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UV Light Causes Structural Changes in Microplastics Exposed in Bio-Solids
Polymers2023
35 citations
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Score: 60
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Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Branka Mušič,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Branka Mušič,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Branka Mušič,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Branka Mušič,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Somayye Sadat Alavian Petroody,
Branka Mušič,
Luka Škrlep,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Luka Škrlep,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Branka Mušič,
Branka Mušič,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Branka Mušič,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Seyed Hossein Hashemi,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Summary
Researchers tested whether UV light could weaken microplastics found in sewage sludge before they enter the environment. UV exposure combined with heat caused structural breakdown in polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET plastics, especially when treated in bio-solid (sewage sludge) mixtures. This approach could help microplastics degrade faster once released into the environment, potentially reducing how long they persist in soil and water.
Bio-solids (biological sludge) from wastewater treatment plants are a significant source of the emission of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. Weakening the structure of MPs before they enter the environment may accelerate their degradation and reduce the environmental exposure time. Therefore, we studied the effect of UV-A and UV-C, applied at 70 °C, on three types of MPs, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), that are commonly found in sewage sludge, using three shapes (fibers, lines, granules). The MPs were exposed to UV radiation in bio-solid suspensions, and to air and water as control. The structural changes in and degradation of the MPs were investigated using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and surface morphology was performed with SEM analysis. UV exposure led to the emergence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups in all of the PP samples. In PE and PET, these groups were formed only in the bio-solid suspensions. The presence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups increased with an increasing exposure time. Overall, UV radiation had the greatest impact on the MPs in the bio-solids suspension. Due to the surface-to-volume ratio of the tested samples, which influences the degradation rate, the fibers were more degraded than the other two plastic shapes. UV-A was slightly more effective at degrading the MPs than UV-C. These findings show that ultraviolet radiation in combination with an elevated temperature affects the structure of polymers in wastewater bio-solids, which can accelerate their degradation.