We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Photoaging-induced variations in heteroaggregation of nanoplastics and suspended sediments in aquatic environments: A case study on nanopolystyrene
Summary
Researchers investigated how photoaging affects the aggregation behavior of polystyrene nanoplastics with suspended sediments in water. They found that 30 days of photoaging retarded aggregation in sodium chloride solutions due to steric hindrance from leached organic matter, but promoted aggregation in calcium chloride solutions through calcium bridging of newly formed oxygen-containing surface groups. The study provides mechanistic insights into how environmental weathering changes the transport and fate of nanoplastics in aquatic systems.
Photoaging of nanoplastics (NPs) and heteroaggregate with suspended sediments (SS) determines transport processes and ecological risks of NPs in aquatic environments. This study investigated the disruption of photoaging on the heteroaggregation behavior of polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) and SS in different valence electrolyte solutions and deduced the interaction mechanisms by integrating aggregation kinetics and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Increasing the electrolyte concentration significantly enhanced the heteroaggregation between PSNPs and SS, and the divalent electrolytes induced the heteroaggregation more efficiently. MD simulation at the molecular level revealed that PS and SS could spontaneously form clusters, and photoaged PS has a stronger potential to fold into a dense state with SS. Photoaging for 30 d retarded heteroaggregation due to the steric hindrance produced by the leached organic matter in NaCl solutions, and the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) increased by >85.44 %. Contrarily, photoaging caused more oxygen-containing functional groups produced on the surface of PSNPs through Ca bridging promoting heteroaggregation and thus destabilizing in CaCl solutions, the CCC decreased by 23.53 % ∼ 35.29 %. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the environmental process of NPs and SS and are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental fate and transport of NPs in aquatic environments.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Combined effects of photoaging and natural organic matter on the colloidal stability of nanoplastics in aquatic environments
Researchers found that photoaging of polystyrene nanoplastics alters how natural organic matter interacts with their surfaces — reducing humic acid adsorption while increasing protein adsorption — with downstream effects on the nanoplastics' stability and transport in aquatic environments.
Aggregation kinetics of UV irradiated nanoplastics in aquatic environments
Researchers compared the aggregation behavior of fresh versus UV-aged polystyrene nanoplastics under various aquatic conditions. They found that UV aging altered the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, making them more stable in water and less likely to aggregate, which means they could remain suspended and bioavailable for longer periods. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics may behave very differently from fresh particles in the environment, complicating risk assessments.
Mechanistic understanding of the aggregation kinetics of nanoplastics in marine environments: Comparing synthetic and natural water matrices
Researchers investigated aggregation kinetics of polystyrene nanoplastics in marine environments, finding that organic matter type and salt concentration strongly influenced particle stability, with nanoplastics in natural seawater aggregating differently than in synthetic matrices.
Influence of environmental and biological macromolecules on aggregation kinetics of nanoplastics in aquatic systems
Researchers studied how natural macromolecules like humic acid, alginate, and proteins influence the clumping behavior of polystyrene nanoplastics in water. They found that these macromolecules generally stabilized nanoplastics in sodium chloride solutions but caused them to aggregate in calcium chloride solutions, with effects varying by pH. The findings suggest that the environmental fate and transport of nanoplastics in natural waters depends heavily on the surrounding organic molecules and water chemistry.
Destabilization of photochemical weathered nanoplastics by natural organic matter in monovalent electrolyte solutions
Researchers investigated how photochemical weathering of nanoplastics alters the adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) and subsequent colloidal stability in monovalent electrolyte solutions, comparing pristine and photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics exposed to Suwannee River NOM. They found that photoaging modified the eco-corona structure formed by NOM adsorption, destabilizing nanoplastic aggregation behavior in aquatic environments.