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Comparative evaluation of the carbonyl index of microplastics around the Japan coast
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Researchers evaluated the carbonyl index of nearly 3,000 polyethylene and polypropylene microplastic particles collected from coastal waters around Japan. The study found that the degree of weathering, as measured by the carbonyl index, varied by geographic location but showed no significant differences based on particle color or shape, providing insight into how microplastics degrade in marine environments.
The carbonyl index (CI) of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics (MPs) (2950 particles) collected in coastal waters around Japan was investigated. The CI of MPs was calculated by the specified area under band technique. The mean MP CI in all samples (regardless of shape and color) was 0.69 ± 0.34 and 0.70 ± 0.34 for polyethylene and polypropylene, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the color or shape of the MPs. The polyethylene, white, and fragment MPs CI was negatively (p < 0.05) correlated with the major length of the MPs. Large MPs with relatively little deterioration were distributed along the west coast of the Sea of Japan, whereas small MPs were distributed along the east coast. Our findings of this gradual change in the deterioration of MPs, based on geographical distribution, are in accordance with literature CI-size and MP degradation hypotheses.
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Researchers analyzed the molecular-level weathering state of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics that had drifted onto Japan's Sea of Japan coastline, finding carbonyl group formation in both polymers but noting that PET bottles weather non-uniformly — with bottle necks showing greater crystallization than bottle bodies.
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