A study by a team of researchers at the University of Pisa on microplastics and other emerging contaminants in urban underground aquifers, just published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, has highlighted the need to conduct research that is itself “plastic-free.”
When studying microplastics, there is a risk that results may be “contaminated” — which is why it is important for research to be conducted plastic-free. The University of Pisa study, just published in Science of the Total Environment, has focused precisely on this issue in relation to groundwater investigations.
“The study of microplastics in groundwater is a relatively new field. To avoid possible contamination, at the start of the research we established an absolutely plastic-free sampling and sample-handling protocol, as indeed required by the scientific community,” explains Professor Stefano Viaroli of the University of Pisa. “Once in the field, however, we encountered wells and piezometers with PVC linings and pipework, and we therefore asked ourselves whether and to what extent these plastic elements might compromise water quality and the overall results.”
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Source: La Nazione
Date: 14 October 2024
