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Accelerated aging behavior of degradable and non-degradable microplastics via advanced oxidation and their adsorption characteristics towards tetracycline

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2024 26 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Xinfeng Cheng, Shihao Wang, Zhifu Yang, Zhifu Yang, Xin Zhang Xin Zhang Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Zhifu Yang, Zhifu Yang, Zhifu Yang, Yi‐Long Xi, Zhifu Yang, Yi‐Long Xi, XianLing Xiang, XianLing Xiang, XianLing Xiang, XianLing Xiang, Yi‐Long Xi, Yi‐Long Xi, Xin Zhang

Summary

Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polystyrene microplastics age when exposed to advanced oxidation processes, and how aging changes their ability to adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline. They found that polylactic acid degraded more quickly and developed more surface changes during aging, leading to increased antibiotic adsorption. The findings suggest that as biodegradable plastics break down in the environment, they may become more effective at concentrating and transporting chemical contaminants.

Polymers

PLA PS

The increasing global utilization of biodegradable plastics due to stringent regulations on traditional plastics has caused a significant rise in microplastic (MPs) pollution in aquatic ecosystems from biodegradable products. However, the environmental behavior of biodegradable MPs remains inadequately elucidated. This study explored the aging processes of polylactic acid (PLA) and polystyrene (PS) under a heat-activated potassium persulfate (KSO) system, as well as their adsorption characteristics towards tetracycline (TCs). In comparison to PS, the surface structure of PLA experienced more pronounced changes over aging, exhibiting evident pits, cracks, and fragmentation. The carbonyl index (CI) and oxygen/carbon ratio (O/C) of PS displayed exponential growth over time, whereas the values for PLA showed linear and exponential increases, respectively. The adsorption capacity of TCs by PS and PLA aged for 6 days increased from 0.312 mg‧g and 0.457 mg‧gfor original PS and PLA, respectively, to 0.372 mg‧g and 0.649 mg‧g. Meanwhile, the adsorption rate (k values) for TCs decreased by 42.03 % for PS and 79.64 % for PLA compared to their initial values. The findings indicated that biodegradable PLA-MPs may exhibit higher tetracycline carrying capacities than PS, potentially increasing environmental and organismal risks, particularly in view of aging effects.

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