With the increase in environmental monitoring and assessing, we are gaining insight into the extent of microplastic pollution in our environment. The threat posed by microplastics to biota could come, e.g., from leached substances. As some plastic materials have been decaying in nature for extended periods already, the toxic effects of leaching compounds need to be investigated. It is furthermore essential to understand the adverse effects of new plastic and how these effects differ from the effects elicited by old plastic material. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of exposure to leachates from new and artificial aged polycarbonate as well as new and aged polycarbonate granules on various germination parameters of Lepidium sativum were studied. Germination, root, and shoot length, as well as the calculated germination rate index as a measure for germination speed, was negatively influenced in substrate-free and substrate containing exposures. From an ecological and agricultural point of view, this implies possible yield losses with less germinating seeds, slower plant germination speed, and smaller seedlings in general.

Piezoelectric quartz crystals and analogous gold substrates were electrochemically coated with molecularly imprinted polypyrrole films for pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) of clofibric acid, a metabolite of clofibrate. Cyclic voltammetry data obtained during polymerization and deposited weight estimations revealed a decrease of the polymerization rate with increasing clofibric acid concentration. XPS measurements indicated that clofibric acid could be removed after imprinting with an aqueous ethanol solution, which was further optimized by using PAD. Zeta potential and contact angle measurements revealed differences between molecularly imprinted (MIP) and non-imprinted polymer (NIP) layers. Binding experiments with clofibric acid and other substances showed a pronounced selectivity of the MIP for clofibric acid vs. carbamazepine, but the response of MIP and NIP to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was higher than that for clofibric acid. A smooth surface, revealed by AFM measurements, with roughness of 6–8 nm for imprinted and non-imprinted layers, might be a reason for an excessively low density of specific binding sites for clofibric acid. Furthermore, the decreased polymerization rate in the presence of clofibric acid might not result in well-defined polymer structures, which could be the reason for the lower sensitivity.