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Unveiling the protective role of biofilm formation on the photoaging of microplastics
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Researchers discovered that biofilms — thin layers of microbes that naturally colonize plastic surfaces in water — actually slow down the light-driven breakdown of microplastics by blocking UV radiation and reducing the reactive oxygen species that degrade the plastic, suggesting that real-world plastics may persist longer in nature than lab studies predict.
In natural water, microplastics (MPs) inevitably undergo microbial colonization to form biofilm, while the effect of biofilm formation on the photoaging of MPs remains unknown. This study systematically investigated the photoaging behavior of disposable box-derived polypropylene (PPMPs) and polystyrene (PSMPs) mediated by formed biofilm in water. After incubating in Weihe water samples for 105 d, the biofilm was validated to form in PPMPs and PSMPs, with higher formation in PSMPs. In particular, biofilm formation inhibited the photoaging of PPMPs and PSMPs, with an 11.1% and 50.6% decrease in photo-oxidation compared to their virgin counterparts after 20 d of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Moreover, the photoaging route of MPs such as the reaction priority of functional groups (e.g., C–H, C=O, and benzene ring) was altered, indicating the important role of biofilm formation in the photoaging process of MPs. The protective effect of the biofilm was mainly caused by the role of optical light filters that absorbed UV energy by sacrificing themselves. Also, as the main attacker on MPs, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, mainly 1O2 and •OH) was inhibited by biofilm, which was mainly responsible for the decreased photoaging of MPs. This study revealed the important role of biofilm in the photoaging process of MPs and suggested a higher resistance of (micro)plastics in natural water than that in the laboratory using pure MPs, which contributed to a deeper understanding of the environmental fate and pollution of MPs.
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Researchers reviewing biofilm formation on microplastics found that microbial colonization alters the particles' surface chemistry, density, and pollutant adsorption capacity, ultimately affecting how microplastics are ingested by organisms and how they influence nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.
Photoaging mechanism of microplastics: a perspective on the effect of dissolved organic matter in natural water
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This perspective paper examines how microplastics in natural water photoage under UV irradiation via reactive oxygen species generation, breaking down polymer bonds, and explores how dissolved organic matter may accelerate or alter these aging pathways. Understanding photoaging is critical because it fragments plastics into smaller and more biologically available nanoplastics while releasing toxic chemical additives into aquatic ecosystems.
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Researchers investigate photochemical processes as both a potential solution and a contributor to microplastic pollution, examining how UV-driven degradation can fragment larger plastics into nanoplastics while also exploring photocatalysis as a remediation strategy.
Plastics: Photodegradations and Mechanisms
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This chapter detailed the photodegradation mechanisms by which UV radiation breaks polymer chains in common plastics, progressively generating smaller microplastic and nanoplastic fragments without eliminating the material from the environment. Understanding these photochemical pathways clarifies why sunlight-exposed plastic waste — in oceans, soils, and landfills — continuously generates new microplastic particles that accumulate in ecosystems and food chains.
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