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Self-motivated photoaging of microplastics by biochar-dissolved organic matter under different pyrolysis temperatures
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Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter from biochar affects the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics under different conditions. The study found that biochar produced at lower pyrolysis temperatures significantly accelerated microplastic degradation, suggesting that biochar-derived organic matter may play an important role in the environmental weathering and breakdown of plastic particles.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) released from biochar (BDOM) can interact with microplastics (MPs) in the environment, inevitably affecting their environmental behaviour. Information regarding the influence of BDOM on MPs during photoaging and associated variations in the MP aging mechanism remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of BDOM on the aging of polystyrene (PS) MPs. The results showed that among three pyrolysis temperatures, low-temperature BDOM significantly enhanced the photoaging process of PS MPs, with the smallest average particle size and highest carbonyl index value after 15 days of aging under light conditions. The DOM level decreased after 5 days, increased after 5-10 days, and stabilised after 15 d. BDOM accelerates PS MPs aging, leading to more DOM released from PS, which can be transformed into O via triplet-excited state (DOM and PS) to further enhance PS MPs aging, resulting in the realisation of the self-accelerated aging process of PS MPs. O plays a crucial role in the self-motivated accelerated aging process of PS MPs. These findings provide new insights into the effects of the DOM structure and composition on reactive oxygen species generation during MPs aging.
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Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter from natural sources versus biochar affects the breakdown of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in sunlight. Naturally sourced organic matter accelerated PLA degradation nearly twice as much as biochar-derived matter by generating more reactive oxygen species, suggesting that the type of organic matter in a waterway significantly influences whether biodegradable plastics actually break down.
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Photochemistry of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter: Reactive species generation and organic pollutant degradation
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Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from degrading polystyrene and PVC microplastics behaves when exposed to sunlight in water. They found that sunlight breaks down the aromatic compounds in this plastic-derived material and generates reactive chemical species, though at lower rates than natural organic matter. Despite this, these reactive species significantly accelerated the breakdown of co-existing pollutants, suggesting that degrading microplastics may act as unexpected natural catalysts in aquatic environments.
Photochemical transformation of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter altered the photoaging of microplastics
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Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from different microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and biodegradable PBAT) affects the aging of polystyrene microplastics under UV irradiation, finding that PBAT-derived organic matter most strongly accelerated plastic photoaging.
The UltravioletIrradiation Aging Characteristicsof Microplastics in Soil under the Action of Biochar
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Researchers investigated how biochar application at four concentrations affects UV-induced aging of both persistent polyethylene microplastics and biodegradable PBAT microplastics in soil, finding that biochar modulates the aging behavior and physicochemical transformation of microplastics under ultraviolet irradiation.
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