BP-3), two extensively used sunscreens. We found that both chemicals disturbed the expression of all four genes analyzed: hormonal receptor 38 (HR38), methoprene-tolerant (Met), membrane-associate progesterone receptor (MAPR) and insulin-like receptor (INSR), measured by changes in mRNA levels by real-time PCR. An upregulatory effect at the genomic level was detected in different developmental stages. Interestingly, embryos appeared to be more sensitive to the action of the UV filters than larvae. Our results suggest that the risk of disruption through different endocrine routes is not negligible, considering the significant effects of UV filters on key hormonal receptor and regulatory genes. Further effort is needed to develop environmental risk assessment studies on these pollutants, particularly for aquatic invertebrate model organisms.

This article presents evidence demonstrating that the historical use of leaded gasoline and lead (Pb) in exterior paints in Australia has contaminated urban soils in the older inner suburbs of large cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. While significant attention has been focused on Pb poisoning in mining and smelting towns in Australia, relatively little research has focused on exposure to Pb originating from inner-city soil dust and its potential for childhood Pb exposures. Due to a lack of systematic blood lead (PbB) screening and geochemical soil Pb mapping in the inner cities of Australia, the risks from environmental Pb exposure remain unconstrained within urban population centres.

Leaching of Cu and Zn from a composite of discarded antifouling paint residues ([Cu] = 288 mg g−1; [Zn] = 96 mg g−1) into natural sea water has been studied over a period of 75 h. Total Cu and Zn were released according to a pseudo first-order reaction, with rate constants on the order of 0.3 and 2.5 (mg L−1)−1 h−1, respectively, and final concentrations equivalent to the dissolution of about 8 and 2% of respective concentrations in the composite. Time-distributions of hydrophobic metals, determined by solid phase extraction-methanol elution, were more complex. Net release of hydrophobic Cu was greater in the absence of light than under a sequence of light–dark cycles; however, hydrophobic Zn release was not detected under the former conditions but contributed up to 50% of total aqueous Zn when light was present. These observations are interpreted in terms of the relative thermodynamic and photolytic stabilities of biocidal pyrithione complexes. Hydrophobic Cu and Zn leached from antifouling paint particles into sea water appear to be pyrithione complexes.

Although the use of tributyltin in antifouling paints has been banned, this compound is still a serious pollutant of the marine environment. This paper describes a unique study in which European flounder (Platichthys flesus) were chronically (8 months) exposed to bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide (TBTO) in the water under controlled laboratory conditions. Residue levels in selected tissues (liver, muscle) and general health status indices were measured and the effects on several organs (gills, liver, mesonephros, ovary/ testis, spleen, and gastrointestinal tract) were examined histopathologically. Additionally, morphometric analysis of the thymus was performed. The major finding is that exposure of flounder to 5 mg TBTO/l over a period of 8 months, resulting in body burdens comparable to high field levels, induced significant reduction of thymus volume, possibly affecting immunocompetence of the animals. Chronic exposure of European flounder to tributyltin is therefore likely to affect the general health status of this species in heavily polluted aquatic environments.

A study of a large number of samples of flaking old paint from various buildings in Bergen, Norway (N = 68) suggests that paint may be the most important contemporary source of PCBs in this urban environment with concentrations of PCB7 up to 3.39 g/kg. Twenty-three of the samples were collected from a single building, and the concentrations were found to vary over 3 orders of magnitude. In addition, 16 concrete samples from a large bridge previously coated with PCB-containing paint were collected and separated into outer- and inner samples indicating that PCBs are still present in high concentrations subsequent to renovation. PCBs were found in several categories of paint from wooden and concrete buildings, potentially introduced to the environment by natural weathering, renovation, and volatilization. Consequently, this dispersion may lead to increased levels of PCBs in urban atmospheres, soils, and harbor sediments where high concentrations have resulted in Governmental advice against consumption of certain seafood. Paint from structures built during the period 1950-1970 may be the most important source of PCBs in an urban environment.