Environmental and health risk assessment of PM 2.5 and microplastics in Morales
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/evk202220Keywords:
PM2.5, air pollution, microplastics, public health, MoralesAbstract
The research analyzed the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on atmospheric quality in the district of Morales, San Martin province, during the year 2022. PM2.5, with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm, was identified as one of the most dangerous pollutants worldwide, associated with millions of premature deaths and chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer and other disorders. It was highlighted that its concentrations were determined by emissions, meteorological conditions and physicochemical transformations. In Morales, possible sources included rice milling plants, brick kilns, vulcanizing plants, service stations and agricultural activities. In addition, the possible presence of microplastics in the composition of PM2.5 was considered, which represented an additional risk to health and the environment. The research was justified on theoretical, social, economic and environmental criteria, underlining the need for monitoring and control. The lack of previous studies in Peru on the joint presence of PM2.5 and microplastics, as well as the limited real-time measurement infrastructure, motivated the study. The study sought to compare local concentrations with international references and national regulations, evaluating their significance in the deterioration of air quality. It was concluded that PM2.5 air pollution in Morales could have relevant impacts on public health and environmental quality, and that the identification of sources and characteristics of these particles was essential to develop effective mitigation and protection strategies for the population and the ecosystem.
References
Evangeliou N, Grythe H, Klimont Z, Heyes C, Eckhardt S, Lopez-Aparicio S, et al. Atmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions [Internet]. Nat Commun. 2020 Jul 14;11:3381. [cited 2022 Jan 9]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17201-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17201-9
Wright SL, Ulke J, Font A, Chan KL, Kelly FJ. Atmospheric microplastic deposition in an urban environment and an evaluation of transport [Internet]. Environ Int. 2020 Mar;136:105411. [cited 2022 Feb 3]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105411 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105411
Prata JC, da Costa JP, Lopes I, Duarte AC, Rocha-Santos T. The importance of contamination control in airborne fibers and microplastic sampling: Experiences from indoor and outdoor air sampling in Aveiro, Portugal. Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Oct;159:111522. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111522. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111522
Gasperi J, Wright SL, Dris R, Collard F, Mandin C, Guerrouache M, et al. Microplastics in air: Are we breathing it in? Curr Opin Environ Sci Health. 2018 Feb;1:1-5. doi:10.1016/j.coesh.2017.10.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2017.10.002
Daiber A, Kuntic M, Oelze M, Abou-El-Ardat K, Steven S, Schulz E, et al. Effects of air pollution particles (ultrafine and fine particulate matter) on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress – Implications for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2020 Dec 15;696:108662. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2020.108662. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2020.108662
Prata JC. Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health? Environ Pollut. 2018 Mar;234:115-126. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043
Liao Z, Ji X, Ma Y, Lv B, Huang W, Zhu X, et al. Airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments of a coastal city in Eastern China. J Hazard Mater [Internet]. 2021 Sep 5;417:126007. [citado 2022 Feb 22]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126007
Akdogan Z, Guven B. Microplastics in the environment: A critical review of current understanding and identification of future research needs. Environ Pollut [Internet]. 2019 Nov;254:113011. [citado 2022 Feb 22]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113011
Correia Prata J, da Costa JP, Lopes I, Duarte AC, Rocha-Santos T. Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects. Sci Total Environ [Internet]. 2020 Feb 1;702:134455. [citado 2022 Feb 25]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134455 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134455
Rahman A, Sarkar B, Yadav OP, Achari G, Slobodnik J. Potential human health risks due to environmental exposure to nano- and microplastics and knowledge gaps: A scoping review. Sci Total Environ [Internet]. 2021 Mar 1;757:143872. [citado 2022 Feb 26]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143872 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143872
Xie Y, Chen J, Li J, Zhang Y, Guo Y, Zhao Y, et al. Inhalable microplastics prevails in air: Exploring the size detection limit. Environ Int [Internet]. 2022 Mar;162:107151. [citado 2022 Feb 26]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107151 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107151
Uddin S, Fowler SW, Saeed T, Al-Ghadban AN, Al-Shamroukh D, Zaki N, et al. A preliminary assessment of size-fractionated microplastics in indoor aerosol—Kuwait’s baseline. Toxics [Internet]. 2022 Feb;10(2):71. [citado 2022 Feb 28]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10020071 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10020071
Szewc K, Graca B, Dołęga A. Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in the coastal zone: Characteristics and relationship with meteorological factors. Sci Total Environ. 2020;143272. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143272 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143272
Amato-Lourenço LF, Carvalho-Oliveira R, Júnior GR, dos Santos Galvão L, Ando RA, Mauad T. Airborne microplastics and SARS-CoV-2 in total suspended particles in the area surrounding the largest medical centre in Latin America. Environ Pollut. 2022;292:118299. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118299 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118299
Ljubimova JY, Braubach O, Patil R, Chumakova A, Chen Z, Kleinman MT, et al. Coarse particulate matter (PM2.5–10) in Los Angeles Basin air induces expression of inflammation and cancer biomarkers in rat brains. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):5708. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23885-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23885-3
Amato-Lourenço LF, dos Santos Galvão L, de Weger LA, Hiemstra PS, Vijver MG, Mauad T. An emerging class of air pollutants: Potential effects of microplastics to respiratory human health? Sci Total Environ. 2020;749:141676. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141676 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141676
Abbass RA, Kumar P, El-Gendy A. Car users exposure to particulate matter and gaseous air pollutants in megacity Cairo. Sustain Cities Soc. 2020;56:102090. doi:10.1016/j.scs.2020.102090 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102090
Chen R, Yin P, Meng X, Liu C, Wang L, Xu X, et al. Associations between coarse particulate matter air pollution and cause-specific mortality: a nationwide analysis in 272 Chinese cities. Environ Health Perspect. 2019;127(1):017008. doi:10.1289/EHP2711. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2711
Bai Y, Sun Q. Fine particulate matter air pollution and atherosclerosis: mechanistic insights. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. 2016;1860(12):2863-8. doi:10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.04.030. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.04.030
European Respiratory Society. Clean air for healthy lungs – an urgent call to action: European Respiratory Society position on the launch of the WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines. Eur Respir J. [Internet]. [citado 27 Abr 2022];58(6):2102447. Disponible en: https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/6/2102447 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02447-2021
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Thomas Mandelman, Claudia Navas (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.