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Effects of chlorination on microplastics pollution: Physicochemical transformation and chromium adsorption
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Researchers found that chlorination of polyethylene and thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics significantly altered their surface morphology and oxygen-containing functional groups, enhancing their ability to aggregate and adsorb chromium contaminants in water.
The large number of microplastics (MPs) that appear in the environment has drawn much attention. Few studies, however, have examined the transformation of MPs in water treatment processes and their effects on environmental pollutants. In this study, the alteration of the physicochemical characteristics of polyethylene and thermoplastic polyurethane upon chlorination, as well as the influence of this alteration on contaminants, were investigated. The findings indicated that microplastics underwent significant morphology and O-functional groups changes during chlorination. It is noteworthy that the mechanisms controlling the chlorination treatment of the two MPs are clearly different. The results of aggregation and adsorption experiments showed that the chlorination treatment enhanced the aggregation ability of the MPs in brine and their interaction with Cr(VI). The present discoveries further suggested that water treatment could alter the migration capacity of microplastics and the distribution of contaminants in the aqueous environment by altering the adsorption of microplastics to the contaminants.
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Researchers found that microplastic hetero-aggregates in urban water act like 'time bombs': chlorination during water treatment destroys the aggregates and triggers the release of accumulated organic contaminants and microbial metabolites that are poorly re-adsorbed afterward.
Insight into the chemical transformation and organic release of polyurethane microplastics during chlorination
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Scientists investigated what happens to polyurethane microplastics during water chlorination, a standard step in water treatment. They found that chlorination breaks down the plastic surface and releases organic chemicals, especially from UV-weathered particles, which produced significantly more leached compounds. The findings suggest that water treatment processes themselves may inadvertently release harmful byproducts from microplastics.
Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium on electron beam-irradiated aged microplastics: Novel aging processes and environmental factors
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Researchers used electron beam irradiation as a novel method to age polypropylene microplastics and then studied how these aged particles adsorb hexavalent chromium from water. They found that aging dramatically increased the microplastics' ability to bind chromium by generating oxygen-containing functional groups on their surfaces. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may have a significantly greater capacity to concentrate heavy metal pollutants than fresh plastic particles.
Microplastics as an emerging vector of Cr(VI) in water: Correlation of aging properties and adsorption behavior
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Researchers studied the correlation between aging properties and adsorption of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) onto polyethylene microplastics under accelerated UV aging conditions, finding that aging-induced changes in surface chemistry increased the adsorption capacity. Aged microplastics may act as more effective vectors for toxic heavy metals in aquatic environments.
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Researchers found that photochlorination during wastewater disinfection significantly degrades polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics while altering their interactions with co-existing pollutants like chromium and pharmaceuticals, potentially affecting environmental fate.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.