A first assessment of microplastic contamination in the snow of Ankara, Turkey.

Microplastics (MPs), affecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, have spread globally. The atmosphere is known as a pollutant acceptor and carrier among other ecosystems. However, the fate and amount of microplastics in the atmosphere have been the subject of less research. Therefore, it is quite important to study the amount and properties of microplastics in atmospheric fallout. The main purpose of this article is to discover microplastics in fresh snow samples collected in three different regions of Ankara and to identify potential sources of supply. The morphologies and compositions of microplastics were analyzed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS). µ-Raman spectroscopy was used to reveal the various polymer types of the selected samples. As a result, microplastics were found in all snow samples. Among the nine snow samples examined, 537 particles were recognized as MPs. The average abundance of MPs in snow samples was 59.66 items L-1. Fibers, fragments, films, and circular forms were found in all snow samples. Fragments predominated for all samples (50.08%), followed by films (28.54%), fibers (16.86%), and circulars (4.50%). The proportion of small plastics was quite high when compared to the large plastics captured by snow. Smaller MP particles found in the snow had more variety, suggesting that the microplastics in the snow samples have been broken down by long-range transport and deposition. Six different polymer types were discovered in the snow samples in this study. The most frequently identified polymer was polyethylene (31%), succedded by polystyrene (28%), and polypropylene (21%). Polyethylene terephthalate (12%), polyvinyl chloride (5%), and nylon were present in smaller proportions.

Assessment of house dust trace elements and human exposure in Ankara, Turkey.

One of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is leading people remain at homes longer than ever. Considering the elongation of the time people spend indoors, the potential health risks caused by contaminants including heavy metals in indoor environments have become even more critical. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels and sources of heavy metals in indoor dust, to assess the exposure to heavy metals via indoor dust, and to estimate the associated health risk. The highest median value was measured for Zn (263 µg g-1), while the lowest median concentration value was observed for Cd (0.348 µg g-1). The levels of elements measured in the current study were found to be within the ranges reported in the other parts of the world, mostly close to the lower end of the range. House characteristics such as proximity to the main street, presence of pets, number of occupants, and age of the building were the house characteristics influencing the observed higher concentrations of certain heavy metals in houses. Enrichment factor values range between 1.79 (Cr) and 20.4 (Zn) with an average EF value of 8.80 ± 6.80 representing that the targeted elements are enriched (EF>2) in indoor dust in Ankara. Positive matrix factorization results showed that the heavy metals in the house dust in the study area are mainly contributed from sources namely outdoor dust, carpets/furniture, solders, wall paint/coal combustion, and cigarette smoke. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk values from heavy metals did not exceed the safe limits recommended by EPA. The highest carcinogenic risk level was caused by Cr. The risk through ingestion was higher than inhalation, and the risk levels were higher for children than for adults.