工业工程最新文献

{"title":"[Brain midline segmentation method based on prior knowledge and path optimization].","authors":"Shuai Geng, Yonghui Li, Yu Ao, Weili Shi, Yu Miao, Shuhan Wang, Zhengang Jiang","doi":"10.7507/1001-5515.202412032","DOIUrl":"10.7507/1001-5515.202412032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To address the challenges faced by current brain midline segmentation techniques, such as insufficient accuracy and poor segmentation continuity, this paper proposes a deep learning network model based on a two-stage framework. On the first stage of the model, prior knowledge of the feature consistency of adjacent brain midline slices under normal and pathological conditions is utilized. Associated midline slices are selected through slice similarity analysis, and a novel feature weighting strategy is adopted to collaboratively fuse the overall change characteristics and spatial information of these associated slices, thereby enhancing the feature representation of the brain midline in the intracranial region. On the second stage, the optimal path search strategy for the brain midline is employed based on the network output probability map, which effectively addresses the problem of discontinuous midline segmentation. The method proposed in this paper achieved satisfactory results on the CQ500 dataset provided by the Center for Advanced Research in Imaging, Neurosciences and Genomics, New Delhi, India. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), average symmetric surface distance (ASSD), and normalized surface Dice (NSD) were 67.38 ± 10.49, 24.22 ± 24.84, 1.33 ± 1.83, and 0.82 ± 0.09, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can fully utilize the prior knowledge of medical images to effectively achieve accurate segmentation of the brain midline, providing valuable assistance for subsequent identification of the brain midline by clinicians.</p>","PeriodicalId":39324,"journal":{"name":"生物医学工程学杂志","volume":"42 4","pages":"766-774"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12409504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144973131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-vitro metabolites characterization of 1,3-diphenylguanidine and 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine by high-resolution mass spectrometry and urinary profiling","authors":"Andrea Estévez-Danta,&nbsp;Iago Riveiro,&nbsp;María Lage-Díaz,&nbsp;José Benito Quintana,&nbsp;Rosa Montes,&nbsp;Rosario Rodil","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The discovery of the hazardous effects associated with the polymer additives 1,3-diphenyl guanidine (DPG) and 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG) has prompted the need for biomonitoring studies to detect human exposure. However, limited information is available about their metabolism. To address this gap, this study investigates the Phase I and II <em>in-vitro</em> biotransformation of both chemicals using human liver microsomes and cytosol. The samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution-(tandem) mass spectrometry through suspect (of <em>in-silico</em> predicted metabolites) and non-target screening. The analysis revealed four Phase I and two Phase II metabolic products for both DPG and DTG. Hydroxylation of the benzene ring led to the tentative identification of mono- and di-hydroxylated metabolites. Subsequent Phase I deamination followed by oxidation resulted in the formation of hydroxy-phenylurea and an intramolecular cyclization resulted in the formation of hydroxy-cyclic products. Furthermore, N-glucuronidation and O-glucuronidation products were identified for the first time. After performing urinalysis, DPG and DTG could be quantified in the 0.02–0.23 μg L⁻¹ range, and DPG-227 (mono-hydroxylated DPG) was estimated to be present at ca. 0.01–0.10 μg L⁻¹ range, using DPG response as quantification surrogate. Finally, toxicity assessment using an <em>in-silico</em> tool indicated the need to consider these human metabolites in (eco)toxicological assessments, as they may have the same or even greater effects on humans and the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100551"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the greenhouse: The spread of plastic pollution from an intensively cultivated agricultural area","authors":"Marina Nuñez-Rubio ,&nbsp;Carlos Edo ,&nbsp;Virginia Gálvez-Blanca ,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Valenzuela-Lázaro ,&nbsp;Gerardo Pulido-Reyes ,&nbsp;Miguel González-Pleiter ,&nbsp;Luis Fernández-García-del-Rincón ,&nbsp;Francisco Leganés ,&nbsp;Francisca Fernández-Piñas ,&nbsp;Roberto Rosal","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Among the many sources of plastic contamination, greenhouse agriculture is a major contributor due to its intensive use of plastic materials. This study examines plastic waste in one of the world's leading greenhouse farming regions. The research included both abiotic (soil, freshwater, seawater, and air) and biotic compartments (invertebrates, herbivores, fish and predators) as well as the presence of bacterial and fungal pathogens colonizing agricultural plastics. Plastics were identified in all sampled compartments, including the nearshore seawater. The highest concentrations were recorded along the coastline, where 1397 plastic items representing 15 different polymers were found with a median concentration of 1.92 (1.73–2.13) items/m² or 3.05 (2.29–3.81) g/m², the boundaries representing interquartile ranges. Most of the polymers identified across all compartments matched those found in agricultural operations in terms of morphology, type, and colour. Notably, high plastic concentration appeared in protected areas, indicating that legal protection alone does not prevent pollution. Greenhouse plastics were especially prevalent in the protected zones near the greenhouse area, rather than in the nearby urban zones, which can be explained by the proximity of agricultural exploitations. We estimated that approximately 290 kg of plastic, including 80 kg of polyethylene, were dispersed along the coast, a figure representing about one-tenth of the plastic waste generated annually in the production zone. Our results also revealed that agricultural plastic waste may act as vector and reservoir of bacterial and fungal pathogens, promoting their spread even into protected environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100560"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microfiber release during apparel manufacturing process – A greater concern than domestic laundering","authors":"S. Raja Balasaraswathi,&nbsp;R. Rathinamoorthy","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microfibers released from textile materials have recently become a pressing concern as one of the most significant anthropogenic pollutants in recent times. Although domestic laundry has been reported as a major source of microfiber release, researchers stress the potential of manufacturing stage to contribute equally. However, limited research has been conducted on the manufacturing stage. To bridge this gap, the current study aimed to analyze microfiber release from different knitted fabrics during the cutting process in the apparel manufacturing industry. Microfibers released during cutting were collected using the atmospheric deposition method both inside and outside the industry. The findings revealed that the cutting process caused an average microfiber deposition of 2.86 × 10⁶ ± 6.02 × 10⁵ microfibers per square meter of cutting floor per day. A strong linear relationship was observed between the length of the fabric been cut and microfiber deposition (r = 0.96). Regarding fabric properties, strong positive correlations (r = 0.80 to 0.99) were noted with stitch density, thickness, areal density, and yarn count, indicating that increase in these parameters led to increased microfiber emissions. Conversely, a negative correlation was reported for loop length (r = −0.79), and an insignificant correlation was found with the tightness factor (r = 0.49). The majority of the released fibers (55.84 %) measured between 300 and 800 μm in length. The results showed that fabrics with compact structures released more short microfibers than those with loose structures. The study's findings indicated that cutting a medium-sized T-shirt can release up to 1.09 × 10⁶ microfibers, which is approximately 50 times higher than that released during laundry, with 40–70 % of the fibers transported outside the factory. With this alarming quantity, future research should focus on understanding the occupational hazards of cutting operators exposed to large quantities of microfibers. Moreover, studies should focus on developing cost-effective alternative cutting methods and microfiber-capturing systems that can be implemented in the industry to control the release of microfibers into the external environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100559"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the Venice Lagoon: A suspect screening approach for the analysis of water and sediment contamination","authors":"P.P. Guolo ,&nbsp;L. Calgaro ,&nbsp;A. Bonetto ,&nbsp;Q. Xu ,&nbsp;J. Lu ,&nbsp;A. Marcomini","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The presence of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in the environment poses significant concern, yet their occurrence, sources, and fate remain not fully understood. This study provides the first investigation of a broad range of CECs, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), plant protection products (PPPs), and personal care products (PCPs), across raw and treated wastewater, surface water, and sediment in the Venice Lagoon and selected tributaries. Using a suspect screening analysis methodology based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 14 sampling stations were selected to identify contamination patterns and potential emission sources. APIs were the most frequently detected class of compounds (150 compounds), with flecainide, harman, carbamazepine, and venlafaxine found in more than 80 % of sampling stations. Analgesics were the dominant therapeutic class, followed by antidepressants and cardiovascular drugs. Among PCPs (17 compounds), icaridin, and climbazole were the most prevalent, detected at 11 and 9 sampling stations, respectively. PPPs (26 compounds) were also detected, with diuron being the most widespread as it was found at 10 sampling stations. To the best of the authors' knowledge, 92 compounds (68 APIs, 17 PCPs, and 7 PPPs) were qualitatively identified for the first time in the Venice Lagoon, although many of them are known to occur in natural waters worldwide.</div><div>The results highlight rivers and treated wastewater as major contributors to CEC emissions in the lagoon. These findings offer valuable insights for future research and targeted monitoring strategies, advancing the understanding of unmonitored contaminants in vulnerable aquatic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100557"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Holographic imaging and machine learning for microplastic size and shape analysis in water","authors":"Ismaila Abimbola ,&nbsp;Thangavel Thevar ,&nbsp;Marion McAfee ,&nbsp;Leo Creedon ,&nbsp;Hanieh Khosravi ,&nbsp;Salem Gharbia","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics are a growing global concern, particularly in drinking water, due to their potential negative impacts on human health. To effectively monitor, quantify and understand the sources and implications of microplastics in water, it is critical to identify their physical and chemical properties. However, existing laboratory-based methods popularly used for characterising microplastics have several limitations. Using a novel method, this study explored the feasibility of quantifying the physical properties of microplastics in water. Specifically, we utilised a portable holographic camera to record digital holograms of commercial microplastics floating in water. Furthermore, we developed a simple Python algorithm to determine the size of the microplastics from the particle images. This study also evaluated and compared the performance of two deep-learning architectures, MobileNetV2 and ResNet101, in classifying the shapes of the microplastic particles into spherical and hemispherical shapes. Findings from this study demonstrate the capability of the proposed holographic system to rapidly and automatically produce particle images of microplastics while simultaneously measuring their sizes. Performance metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, confusion matrix and training time, showed that MobileNetV2 achieved the best performance despite being a more lightweight model with fewer parameters than ResNet101. Therefore, MobileNetV2 was recommended for classifying the shapes of microplastics from particle images. The time and cost-effectiveness of the proposed digital holographic method make it suitable for large-scale monitoring of microplastics in water. This will be significant in identifying the sources, understanding their behaviour and reducing the associated health risks to humans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100558"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144911678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PFOA promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell progression by suppressing ferroptosis via the ATF4/SLC7A11/PDK4 axis","authors":"Wenli Hu ,&nbsp;Yu Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaohang Guo ,&nbsp;Zhuang Zhang ,&nbsp;Ping Zhu ,&nbsp;Xiushan Wu ,&nbsp;Xin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent pollutants with emerging hepatotoxic and tumor-promoting concerns. Differences in effects between long- and short-chain PFAS on liver tumor progression remain unclear. We examined transcriptomic and functional effects of PFOA (long-chain), GenX (short-chain), and their 1:1 mixture on HepG2 cells exposed to a nominal total concentration of 0.02 mg/L. Using RNA-Seq, qPCR, and assays for proliferation, migration and invasion, we found that PFOA induced the largest number of differentially expressed genes and markedly promoted proliferation, migration and invasion via activation of TNF and insulin-resistance pathways. PFOA also suppressed ferroptosis through upregulation of the ATF4/SLC7A11/PDK4 axis, supported by decreased BODIPY-C11 lipid peroxidation and lower labile Fe²⁺. GenX showed substantially weaker effects, and the mixture produced intermediate responses consistent with a concentration-addition (dose-dilution) explanation. These findings indicate that PFOA promotes malignant phenotypes of existing liver cancer cells in vitro rather than demonstrating de-novo carcinogenesis, and highlight the need to evaluate tumor-promoting and hepatotoxic effects of PFAS under both single-compound and mixed exposures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100556"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent and emerging brominated flame retardants in indoor dust and human hair from remote agro-pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia: Pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and human exposure","authors":"Moson Dalutai ,&nbsp;Jianing Zheng ,&nbsp;Jie Sun ,&nbsp;Yuhao Fan ,&nbsp;Ye Wu ,&nbsp;Qiexue Yang ,&nbsp;Bolong Guo ,&nbsp;Ying Wang ,&nbsp;Jun Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), poses significant environmental and health risks, yet data on their contamination in remote agro-pastoral regions remain scarce. This study systematically investigated the pollution characteristics, sources, and human exposure risks of PBDEs and NBFRs in indoor dust and human hair from 11 households in Inner Mongolian grasslands. Results revealed that PBDEs were ubiquitous in all dust samples (median ∑₁₀PBDEs: 15.8 ng/g dw, with a 95 % confidence interval of 2.88–48.1 ng/g dw), dominated by BDE-209 (73.6–100 %), reflecting legacy Deca-BDE usage despite regulatory restrictions. NBFRs (median ∑NBFRs: 0.77 ng/g dw, 95 % CI: 0.42–1.14 ng/g dw) in dust were predominated by hexabromobenzene (HBB, 41.7 %) and pentabromobenzylacrylate (PBBA, 18.8 %). In human hair, PBDEs (median ∑₁₀PBDEs: 6.77 ng/g dw, 95 % CI: 2.31–52 ng/g dw) showed comparable levels to urban populations, with BDE-209 contributing 71.7–99.7 %, while NBFRs (median ∑NBFRs: 0.64 ng/g dw, 95 % CI: 0.23–1.97) mirrored dust profiles (HBB: 43.4 %), suggesting dust as a likely exposure route (<em>r</em> = 0.575–0.699, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Source analysis identified Penta-/Octa-BDE degradation and industrial applications (plastics/textiles for tetrabromo-<em>p</em>-xylene (pTBX)-pentabromobenzene (PBBz)-pentabromotoluene (PBT); electronics for PBBA-HBB) as key contributors. Human age-dependent accumulation patterns was observed, with higher PBDEs in the elderly and increasing PBBz/PBT levels with age (<em>r</em> = 0.528–0.564, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Despite lower dust contamination than urban areas, hair-based exposure highlighted non-dust pathways (e.g., air inhalation) for low-brominated congeners. These findings underscore the persistent risks of legacy PBDEs and emerging NBFRs in remote regions, advocating for stricter lifecycle management of BFR-containing products and long-term health monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100553"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brake wear particles from various temperatures: emission characteristics, generation processes and evolutions","authors":"Yachao Wang ,&nbsp;Aihong Li ,&nbsp;Hang Yin ,&nbsp;Sheng Su ,&nbsp;Yitu Lai ,&nbsp;Wanyi Chen ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Jianwei Tan ,&nbsp;Lijun Hao ,&nbsp;Shijin Shuai ,&nbsp;Yunshan Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Brake particle emissions are receiving global attention and are a major focus in the Euro 7 and China 7 regulations. Based on a 1/5 scale brake dynamometer, this study investigated the brake particle emissions from NAO-cast iron brake assemblies under various temperatures (350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C). Particles with the size of 1∼10 μm (PL1) were analyzed. In low temperature single brakes, PL1 emissions exhibited a sharp initial increase followed by a gradual decline due to the absence and subsequent formation of secondary plateaus, where the contribution of particles at 8–10 μm decreased as braking progressed. Under high IBT (initial brake temperature) conditions, multiple PL1 spikes occurred within a single brake, driven by the dynamic formation and rupture of secondary plateaus. The rupture was influenced by reduced adhesive strength and thermal degradation-induced gases. The relative standard deviation of average PL1 concentrations stabilized at 7.90 %–16.38 % under thermally stable conditions, yet the average PL1 concentrations varied with thermally stable temperatures, leading to different emissions even under identical braking conditions. Increasing IBT from 25 °C to 100 °C amplified PL1 spikes by 2–10 times due to weakened mechanical strength and reduced actual contact area. Additionally, high-temperature pretreatment further elevated PL1 emissions by 2–5 times, promoting abrasive wear and increasing the contribution of particles at 5–10 μm. These findings provided new insight into the brake particle emission characteristics under continuous high-temperature brakes and the underlying reasons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100554"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of microplastics under 20 μm in road dust using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS)","authors":"Dana Fahad M.S. Mohamed ,&nbsp;Inae Jeon ,&nbsp;Abhrajyoti Tarafdar ,&nbsp;Jiyul An ,&nbsp;Yerim Koo ,&nbsp;Jung-Hwan Kwon","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Detecting microplastics (MPs) under 20 μm has been challenging, yet these tiny particles may pose significant threats to human health and the environment. They can be inhaled or ingested, potentially leading to respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal problems. This research proposed confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for identifying MPs smaller than 20 μm and to support its validity by comparing results to a typical gravimetric analysis for these small MPs in road dust samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS). A total of 30 road dust samples were collected from urban areas in Seoul and 15 samples from rural regions throughout South Korea. A strong agreement was observed between the results obtained from CLSM and Pyr-GC/MS, confirming the effectiveness of both methods in measuring MPs under 20 μm especially when polyolefins are dominating MPs. CLSM, coupled with BiofilmQ software, enabled precise volumetric analysis, while Pyr-GC/MS provided rapid identification of chemical compositions, suggesting that they are complementary. Mass concentrations of MPs in rural road dust (14.2 ± 6.4 μg g⁻¹) were greater than those in urban road dust (7.8 ± 4.6 μg g⁻¹), likely due to less stringent plastic waste management and increased agricultural plastic use in rural areas. This study builds upon prior volumetric imaging methods by enabling mass quantification of MPs under 20 μm using CLSM and validating the results against Pyr-GC/MS in real-world road dust samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100555"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}