Corundum Aggregates With Microplastics Revealed by Raman Scattering and Fluorescence Study of Children's Urine in Hospital Environment

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have been of growing concern in recent years due to their potential adverse health effects and their role as carriers of hazardous substances. Various spectroscopic methods have been developed for the detection of MPs in human samples. However, the interaction of MPs with other environmental pollutants such as corundum dust (CD) has been less explored. This pilot study investigated the correlation between MPs and CD contamination in the urine of pediatric hospital patients using simultaneous Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging. CD particles (CDPs) were detected in both patient urine samples and procedural controls from the pediatric hospital environment with high levels of CD/MP aggregates. In addition, we identified the association of certain MP types with CDPs, supporting the hypothesis that CD may act as a carrier of or scaffold for MPs. Our results suggest that CD might have a potential adverse health effect as a carrier of MPs, inspiring further research into CD pollution in humans and the environment.