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Effects of weathering on the properties and fate of secondary microplastics from a polystyrene single-use cup
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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.
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Effect of sunlight aging on physicochemical properties and sorption capacities of environmental microplastics: implications for contamination by PAHs
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Researchers studied how sunlight aging changes the physical and chemical properties of three common plastics -- polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene -- and their ability to absorb pollutants. They found that plastics exposed to outdoor sunlight for 69 days absorbed up to 3.5 times more of the carcinogenic compound pyrene compared to new plastics, likely due to surface changes from weathering. The findings suggest that older, weathered microplastics in the environment may accumulate harmful pollutants more readily than fresh plastic particles.
UV-ageing effects on polystyrene microplastics surface polarity and transport in soils
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Researchers found that UV sunlight exposure changes polystyrene microplastics by adding oxygen-containing groups to their surfaces, which makes the particles move differently through soil. The UV-aged particles became smaller and had altered surface charges, affecting how far they could travel through sand and soil. This matters because it shows that weathered microplastics in the environment behave differently than fresh ones, potentially reaching groundwater and other water sources more easily.
Investigation of Surface Alteration of Microplastics by Using UV Irradiation
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UV radiation causes polystyrene and other plastic microparticles to undergo photooxidative degradation, changing their surface chemistry and potentially making them more likely to adsorb or release chemical pollutants. Understanding these weathering processes is important for predicting the environmental behavior and toxicity of microplastics.
Sorption of organic compounds by aged polystyrene microplastic particles
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Researchers tested the sorption of organic compounds by aged polystyrene microplastic particles and found that weathering increased their sorption capacity, meaning environmental aging makes microplastics more effective at accumulating and transporting pollutants.
UV sources and plastic composition influence microplastic surface degradation: Implications for plastic weathering studies
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This study tested how different UV light sources change the surface of common microplastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The results show that sunlight and lab UV lights weather plastics differently, changing their surface roughness and chemical makeup -- which matters because these surface changes affect how microplastics transport pollutants and interact with living organisms in the environment.
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