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Fragmentation of nano- and microplastics from virgin- and additive-containing polypropylene by accelerated photooxidation
Environmental Pollution2023
32 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 60
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Summary
Researchers measured how quickly polypropylene plastic breaks down into micro and nanoplastics under simulated sunlight over a period equivalent to about 2.7 years outdoors. They found that additives in plastic initially slow fragmentation but that mechanical stress plays a major role in producing microplastics. The study provides valuable data on how everyday plastics generate huge numbers of tiny particles as they weather in the environment.
Plastic is ubiquitous in the environment, where it gradually weathers and fragments into nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs); however, the weathering process and fragmentation rate are poorly understood. In this study, we quantitatively determined the abundances and size distributions of NPs and MPs produced from virgin polypropylene (PP) and additive-containing PP (PPa) sheets via photooxidation with water in a simulated sunlight chamber followed by vortexing. The fragmentation rate of PP and PPa were approximately 1.1 × 10 particles/cm and 1.0 × 10 particles/cm, respectively, during 176 days of exposure in the chamber (corresponding to 2.7 years of exposure in an outdoor environment in the Republic of Korea). However, quadratic regression analysis of the relationship between total particles produced and exposure duration revealed that the PP fragmentation rate was faster than the PPa fragmentation rate after a sunlight exposure duration equivalent to 2.7 years. Furthermore, the mechanical stress of vortexing after photooxidation played an important role in the production of MPs; it had a smaller role in the production of NPs. The sizes of fragmented particles produced by photooxidation and mechanical stress followed a power law distribution, with a scaling exponent of α = 2.87 ± 0.15, which was similar to a three-dimensional fragmentation pattern. This study provides valuable insights into the weathering and fragmentation processes of plastics. Further studies on the environmental fate and impact of NP and MP production from plastic weathering and fragmentation, as well as the potential influence of plastic additives on these processes.