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Insights into the Characteristics, Adsorption, and Desorption Behaviors of Polylactic Acid Aged with or without Salinities
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Researchers studied how salinity affects the aging process and pollutant adsorption behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — a biodegradable plastic increasingly used as a conventional plastic substitute. Seawater aged PLA differently than freshwater, and aged particles adsorbed more contaminants than fresh ones. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can become environmental pollutants through aging and contaminant accumulation.
Degradable plastics, the substitute for conventional plastics, are becoming the new pollutant in the ocean. However, studies investigating the impact of freshwater and seawater on the basic aging process of microplastics and involving degradable plastics are still lacking. To accurately compare the potential hazards of degradable microplastics aging in seawater and freshwater, the role of salinity in the ultra-violet ray (UV) aging process of degradable microplastics (MPs) was explored in this study. Polylactic acid (PLA) aged under UV and 0‰, 10‰, and 40‰ salinities was taken as the subject. The results showed that salinity combined with UV accelerated the aging process, and PLA had more holes and cracks on the surface, larger specific area (SBET), and significantly more oxygen-containing functional groups and negative charges. The SBET of PLA aged under UV and 40‰ salinity was 2.97±0.11, 33% more than that aged by UV only. Additionally, salinity increased the adsorption capacity of PLA. The adsorption quantity of oxytetracycline (OTC) and Cu2+ by 40‰ salinity-aged PLA were 4.822 and 9.606 mg/g, 30% and 32% more than that aged by UV only. There was a drop in the desorption rate of OTC but a rise in that of Cu2+ by PLA aged in salinities. Moreover, the desorption quantity and rate of pollutants on PLA in simulated intestinal fluid were greater than those in water, and PLA might have a higher carrier effect on pollutants after aging under salinity conditions. These results showed that the potential hazard of PLA existing in seawater may be more serious than that in freshwater. This study also revealed the effect of salinity, enabling the environmental risk assessment of degradable MPs to be more scientific and more comprehensive.
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Aging properties of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics and their adsorption behavior of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) in aquatic environments
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Researchers compared how polyethylene and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics age in the environment and how that aging affects their ability to absorb heavy metals like cadmium and chromium from water. They found that aging changed the surface chemistry of both plastic types, increasing their capacity to pick up these toxic metals. The findings matter because aged microplastics in the environment may concentrate and transport more pollutants than fresh plastic particles.
Aging characteristics of polylatic acid microplastics and their adsorption on hydrophilic organic pollutants: mechanistic investigations and theoretical calculations
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Researchers characterized how polylactic acid microplastics undergo UV and thermal aging in aquatic environments, finding that aging altered surface chemistry, increased hydrophilicity, and enhanced adsorption of heavy metal pollutants—raising concerns about aged biodegradable plastics as carriers of co-contaminants.
Aging dynamics and subsequent dissolved organic matter evolution of microplastics regulated by UV-salinity conditions.
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A lab study exposed common plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene) and a biodegradable plastic (polylactic acid) to sunlight-like UV and different salt levels for 60 days. UV light caused more breakdown in all plastics, and higher salinity worsened this for the conventional plastics, while the biodegradable plastic broke down through a different process and released more dissolved material.
Aging characteristics of degradable and non-biodegradable microplastics and their adsorption mechanism for sulfonamides
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Researchers investigated how aging processes affect the ability of degradable and non-biodegradable microplastics to adsorb sulfonamide antibiotics in aquatic environments. The study found that aging increased the hydrophilicity and polarity of microplastics, boosting the adsorption capacity of polylactic acid by up to 3.18 times, suggesting that weathered microplastics may pose greater ecological risks as carriers of co-existing contaminants.
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