Microplastic Leaching Rates for Different 3D Printable Plastic Filaments

As 3D printing becomes increasingly common in engineering, research, and marine applications, the use of plastic components in aquatic environments raises many concerns about microplastic pollution and plastic leaching.Due to a lack of research focused on microplastic leaching from polymers commonly used in fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, this study investigates the leaching behavior of five commonly used FDM polymers: Polylactic Acid(PLA), Polyethylene Glycol(PETG), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Thermoplastic Polyurethane(TPU), and Polycarbonate (PC).The goal is to use this data to encourage a better understanding of material choices for aquatic and research applications.2 x 2 x 2 cm cubes of each polymer were printed and exposed to agitated water for 48 hours, and changes in the density of the water samples and the mass of the printed cubes were measured.The results showed that TPU had the highest leaching rate during the first 24 hours, followed by ABS, PLA, PC, and PETG, with short-term leaching generally corresponding to the polymers' water absorption rates.During the second 24 hours, PETG and PC exhibited more leaching at a more linear rate while other polymers' leaching rates slowed down, and their cubes showed the greatest decreases in mass.These results suggest that water absorption and polarity influence leaching behavior, with the former influencing rates in the short term and the latter influencing rates in the long term.