4 Material und Umwelt
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Over the last 20 years, many researchers, politicians and citizens have become increasingly aware of the growing plastic problem of our time. A lack of recycling concepts and plastic collection points as well as careless dumping lead to accumulation of plastic products in the environment. Natural weathering can cause these plastics to degrade and fractionate, meaning that microplastics (1 1,000 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) and nanoplastics (< 1 µm, ISO/TR 21960:2020) of various synthetic polymer materials can now be detected in all parts of the world. Whether microplastics or nanoplastics pose a toxicological hazard is being investigated in a variety of ways. Valid results are still pending. However, the EU precautionary principle applies to micro- and nanoplastics. Monitoring of microplastics is already required in the revision of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Framework Directive.
Reliable monitoring of rivers can be carried out by sampling with sedimentation boxes and microplastic detection by using thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) in routine operation (Figure 1). The river Rhine was sampled for microplastic masses at three different sampling locations over a period of one year and in addition the Danube at randomized sampling locations The TED-GC/MS results showed that various synthetic polymers frequently produced in industry, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene as well as the tire compound styrene-butadiene rubber were found. The work not only shows a possible workflow for monitoring concepts, but also provides information on environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and tire components in surface waters. This in turn is necessary for ecotoxicological studies.
Following the recommendation of the European Chemicals Agency, on 25 September 2023 the European Commission passed a comprehensive new regulation to reduce emissions of microplastics (MP) into the environment, which includes the sale and use of intentionally added MP.1,2 This also applies to the application of synthetic rubber granulate infill in artificial turf systems and will ultimately have an impact on recreational sports. In Germany, rubber granulate made of ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber (EPDM) is currently predominantly used. So far, there is no sufficient database for estimating MP emissions from artificial turf pitches into the environment and thus their relevance as a source of MP pollution.3 This topic is controversially discussed due to the complexity of sampling and analytics. To close this research gap, this project has the goal to determine mass balances for the emissions of MP from artificial turf pitches to allow an estimation of the amount of MP released per artificial turf pitch and year.
Within this study, MP emissions of three artificial turf scenarios at different time states (unaged, artificially aged and real-time aged) are compared: the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most commonly installed in Europe: fossil based, EPDM infill), and the future (turf with recycled gras fibres, no synthetic infill). To simulate the outdoor weathering during the lifespan of an artificial turf of approx. 15 years, brand-new artificial turf and EPDM rubber granulate were accelerated aged by means of UV weathering and mechanical stress. Potential MP emissions into surface and groundwater are simulated by lysimeter and shake experiments. MP mass contents are subsequently determined by Thermal Extraction Desorption Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Using special microfilter crucibles allows the estimation of the particle sizes of the emitted MP, which is a fundamental requirement for an assessment of potential health hazards for humans.
In September 2023, the European Commission introduced a new regulation to
reduce microplastic (MP) emissions into the environment, including the sale and
use of intentionally added (large) MP < 5 mm (ISO/TR 21960: 2020). This explicitly
applies to the use of synthetic rubber granulate infill in artificial turf installations,
which are complex multi-component systems consisting of multiple synthetic
polymers (Fig. 1). In addition, abrasions of synthetic grass fibres and other turf
components are also considered as MP sources. Although this has a major impact
on public recreational sports, there is so far no sufficient data to estimate the MP
emissions from artificial turf sports pitches into the environment and thus their
relevance as a source of MP pollution.
To close this gap, this study compared environmental contaminant emissions of
three artificial turf scenarios at different ageing states (unaged, artificially and
real-time aged): the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most
commonly installed in Germany: fossil based, EPDM infill) and future (turf with
recycled grass fibres, no synthetic infill). Accelerated ageing by UV weathering and
mechanical stress was carried out to simulate the outdoor weathering during the
lifespan of approx. 15 years. MP emissions and released environmentally relevant
contaminants posing a risk to the groundwater were simultaneously sampled using
the newly developed Microplastic Eluate Lysimeter manufactured at BAM (Fig. 2).
MP contents were analysed using smart microfilter crucibles (mesh size: 5 μm)
with subsequent MP detection by TED-GC/MS. Additionally, concentrations of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined using GC/MS and heavy metals
using ICP-AES.