PMID- 29948681
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20181221
LR  - 20181221
IS  - 1614-7499 (Electronic)
IS  - 0944-1344 (Linking)
VI  - 25
IP  - 20
DP  - 2018 Jul
TI  - Characterisation of "flushable" and "non-flushable" commercial wet wipes using 
      microRaman, FTIR spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy: to flush or not to 
      flush.
PG  - 20268-20279
LID - 10.1007/s11356-018-2400-9 [doi]
AB  - The introduction to the market of wet wipes, advertised and labelled as 
      "flushable", has been the subject of controversy due to their perceived potential 
      to block sewer systems as observed with other non-woven cloths such as 
      traditional non-flushable wipes. Non-woven cloths that enter wastewater systems 
      can find their way into the aquatic environment via wastewater effluents and it 
      has been suggested that the breakdown of these fabrics can release materials such 
      as microplastics into the environment. Worldwide research has revealed the 
      alarming number of aquatic organisms affected by the presence of plastic debris 
      in the aquatic environment harbouring a potential risk to humans through the 
      introduction of microplastics into the food chains. However, the actual material 
      composition of flushable wipes, their fate and impacts in the aquatic environment 
      have not yet been scientifically studied. This paper investigates the fibre 
      composition of flushable and non-flushable wipes, specifically with regard to 
      synthetic polymer material, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 
      microRaman spectroscopy along with fluorescence microscopy. The study 
      demonstrated the presence of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, (PET)), 
      high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene/vinyl acetate (PEVA/EVA) in 
      some flushable wipes and PET in all non-flushable. Other polymers such us 
      polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) 
      and polyurethane (PU) were also identified as potential components in the 
      flushable material. Hence, commercially available wet wipes labelled as flushable 
      could also be considered as a possible source of microplastic fibres in the 
      wastewater streams and, if not retained, in the environment.
FAU - Pantoja Munoz, Leonardo
AU  - Pantoja Munoz L
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8364-7595
AD  - Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Middlesex 
      University, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK. l.pantojamunoz@mdx.ac.uk.
FAU - Gonzalez Baez, Alejandra
AU  - Gonzalez Baez A
AD  - Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Middlesex 
      University, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK.
FAU - McKinney, Deena
AU  - McKinney D
AD  - External Affairs and Sustainability Education Team, Maple Lodge STW, Thames 
      Water, Denham Way, Rickmansworts, Herts, WD3 9SQ, UK.
FAU - Garelick, Hemda
AU  - Garelick H
AD  - Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Middlesex 
      University, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20180608
PL  - Germany
TA  - Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
JT  - Environmental science and pollution research international
JID - 9441769
RN  - 0 (Plastics)
RN  - 0 (Waste Products)
RN  - 0 (Water Pollutants, Chemical)
SB  - IM
MH  - Household Products/*analysis/classification
MH  - Microscopy, Fluorescence
MH  - Plastics/*analysis
MH  - Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
MH  - Spectrum Analysis, Raman
MH  - Waste Products/*analysis
MH  - Water Pollutants, Chemical/*analysis
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - FTIR
OT  - Fluorescent microscopy
OT  - Flushable
OT  - MicroRaman
OT  - Microplastic
OT  - Wet wipes
EDAT- 2018/06/28 06:00
MHDA- 2018/12/24 06:00
CRDT- 2018/06/28 06:00
PHST- 2018/01/17 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2018/05/24 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2018/06/28 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/12/24 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2018/06/28 06:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s11356-018-2400-9 [pii]
AID - 10.1007/s11356-018-2400-9 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Jul;25(20):20268-20279. doi: 
      10.1007/s11356-018-2400-9. Epub 2018 Jun 8.