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Effects of weathering on the properties and fate of secondary microplastics from a polystyrene single-use cup
Journal of Hazardous Materials2023
66 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 65
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Lan Liu,
Lan Liu,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Mathieu Lapointe,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Mathieu Lapointe,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Laura M. Hernandez,
Mathieu Lapointe,
Thinh Biu,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Thinh Biu,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Stéphane Bayen,
Lan Liu,
Lan Liu,
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Dominique Claveau-Mallet,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Laura M. Hernandez,
Laura M. Hernandez,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Olubukola S. Alimi,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Stéphane Bayen,
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Nathalie Tufenkji
Summary
Scientists studied how UV light from sunlight changes the properties of polystyrene microplastics from disposable cups. Weathering made the particles denser and less water-repellent, causing them to sink faster in water and absorb more chemical pollutants. This means older, sun-exposed microplastics in the environment may be more effective at carrying harmful chemicals into sediments where bottom-dwelling organisms live.
In this work, we probed the changes to some physicochemical properties of polystyrene microplastics generated from a disposable cup as a result of UV-weathering, using a range of spectroscopy, microscopy, and profilometry techniques. Thereafter, we aimed to understand how these physicochemical changes affect the microplastic transport potential and contaminant sorption ability in model freshwaters. Exposure to UV led to measured changes in microplastic hydrophobicity (20-23 % decrease), density (3% increase), carbonyl index (up to 746 % increase), and microscale roughness (24-86 % increase). The settling velocity of the microplastics increased by 53 % after weathering which suggests that UV aging can increase microplastic deposition to sediments. This impact of aging was greater than the effect of the water temperature. Weathered microplastics exhibited reduced sorption capacity (up to 52 % decrease) to a model hydrophobic contaminant (triclosan) compared to unaged ones. The adsorption of triclosan to both microplastics was slightly reversible with notable desorption hysteresis. These combined effects of weathering could potentially increase the transport potential while decreasing the contaminant transport abilities of microplastics. This work provides new insights on the sorption capacity and mobility of a secondary microplastic, advances our knowledge about their risks in aquatic environments, and the need to use environmentally relevant microplastics.