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Influence of microplastic decomposition conditions on the emission of substances harmful to the environment
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When old tires break down into microplastics in water, they leach out chemicals like phthalates and phenol, known as plasticizers, along with other potentially harmful substances, and this happens more easily at everyday water temperatures than you might expect. This matters because these chemicals can build up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, posing risks to aquatic life and potentially to humans who eat seafood or drink water from affected sources. The breakdown also releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, adding an environmental cost beyond the direct chemical exposure risk.
The work described the research on the possibility of the emission of plastic components under various environmental conditions.The research carried out aimed to estimate the amount of plasticizer emission from microplastics in the example of a used tire during its decomposition in an aqueous medium.The tests conducted confirmed that, depending on environmental conditions, tire particles are washed out, among others, of phthalic acid esters, benzenediamine, phenol, benzothiazole, and benzene.The analyzes conducted show that the pH value, temperature of the reaction medium, and incubation time have a significant influence on the elution mechanisms of the plasticizers from the polymer matrix.Sufficiently high temperatures can be a factor that causes partial decomposition of plasticizers.However, under natural conditions, the temperature in the aquatic ecosystem is too low to initiate the degradation process and, at the same time, sufficient to release the auxiliary components contained in the tires.An additional negative aspect of the distribution of tire particles in the aquatic environment is the emission of carbon dioxide and methane, which are greenhouse gases.There was also a significant increase in total organic carbon and fluctuations in pH values.The study also estimated the ecotoxicological risk of the plasticizers analyzed.
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