Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS.

Microplastics (MP) have been recorded in various environments around the globe. For a better understanding of distribution patterns and for providing a basis for risk assessments, detailed data on MP concentrations and polymer compositions are required. This study investigated the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) monthly over one year, in order to better understand their temporal input of MP into the receiving river systems. MP item data down to 11 µm were obtained by means of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy under the application of an improved polymer database. Complementary mass data were obtained by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) (for one WWTP). Both FTIR and Py-GC/MS analysis revealed a homogeneous polymer composition over the year, with a general dominance of polyolefins. Elevated MP item and mass concentrations (maximum: 3 × 104 items m-3 and 3.8 × 103 µg m-3) were observed during winter months and were accompanied by either heavy rainfall (increased discharge and total organic carbon) or elevated turbidity values. These observations emphasize the need for the assessment of background parameters in future MP monitoring studies. By providing monthly data over one year on MP items and masses in WWTP effluents, this study helps enhancing the understanding of temporal MP dynamics and can act as a valuable reference point for future assessments.

Determination of micelle diffusion coefficients with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).

In our study we determined the diffusion coefficient of Tween 20 micelles at different surfactant concentrations (10(-4)-10(-2) M) via fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The hydrophobic fluorescent dye 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene, located in the micellar phase, was used as marker for the diffusion of Tween 20 micelles. The hydrodynamic radius of the micelles, R(h), was estimated from the diffusion coefficient and compared with literature values from previous studies.

Influence of streptavidin on the absorption and fluorescence properties of cyanine dyes.

Cyanine dyes have become widely used fluorescence labels in clinical and biological chemistry. In particular, cyanine dyes with excitation wavelengths lambda(ex) > 600 nm are often used in biological applications. However, aggregation behavior and matrix effects on cyanine fluorescence are not fully understood yet and interfere with the data interpretation. In this study, we analyzed the spectroscopic characteristics of a model system consisting of the biotinylated cyanine dyes DY-635 and DY-647 and their streptavidin conjugates. On the basis of the spectroscopic data, the interaction processes between cyanine dye molecules and proteins are discussed. Binding to streptavidin had a significant influence on both fluorescence and anisotropy decays of the cyanine dyes investigated. In particular, the fluorescence anisotropy was significantly altered, making it a promising detection parameter for bioanalytical applications in connection with the cyanine dyes used in the present study. In order to evaluate the time-resolved anisotropy, the introduction of a sophisticated kinetic model was required to describe the contributions from different fluorescing species properly. The rotational motion of streptavidin-bound dyes was analyzed using the associated anisotropy model, which allowed discrimination between contributions from different microenvironments. The anisotropy decay times increased by a factor of up to 20 due to protein binding.