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Munkhbat, D.*; Battulga, B.; Oyuntsetseg, B.*; Kawahigashi, Masayuki*
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(57), p.65548 - 65558, 2024/11
Plastic pollution in river environments has become an emerging concern in recent decades, and river plastic studies have received worldwide attention. However, most plastics research has focused on the dynamics of microsized plastics in surface water and sediments, whereas less research has been conducted on the gradual degradation and size reduction of plastics in the environment. Additionally, the migration of plastic debris between river compartments and changes in its properties are less understood despite their impact on its fate. In this study, we investigated changes in plastic debris distribution in terms of abundance, size, shape, polymer types, and photodegradation stages in the floodplain, surface water, and sediment compartments of the Tuul River system in Mongolia. The plastic abundance was 5.46
3.53 items/m
in the floodplain, 155100.7 items/m
in the surface water, and 128.476.3 items/kg in the sediment.
Battulga, B.; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Koarashi, Jun
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31, p.60080 - 60092, 2024/10
A ubiquitous distribution of plastic debris has been reported in aquatic and terrestrial environments; however, the interactions between plastics and radionuclides and the radioactivity of environmental plastics remain largely unknown. Here, we characterize biofilms developing on the surface of plastic debris to explore the role of plastic-associated biofilms as an interaction medium between plastics and radiocesium (
Cs) in the environment. Biofilm samples were extracted from plastics (1-50 mm in size) collected from two contrasting coastal areas in Japan. The radioactivity of plastics was estimated based on the Cs activity concentration of the biofilms and compared seasonally with surrounding environmental samples (i.e., sediment and sand). Cs traces were detected in biofilms with activity concentrations of 21-1300 Bq kg
biofilm (dry weight), corresponding to 0.04-4.5 Bq kg plastic (dry weight). Our results reveal the interaction between Cs and plastics and provide evidence that organic and mineral components in biofilms are essential in Cs retention in environmental plastics.
Battulga, B.; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Matsueda, Makoto; Koarashi, Jun
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(31), p.77226 - 77237, 2023/05
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：14.26(Environmental Sciences)The global survey for the presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has attracted widespread scientific attention over the past decade. This study demonstrates a multidimensional analytical approach, including isotopic and thermogravimetric analyses to evaluate characteristics and behavior of MPs in the environment. The MP samples were collected in two contrasting coastal areas of Japan. The 
C values of field-collected polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) MPs were ranged from -25.6 to -31.4, -23.4 to -30.9, and -27.3 to -28.6 per mil, respectively. The differences in C signature between MPs with the same polymer types (i.e., PE and PP) but different colors. Through thermal analysis, the single-step endothermic process was observed for environmental PE and PS-MPs. The results reveal that degradation may play a significant role in the behavior and characteristics of MP debris in the aquatic environment.
Kato, Takuma*; Nagaoka, Mika; Guo, H.*; Fujita, Hiroki; Aida, Taku*; Smith, R. L. Jr.*
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(39), p.55725 - 55735, 2021/10
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Environmental Sciences)In this work, hydrothermal leaching was applied to simulated soils (clay minerals vermiculite, montmorillonite, kaolinite) and actual soils (Terunuma, Japan) to generate organic acids with the objective to develop an additive-free screening method for determination of Sr in soil. Stable strontium (SrCl
) was adsorbed onto soils for study and ten organic acids were evaluated for leaching Sr from simulated soils under hydrothermal conditions (120 to 200
C) at concentrations up to 0.3 M. For strontium-adsorbed vermiculite (Sr-V), 0.1 M citric acid was found to be effective for leaching Sr at 150C and 1 h treatment time. Based on these results, the formation of organic acids from organic matter in Terunuma soil was studied. Hydrothermal treatment of Terunuma soil produced a maximum amount of organic acids at 200C and 0.5 h reaction time. To confirm the possibility for leaching of Sr from Terunuma soil, strontium-adsorbed Terunuma soil (Sr-S) was studied. For Sr-S, hydrothermal treatment at 200C for 0.5 h reaction time allowed 40% of the Sr to be leached at room temperature, thus demonstrating an additive-free method for screening of Sr in soil. The additive-free hydrothermal leaching method avoids calcination of solids in the first step of chemical analysis and has application to both routine monitoring of metals in soils and to emergency situations.
Hu, P.*; Yin, Y.-G.; Ishikawa, Satoru*; Suzui, Nobuo; Kawachi, Naoki; Fujimaki, Shu; Igura, Masato*; Yuan, C.*; Huang, J.*; Li, Z.*; et al.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20(9), p.6306 - 6316, 2013/09
Times Cited Count：57 Percentile：79.86(Environmental Sciences)Awual, M. R.; Hossain, M. A.*; Shenashen, M. A.*; Yaita, Tsuyoshi; Suzuki, Shinichi; Jo, Akinori*
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20(1), p.421 - 430, 2013/01
Times Cited Count：184 Percentile：96.92(Environmental Sciences)