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UV Dosage Unveils Toxic Properties of Weathered Commercial Bioplastic Bags
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This study found that UV weathering increased the ecotoxicity of compostable bioplastic bags — unlike conventional polyethylene, which remained non-toxic — using sea-urchin embryo tests across both indoor and outdoor mesocosm exposures. Higher UV doses caused a plastic-type-dependent regain of toxicity, likely driven by transformed additives or degradation byproducts leaching from the bioplastics.
Previous studies indicated that weathered conventional plastics and bioplastics pose ecotoxicological risks. Here, the effects of artificial and natural weathering on the ecotoxicity of three compostable bags and a conventional polyethylene (PE) bag are investigated. With that aim, a 21-day artificial indoor weathering experiment featuring UV light, UV-filtered light, and darkness was run simultaneously to a 120-day outdoor littoral mesocosm exposure featuring natural light, UV-filtered light, and shaded conditions. Acute toxicity of so-weathered plastic specimens was tested in vivo using the sensitive Paracentrotus lividus sea-urchin embryo test. PE was nontoxic from the beginning and did not gain toxicity due to UV weathering. In contrast, for bioplastics, dry artificial UV weathering increased toxicity in comparison to the dark control. Weathering in outdoor mesocosm led to a rapid loss of toxic properties due to leaching in rainwater. With a higher UV dosage, a plastic-type-dependent regain of toxicity was observed, most likely driven by enhanced availability or transformation of functional additives or due to bioplastic degradation products. PE showed moderate UV absorbance, while bioplastics showed high UV absorbance. This study highlights the potential of biodegradable plastics to pose enhanced ecotoxicological risk due to weathering under environmentally relevant conditions.
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Marine degradation and ecotoxicity of conventional, recycled and compostable plastic bags
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This study compared degradation and ecotoxicity of conventional polyethylene, recycled polyethylene, and compostable plastic bags in marine mesocosm conditions, finding that compostable bags degraded rapidly (fragmenting within 3–4 weeks) while PE bags showed minimal mechanical property changes. Compostable materials showed moderate toxicity to sea urchin larvae in contrast to PE bags, raising questions about the environmental safety of compostable plastic alternatives in marine environments.
UV weathering alters toxicity and chemical composition of consumer plastic leachates
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Researchers examined how UV weathering changes the toxicity and chemical makeup of leachates from eight types of consumer plastic products. They found that UV exposure increased cytotoxicity up to 13-fold, particularly for polyethylene leachates, and enhanced reactive toxicity by up to 82%. The increased toxicity was primarily linked to the release and transformation of organic chemicals rather than the microplastic particles themselves, highlighting UV weathering as a critical driver of plastic pollution hazards.
Weathering increases the acute toxicity of plastic pellets leachates to sea-urchin larvae—a case study with environmental samples
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Researchers tested whether weathered plastic pellets collected at increasing distances from a production facility are more toxic to sea urchin larvae than fresher pellets. They found that pellets collected farther from the source, which had undergone more environmental weathering, were significantly more toxic to developing larvae. The study suggests that as plastic pellets age in the environment, they may become increasingly harmful to marine life.
Physicochemical transformation and toxic potential of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments exposed to natural daylight
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Researchers exposed PET plastic fragments to natural sunlight and studied how weathering changed their chemistry and toxicity. They found that sun-aged PET released a more complex mixture of chemicals, including plasticizers and metals like antimony, and became significantly more toxic to marine microalgae and bacteria. The findings highlight that plastic degradation in the environment does not make it harmless but can actually increase the danger posed by leached substances.
Effects of Leachates from UV-Weathered Microplastic in Cell-Based Bioassays
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Chemicals were leached from UV-weathered polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene into artificial seawater, concentrated, and tested in cell-based bioassays for cytotoxicity, AhR/PPARγ activation, estrogenic activity, and other endpoints. UV weathering significantly increased the leaching of bioactive compounds, demonstrating that aged microplastics release more toxic chemicals than pristine plastics.
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