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The fragmentation of nano- and microplastic particles from thermoplastics accelerated by simulated-sunlight-mediated photooxidation
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Researchers measured how quickly three common thermoplastics break down into micro- and nanoplastics under simulated sunlight exposure. Polystyrene fragmented fastest, in less than one year of equivalent real sunlight, followed by polypropylene in under two years and polyethylene in over three years. The findings help estimate how quickly plastic litter in the environment generates secondary microplastic pollution, which could inform cleanup timelines and priorities.
The plastic debris that washes ashore and litters the shoreline often undergoes weathering under sunlight exposure, such that it fragments to form nanoplastics and microplastics, but the fragmentation rate for many thermoplastics is unknown. In this study, three major thermoplastics were exposed to simulated sunlight in an accelerated weathering chamber to evaluate the speed of photooxidation-induced fragmentation. The initiation of photooxidation-induced fragmentation extrapolated from the accelerated weathering chamber to real sunlight exposure in South Korea followed the order of PS (< 1 year) > PP (< 2 years) > LDPE (> 3 years). The surface cracks created by photooxidation were not directly reflected in the initiation of fragmentation of thermoplastics. The initiation of fragmentation was faster in PS than other polymers, but the total abundance of particles produced, and increasing ratio (exposure/non-exposure) were comparable or lower than those of PP. The increasing ratio pattern between nanoplastics and small microplastics of PP differed noticeably from other polymers. The initiation of nanoplastic and small-microplastic fragmentation determined in this study will be useful for the further estimation of secondary microplastic production by weathering and thus for decision-making regarding methods for the timely removal of plastic litter in the environment.
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Scientists tested how three common plastics (used in things like packaging, bottles, and containers) break down into microplastics when exposed to sunlight, using both real outdoor conditions and sped-up lab simulations. They found a way to accurately predict how long it actually takes plastics to degrade outdoors based on faster lab tests—and discovered that different plastic types break down at very different rates depending on temperature and sunlight exposure. This matters because it helps researchers better estimate how long microplastics linger in our environment (and potentially in our food and water), which is a key step toward understanding our real-world exposure to them.
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