We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Influence of aging and colorants on environmental degradation of polyolefins
Summary
By analyzing 44 polyethylene lobster trap tags that had spent anywhere from a few years to over four decades in the ocean, researchers found that plastic aging in the marine environment is not a simple linear process — and that the color of the plastic matters enormously. Red tags degraded the most, while blue and green tags were the least affected, pointing to the role of pigments in determining how quickly plastic breaks down and generates microplastics. Understanding how different plastic colors and formulations degrade helps scientists predict microplastic formation rates in the ocean.
Plastic litter breaks down into microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics over time, but their environmental lifespan remains largely unknown. Understanding the degradation of plastic litter in the environment remains a fundamental question in MP research. This study highlights the significant role of colorants in the degradation process by analyzing forty-four naturally aged polyethylene (PE) lobster trap tags collected from the marine environment and an old, heavily degraded polypropylene (PP) product. The lobster trap tags, marked with their production year, indicate their time in the marine environment, with the oldest dating back to 1983, while the PP tub, over forty years old, had undergone extensive photodegradation in sunlight. Chemical, thermal, mechanical and surface property analyses revealed that the aging of PE tags is not directly proportional to their environmental degradation. Among the eight different tag colors, blue and green were the least degraded, while red showed the most degradation, emphasizing the influence of colorants. In contrast, the PP sample exhibited severe surface degradation, with significant fragmentation leading to MP formation, while its interior remained relatively intact. These findings underscore the complex interactions between environmental factors and material properties in plastic degradation.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Differential photoaging behaviors of different colored commercial polyethylene microplastics in water: The important role of color characteristics
Researchers compared the photoaging behavior of transparent and five differently colored commercial polyethylene microplastics under UV exposure. They found that transparent microplastics degraded fastest, followed by yellow and red, while blue and green were most resistant, with the pattern correlating to color wavelength, lightness, and saturation characteristics. The findings demonstrate that color plays an important and previously overlooked role in determining how quickly microplastics break down in the environment.
Critical Impactof Colored Pigments on the Long-TermPhotoaging of Polyethylene Microplastics in Coastal Seawater Environments
This study examined the long-term photoaging of polyethylene microplastics in coastal seawater, finding that pigment color significantly influences UV-driven surface oxidation rates and the release of additive chemicals, with darker pigments generally accelerating weathering processes.
Influence of colourants on environmental degradation of plastic litter
A three-year outdoor experiment found that plastic color significantly affects how fast plastics break down into microplastics, with red, blue, and green colored plastics degrading much faster than black, white, and silver ones. Black and white plastics were found to resist degradation for over 45 years, while certain colored pigments allow UV light to break down the plastic, accelerating the formation of harmful microplastics.
Critical Impact of Colored Pigments on the Long-Term Photoaging of Polyethylene Microplastics in Coastal Seawater Environments
Researchers examined how colored pigments affect the long-term photoaging of polyethylene microplastics in coastal seawater under UV irradiation, finding that pigment type significantly alters the rate and character of surface degradation and associated contaminant release.
Natural Degradation of Polyethylene and Polypropylene in the Environment
Researchers examined the natural degradation of polyethylene and polypropylene by studying 44 lobster trap tags of known age and several polypropylene items up to 40 years old collected from the marine environment. Results revealed extreme fragmentation in aged PP items and no direct correlation between PE tag manufacturing date and degradation state, providing insight into polymer-specific degradation rates and fragmentation behavior under natural environmental conditions.