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Microplastics Formation
Summary
This book chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how microplastics form from primary and secondary sources, covering generation mechanisms from different plastic product forms—films, fibers, foams, rubber—and the role of shape in MP production. It synthesizes fragmentation factors including UV exposure, mechanical stress, and biological activity that drive the transition from bulk plastics to environmental MPs.
Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of pollutant, have attracted widespread attention globally due to their ability to form composite pollutants with other toxicants and be transported over long distances. A number of studies have been conducted to explore the mechanisms of MP generation. However, the MP generation process is influenced by many factors, which are difficult to unify. Besides, most of the research neglectes the importance of the shape of plastic products in the generation of MPs. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the formation of primary and secondary MPs. This chapter will then discuss in detail the formation mechanism and generation behavior of secondary MPs from the perspective of different polymeric product forms (plastic, rubber, fiber, and foam), combining aging factors, mechanical wear, and biological action. The latest research on MPs generation kinetics and nanoplastics generation from plastic will also be involved.