Table 2.
Characteristics of putative MPs isolated from snow samples collected at four locations in the Aosta Valley (Western Italian Alps). Plastic polymers are reported in bold.
| Location and Sample Number | Filtered Volume (mL) | ID MP | Shape | Color | Length (µm) |
Polymer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuney I | 890 | MP1 | Fiber | Transparent | 398 | Cellulose |
| MP2 | Fiber | Blue | 133 | Cellulose | ||
| MP3 | Fiber | Dark | 266 | n.i. | ||
| Cuney II | 950 | MP4 | Fiber | Red | 103 | Cellulose |
| MP5 | Fiber | Blue | 364 | Cellulose | ||
| MP6 | Fiber | Yellow | 485 | Cellulose | ||
| Cuney III | 850 | MP7 | Fiber | Blue | 226 | Cellulose |
| MP8 | Fragment | Pink | 177 | Polyethylene | ||
| Deffeyes I | 940 | MP9 | Fiber | Blue | 183 | Polyester |
| MP10 | Fiber | Transparent | 181 | Cellulose | ||
| MP11 | Fiber | Light Blue | 338 | Cellulose | ||
| MP12 | Fiber | Red | 290 | Cellulose | ||
| MP13 | Sphere | Purple | 18 | n.i. | ||
| MP14 | Sphere | Purple | 21 | n.i. | ||
| MP15 | Fiber | Red | 520 | Cellulose | ||
| Deffeyes II | 910 | MP16 | Fiber | Purple | 83 | Polipropilene |
| Deffeyes III | 920 | MP17 | Fiber | Red | 119 | Cellulose |
| MP18 | Fiber | White | 346 | Cellulose | ||
| MP19 | Fiber | Red | 552 | Cellulose | ||
| MP20 | Fiber | Light Blue | 325 | Polyurethane | ||
| MP21 | Fragment | White | 422 | HDPE | ||
| MP22 | Fragment | White | 105 | HDPE | ||
| MP23 | Fragment | White | 222 | HDPE | ||
| MP24 | Fiber | Blue | 114 | Polyester | ||
| Malatrà I | 270 | n.d. | ||||
| Malatrà II | 280 | MP25 | Fiber | Blue | 286 | Cellulose |
| MP26 | Fiber | Transparent | 363 | Wool | ||
| Malatrà III | 230 | MP27 | Fiber | Blue | 270 | Cellulose |
| MP28 | Fiber | Red | 217 | n.i. | ||
| MP29 | Fragment | White | 261 | Polyethylene | ||
| Miserin I | 600 | n.d. | ||||
| Miserin II | 600 | MP30 | Fiber | Dark | 158 | Cellulose |
| MP31 | Fiber | Blue | 1910 | PET | ||
| MP32 | Fiber | Blue | 281 | PET | ||
| MP33 | Fiber | Blue | 904 | PET | ||
| MP34 | Fiber | Dark | 211 | Cellulose | ||
| MP35 | Fragment | Light Blue | 50 | LDPE | ||
| Miserin III | 620 | MP36 | Fragment | White | 413 | Polyethylene |
| MP37 | Fragment | White | 215 | Polyethylene | ||
| MP38 | Fragment | White | 245 | Polyethylene | ||
| MP39 | Fragment | White | 148 | Polyethylene | ||
| MP40 | Fragment | White | 192 | Polyethylene |
ID MP = identity of each putative microplastic (MP) isolated from snow samples. Length (µm) = maximum length of each item; n.i. = the polymeric composition was not identified. No MPs were found in snow samples named Malatrà I and Miserin I (n.d. = not detected.). HDPE = High-density Polyethylene; LDPE = Low-density Polyethylene; PET = Polyethylene terephthalate.