We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Mechanistic insights into non-negligible toxicity evolution of microplastics under different aging processes
Summary
This review examines how different environmental aging processes, such as UV exposure, mechanical wear, and chemical weathering, change the physical and chemical properties of microplastics and alter their toxicity. Researchers found that aged microplastics and the chemicals they leach tend to be more harmful to organisms than fresh particles, causing growth inhibition and genetic damage. The findings suggest that the environmental risks of microplastics may increase significantly as they degrade over time.
Aging processes affect the physiochemical properties, environmental behavior and ecological risk of MPs (microplastics). In this review, the toxic evolution of MPs under different aging processes and their leachate on organisms are summarized. Generally, the toxicity caused by aged MPs and leachate on organisms include growth inhibition, physiological and biochemical alterations, as well as genotoxicity. The higher toxicity of aged MPs depends on alterations in their properties including specific surface area, oxygen-containing functional groups, hydrophilicity and surface charge. Additionally, the toxicity of aged MPs was also affected by contaminants e.g., phthalocyanine blue (CuPC), biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM), fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA). The release of additives, heavy metals and low molecular weight compounds during MPs aging attributes to the higher toxicity of leachate. To improve environmental relevance, the toxicity of aged MPs and their leachate should be investigated within the coexistence of diverse environmental factors and pollutants. • The toxicity of aged MPs and their leachate to organisms was summarized. • Changes in physicochemical properties enhanced the toxicity of aged MPs. • The release of harmful chemicals during MPs aging improved their leachate toxicity.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Mechanism and characterization of microplastic aging process: A review
This review explains how microplastics age and break down in the environment through sunlight, heat, and chemical reactions, and why this aging process matters. As microplastics weather, their surfaces change in ways that make them better at absorbing toxic pollutants and more harmful to living organisms. Understanding these aging processes is important because the microplastics people encounter in food and water have typically been weathered, meaning they may be more dangerous than the fresh plastics used in most lab studies.
Leaching behavior and toxic effect of plastic additives as influenced by aging process of microplastics
This review examined how environmental aging processes affect the leaching behavior and toxicity of plastic additives from microplastics. Researchers found that UV exposure, weathering, and biological degradation alter the physicochemical properties of microplastics, increasing the release of harmful chemical additives and potentially amplifying their toxic effects on organisms in the environment.
The wheel of time: The environmental dance of aged micro- and nanoplastics and their biological resonance
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics change as they age in the environment through exposure to sunlight, water, and biological activity. Aged plastics behave differently than fresh ones: they accumulate faster in ecosystems, are more easily taken up by organisms, and can release trapped chemicals as they break down. The findings suggest that the real-world health and environmental risks of microplastics may be greater than lab studies using new, unweathered plastics indicate.
A review on enriched microplastics in environment: From the perspective of their aging impact and associate risk
This review explores what happens to microplastics as they age in the environment over long periods. Researchers found that natural weathering changes the physical and chemical properties of microplastics in ways that may increase their ability to harbor harmful microorganisms and interact with other pollutants, suggesting that aging may actually make microplastic pollution more hazardous over time rather than less.
Aging Process of Microplastics in the Environment
This review examines how natural environmental processes — UV radiation, physical abrasion, chemical reactions, and biodegradation — alter the surface, shape, and chemistry of microplastics over time, and how these changes affect their ability to absorb and transport other pollutants. Understanding microplastic aging is critical because weathered particles behave differently than fresh plastic, often becoming more hazardous as pollutant carriers in ecosystems.