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Comparative effects of crystalline, poorly crystalline and freshly formed iron oxides on the colloidal properties of polystyrene microplastics
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Researchers found that freshly formed iron oxides caused the greatest aggregation of polystyrene microplastics in water, with effects decreasing in the order: freshly formed iron oxide > ferrihydrite > goethite > haematite. The findings suggest that iron oxide copresence can delay microplastic transport or alter their environmental fate depending on pH and crystallinity of the mineral.
Colloid-sized microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and can share the same transport route together with various crystalline, poorly crystalline and freshly formed iron oxides. However, the colloidal interactions between these colloid constituents are not fully understood. This study was designed to investigate the colloidal properties of polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) under the influence of haematite, goethite, ferrihydrite and freshly formed Fe oxide (FFFO). Dynamic light scattering was coupled with a test tube method to observe changes in the surface charge and colloidal dynamics of suspensions of PSMPs and Fe oxides. The overall effects on the aggregation of PSMPs are found to decrease in the following order: FFFO > ferrihydrite > goethite > haematite. The effects of these Fe oxides are found to strongly depend on pH. While the crystalline oxides play a dominant role in the acidic environment, poorly crystalline oxides show greater effects on PSMP aggregation in an alkaline environment. Heteroaggregation due to decreasing electrostatic interactions is the major mechanism that governs the colloidal dynamics of PSMPs and Fe oxides. It can be inferred that the copresence of Fe oxides and MPs can delay the transport of MPs or even change the destination for MPs.
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Researchers investigated heteroaggregation between polystyrene microplastics and ferrihydrite iron mineral particles, finding that this aggregation process leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column, with implications for understanding microplastic fate and transport in natural water systems.
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Heteroaggregation of PS microplastic with ferrihydrite leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column
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