We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Influence of natural biofouling in the degradation and identification of polypropylene
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed polypropylene samples to marine conditions over 90 days as part of the MicroplastiX project, sampling at six time points and using ATR-FTIR and SEM to characterize how natural biofouling growth alters the spectral signature and weathering of the polymer. Biofouling-derived spectral changes became apparent within weeks, and appeared to interfere with FTIR-based polymer identification in environmental monitoring studies, suggesting that biofouled plastics may be misidentified or underdetected.
Polypropylene is one of the most produced plastics in the world which is eventually discarded into the environment. Once released, plastics may degrade through several agents, as formation of biofouling in the polymer surface that can alter the weathering process affecting their flotability, or slowing photochemical degradation through light screening. In the frame of the MicroplastiX project (JPI Oceans) 9 different polymers, were exposed to marine environment throughout the summer season in Ría de Ares, A Coruña. Samples were subsampled at T0, T7, T15, T30, T60 and T90 days of exposition. This study focuses on the characterization of the changes that biofouling growth produces in polypropylene using ATR-FTIR, identifying new bands in its spectrum and studying how this process interferes with natural weathering and with the identification in monitoring studies of plastics and microplastics. Measurements of biofouled and non-biofouled PP are made after soft digestion (10% H2O2, 40ºC) to identify the origin of the new bands in their IR spectra. Moreover, SEM microscopy was also done in order to study the changes caused by biofouling growth or natural weathering, and even to identify some of the organisms growing on the surface of the plastic. Preliminary results indicate that biofouling growth is visible in the spectrum within a few weeks of exposure to the marine environment, producing, at T90, a significant change in the ATR-FTIR spectrum. It also appears that, the growth of biofouling on the surface of the polymer exerts a protection against ageing (mainly photo-oxidation). Acknowledgements: MicroplastiX (Grant PCI2020-112145) supported by JPIOceans Program, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union "Next Generation EU"/PRTR"; LABPLAS (Grant H2020- 101003954) and "ChemPlas" Project supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Grant PID2019- 108857RB-C31/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). The Program 'Consolidación e Estructuración de Unidades de Investigación Competitivas" (Xunta de Galicia) is also acknowledged (Grant ED431C 2021/56). Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/426870/document
More Papers Like This
Impact of weathering on the chemical identification of microplastics from usual packaging polymers in the marine environment
AI summary Read the abstract
The impact of environmental weathering on the chemical identification of common microplastics was investigated, examining how UV radiation, mechanical abrasion, and microbial activity alter the spectroscopic signatures used for polymer identification. Weathered plastics were harder to correctly identify than pristine ones, highlighting the need for reference libraries that include aged material.
Microplastic fouling: A gap in knowledge and a research imperative to improve their study by infrared characterization spectroscopy
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analysed 4,042 infrared spectra of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics collected from the Mediterranean Sea using principal component analysis, identifying that spectral variability in weathered marine microplastics is primarily driven by three processes: chemical ageing, organic fouling, and inorganic fouling.
Preliminary observation of bacterial biofilm communities on plastic litters and their surface degradation in two coastal areas of Tuticorin, India
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected biofilm-coated plastic litter (covers, films, and ropes) from two coastal sites in Tuticorin, India and used FTIR-ATR spectroscopy to identify polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyamide polymers, finding higher biofilm concentrations at the more polluted Inigonagar site alongside evidence of surface degradation.
Accelerated weathering affects the chemical and physical properties of marine antifouling paint microplastics and their identification by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy
AI summary Read the abstract
Marine antifouling paint microplastics were UV-weathered for up to 101 days, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy showed chemical changes that reduced spectral similarity to reference spectra, increased metal leaching in freshwater, and complicated automated identification of these weathered particles.
The effect of weathering environments on microplastic chemical identification with Raman and IR spectroscopy: Part I. polyethylene and polypropylene
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared Raman and IR spectroscopy for identifying weathered polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics, finding that weathering significantly alters surface chemistry and that Raman spectroscopy is more robust for identifying heavily weathered samples than IR spectroscopy.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.