- 1Rzeszow University of Technology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Department of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Rzeszów, Poland (mkida@prz.edu.pl s.ziembowicz@prz.edu.pl)
- 2Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, Ks. Janusza 64, 01-452 Warsaw, Poland (skdytlow@igf.edu.pl)
Road dust samples were collected in Warsaw, the capital of Poland and assessed both as a whole (“all”) and after separation into five size fractions: (1–0.8 mm, “0.8”), (0.8–0.6 mm, “0.6”), (0.6–0.4 mm, “0.4”), (0.4–0.2 mm, “0.2”), and (below 0.2 mm, “<0.2”). RD is composed of the “0.4” and “0.8” fractions, which contribute the most to the total mass, whereas “<0.2” and “0.2,” have a lower overall contribution.
The qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics (MPs) in various fractions of road dust revealed the presence of materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide, naturally occurring polyamide, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and rubber. The largest quantities were observed for polypropylene and rubber, while the smallest quantities of MPs were recorded in the largest analyzed fraction of dust, "0.8". Conversely, the highest number of MPs, amounting to 51,660 particles, was noted in the smallest fraction, "<0.2," in sample WAW4. An increasing trend in the number of MPs was observed with decreasing particle size in samples WAW1 and WAW4. Plastic particles can pose significant environmental risks, not only due to their presence but also because of the additives used in plastics manufacturing. The road dust samples were analyzed for bisphenol A and phthalic acid esters, which act as plasticizers. Four phthalates were detected: dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP). The highest concentrations were recorded for DBP and DEHP, reaching 48.72 µg/g and 37.59 µg/g, respectively, in sample WAW2 for the "<0.2" fraction. A strong correlation was found between MPs and DEHP in samples WAW1 and WAW4, indicating the release of this contaminant from plastics. For the other contaminants, no significant correlations were observed, suggesting diverse sources of these substances in the analyzed samples.Magnetic susceptibility analysis reveals the highest values in the “<0.2” fraction, with bulk samples showing intermediate levels and coarser fractions generally lower. An exception is observed at WAW1, where the “0.8” fraction exhibits the highest χ.
Strong Pearson coefficients were obtained between χ and DEHP (0.78), DBP (0.96), and BPA (0.89) for WAW2. For WAW3, the best correlation with χ was observed for DEHP (0.89), whereas for WAW4, an excellent correlation was found between MPs (0.97) and DBP (0.9). For the finest fractions “0.2” and “<0.2”, strong correlations were observed between χ, DBA and DBP (ranging from 0.8 to 0.9). Such a result may indicate a good prospect for using χ for the preliminary assessment of DBA and BPA concentrations in fine fractions of RD.
Acknowledgment
This research was funded in whole by the National Science Centre (Poland), grant number 2021/43/D/ST10/00996. This work was supported by a subsidy from the Polish Ministry of Education and Science for the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences.
How to cite: Kida, M., Dytłow, S., and Ziembowicz, S.: Microplastic Distibution and Magnetic Susceptibility in Size-Fractionated Road Dust from Warsaw: Environmental Implications., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2806, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2806, 2025.