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Wastewater preinteraction accelerates the photoaging of disposable box-derived polystyrene microplastics in water
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Researchers found that pre-exposure of polystyrene microplastics to real wastewater significantly accelerated their subsequent photoaging under UV light — doubling oxidation rates — with fulvic acid identified as the primary wastewater constituent driving this enhancement.
Before being discharged into natural environment, almost all of microplastics (MPs) interact with wastewater constituents in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study investigated the photoaging of disposable box-derived polystyrene (PS) mediated by real wastewater by simulating the case flowing from WWTPs to natural water. Results showed that wastewater influent pretreatment significantly enhanced the photoaging of PSMPs through the sorption of wastewater constituents, e.g., 2.02 times of increase in photooxidation after 30 d of ultraviolet irradiation. Fulvic acid was identified as the leading contributor for the enhancing effect of wastewater relative to other wastewater constituents such as Cl, CO, NO and clay particles. In-depth mechanism analysis showed that the observed enhancement was critically controlled by the photosensitization effect of wastewater itself and the enhanced utilization of PSMPs for ultraviolet energy. Specifically, various sorbed wastewater constituents can not only generate higher concentrations of •OH and O than clean MPs without constituents, but also reinforce the utilization of PSMPs for light energy due to the increased dispersion in solution by increasing hydrophilicity and surface charges. Also, the light-shielding effect was induced by wastewater, but was less important. This study bridges wastewater source and MP aging and fate and suggests the shortened lifetime of (micro)plastic samples via WWTP input to deepen our understanding of MP pollution in the environment.
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Dissolved Organic Matter Promotes the Aging Process of Polystyrene Microplastics under Dark and Ultraviolet Light Conditions: The Crucial Role of Reactive Oxygen Species
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Researchers found that dissolved organic matter commonly present in natural water environments accelerates the aging and degradation of polystyrene microplastics under both dark and ultraviolet light conditions. The study identified reactive oxygen species as the crucial driver of this aging process, with fulvic acid showing a stronger effect than humic acid due to its greater ability to generate semiquinone radicals.
Probing the molecular interaction between photoaged polystyrene microplastics and fulvic acid
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Researchers investigated how photoaged polystyrene microplastics interact with fulvic acid, a common natural organic compound found in water environments. Using advanced spectroscopy techniques, they found that aging changed the surface chemistry of the microplastics and altered how they bind to fulvic acid at the molecular level. The study suggests that weathering processes in the environment may significantly change how microplastics interact with and transport other dissolved substances in water.
High salinity promotes the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics with humic acid in seawater
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Researchers found that high salinity seawater significantly accelerates the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics in the presence of humic acid, producing more hydroxyl radicals that promote fragmentation and oxidation of the plastic particles.
Photoaging accelerates volatile organic compound emissions from microplastics in air and water: Mechanism insights and environmental-health implication
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Researchers exposed polystyrene microplastics to UV light for 60 days across air, freshwater, and seawater, finding that photoaging dramatically amplifies volatile organic compound emissions — shifting the chemical profile toward oxygenated hazardous compounds and raising ozone and secondary aerosol formation potential in proportion to irradiation time.
Which factors mainly drive the photoaging of microplastics in freshwater?
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This study systematically investigated the roles of UV irradiation, oxygen, temperature, and physical abrasion in the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics in freshwater. UV irradiation and mechanical abrasion were identified as the dominant aging factors, and their combined effect caused more extensive surface oxidation and fragmentation than either alone.
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