Aging Characteristics and Ecological Effects of Primary Microplastics in Cosmetic Products Under Different Aging Processes

Microplastics are becoming an increasingly environmental concern, but only a few studies have focused on primary microplastics. Herein, four primary microplastics (Lapis, Jade, Topaz and White) commonly used in cosmetic products were selected to investigate the effects of sunlight, seawater, and soil aging on their environmental behaviors. After sunlight and seawater aging, the surfaces of all four microplastics developed breaks and cracks, with particle sizes decreased and specific surface areas increased. Topaz exhibited the most significant changes under sunlight and seawater aging and its maximum adsorption capacity of phenanthrene significantly increased by 22.50% and 47.86%, respectively. Under soil aging, amending with either White or Topaz changed the soil bacterial community composition and diversity, but they had less ecological impacts than polyvinyl chloride plastic. The results of this study provide vital information for understanding the aging characteristics, environmental behavior, and ecological effects of primary microplastics under natural aging processes.