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Release of millions of micro(nano)plastic fragments from photooxidation of disposable plastic boxes

The Science of The Total Environment 2022 51 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Fugeng Zha, Fugeng Zha, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Mingjun Wang, Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Yinxuan Han, Yinxuan Han, Mingjun Wang, Haiyong Liu, Haiyong Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Peng Liu, Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Mingjun Wang, Jiamin Dai, Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Mingjun Wang, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Haiyong Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Mingjun Wang, Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Haiyong Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Jiamin Dai, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Peng Liu, Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo Xuetao Guo

Summary

Polypropylene and polystyrene disposable plastic boxes were subjected to UV irradiation and mechanical abrasion for up to 60 days, releasing millions of micro- and nanoplastic fragments. Polystyrene lost 100% of its mass through fragmentation under these conditions, while both polymers shed particles that spanned the nanometer to micrometer range.

Polymers

PP PS

The widespread use of disposable plastic boxes is exacerbating the dangers of microplastics (MPs); however, little is known about the fragmentation behavior of MPs during aging. In this study, the dynamic evolution on the release of micro(nano)plastics and photoaging properties of two disposable plastic boxes (polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS)) were investigated under light irradiation and mechanical abrasion. Results showed that the weight of PP and PS was decreased by 53 % and 100 %, respectively after 60 d of ultraviolet irradiation (UV60). Moreover, a large number of fragmented particles were produced from the combined light irradiation and abrasion, with 0.142 ± 0.006 and 0.141 ± 0.013 million micro(nano)plastics/mL particles from PP and PS boxes, respectively, and the nanometer range (<100 nm) accounted for 70.8 % and 46.8 %. The correlation model of the average size or alteration time versus carbonyl index (CI) was developed, which indicated that the fragmentation behavior was mainly related to the photooxidation, though mechanical abrasion also played a certain enhancing role. Additionally, PS was susceptible to the fragmentation and photooxidation compared to PP possibly since the phenyl ring of PS was more vulnerable to UV attack than the methyl of PP. The findings of this study clarify the dynamic fragmentation process of micro(nano)plastics of disposable plastic boxes and provide useful information to access environmental fate of MPs more holistically.

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