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Natural Solar Irradiation Produces Fluorescent and Biodegradable Nanoplastics
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Researchers found that sunlight exposure causes nanoplastics to become fluorescent and more biodegradable, with PVC nanoplastics showing the strongest effect. The fluorescent properties allowed researchers to track the particles inside Daphnia, a common aquatic organism. This discovery suggests that sunlight-aged nanoplastics may be easier to detect in the environment and could behave differently in living organisms than fresh particles.
Nanoplastics (NPs) have raised global concern owing to their potential health effects. Herein, after simulated and natural solar irradiation, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(vinyl chloride) nanoplastics (PVC NPs) were observed to exhibit enhanced fluorescence, particularly PVC NPs. Furthermore, the role of photoaged NPs as a potential fluorescence indicator was evaluated by exposing a model aquatic organism Daphnia magna to these NPs. Our results revealed that photoaged NPs exhibited strong fluorescence owing to the generation of conjugated π bonds, which can achieve π-π* electron transition with low energy consumption. Photogenerated fluorescence also enabled the photoaged NPs to act as efficient fluorescent tracers, which can help track NP migration in various organisms. The results of two-photon laser confocal scanning microscopy revealed that the photoaged NPs could translocate across biological barriers and accumulate in extraintestinal tissues in addition to being ingested and excreted. Moreover, compared with pristine NPs, the photoaged NPs underwent biodegradation more easily, probably because of increased hydrophilicity due to photogenerated oxygen-containing moieties. Therefore, in addition to producing fluorescent NPs without the attachment of external fluorescent dyes, the natural photoaging process can promote the migration and degradation of photoaged NPs in food chains.
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UV-B degradation affects nanoplastic toxicity and leads to release of small toxic substances
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Researchers studied how UV-B radiation affects the toxicity of nanoscale polystyrene particles to water fleas (Daphnia magna). They found that UV-B exposure reduced the overall toxicity of the nanoparticles but caused them to release small toxic molecules into the surrounding water. The findings suggest that sunlight-driven degradation of nanoplastics may alter their environmental risks in unexpected ways.
Fate of polystyrene and polyethylene nanoplastics exposed to UV in water
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Researchers found that UV irradiation progressively degrades polystyrene and polyethylene nanoplastics dispersed in water, causing them to become porous, fragment, and ultimately degrade completely, revealing the photochemical fate of nanoplastics in sunlit aquatic environments.
Photo-oxidation of Micro- and Nanoplastics: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Effects in Environments
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This review examines how sunlight breaks down micro- and nanoplastics in the environment, changing their surface properties and making them interact differently with pollutants and living organisms. Sun-aged plastic particles can become more toxic to aquatic life and affect soil microbe communities, but many questions remain about these processes under real-world conditions.
Degradation of nanoplastics in aquatic environments: reactivity and impact on dissolved organic carbon
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This study examined the degradation of nanoplastics in aquatic environments, finding that UV radiation and reactive oxygen species break down nanoplastic particles and alter their surface chemistry. Researchers found that degradation products affect the toxicity and colloidal behavior of nanoplastics in ways distinct from their parent materials.
Differential Photoaging Effects on Colored Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Physicochemical Properties and Aggregation Kinetics
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Researchers studied how sunlight affects differently colored nanoplastics in water, finding that lighter-colored particles break down faster than darker ones. All colors went through a predictable sequence of fading, yellowing, and becoming transparent over about three weeks of UV exposure. The study also found that the aging process changed how easily the particles clump together, which affects how they move through aquatic environments and potentially how organisms encounter them.
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