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Yellowing, Weathering and Degradation of Marine Pellets and Their Influence on the Adsorption of Chemical Pollutants
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Marine plastic pellets collected after prolonged ocean exposure showed yellowing, surface cracking, and chemical degradation compared to virgin pellets, and these weathered plastics adsorbed significantly higher concentrations of persistent organic pollutants. The study demonstrates that environmental aging increases microplastics' capacity to act as vectors for chemical contaminants.
Marine microplastics (MPs) are exposed to environmental factors, which produce aging, weathering, surface cracking, yellowing, fragmentation and degradation, thereby changing the structure and behavior of the plastic. This degradation also has an influence on the adsorption of persistent organic pollutants over the microplastic surface, leading to increased concentration with aging. The degradation state affects the microplastic color over time; this is called yellowing, which can be quantified using the Yellowness Index (YI). Weathering and surface cracking is also related with the microplastic yellowing, which can be identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In this study, the degradation state of marine microplastic polyethylene pellets with different aging stages is evaluated and quantified with YI determination and the analysis of FTIR spectrums. A color palette, which relates to the microplastic color and YI, was developed to obtain a visual percentage of this index. The relation with the adsorption rate of persistent organic pollutant over the microplastic surface was also determined.
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Yellowing, Weathering and Degradation of Marine Pellets and Their Influence on the Adsorption of Chemical Pollutants
AI summary Read the abstract
Plastic pellets collected from marine environments were found to yellow and degrade over time due to UV exposure and weathering, and this aging process increases their ability to adsorb persistent organic pollutants. Weathered microplastics can therefore carry a higher chemical load of toxic contaminants compared to fresh plastic. This has implications for marine organisms that ingest aged plastic particles, as they may be exposed to concentrated cocktails of harmful chemicals.
Investigation of sorption of environmental pollutants to virgin and aged microplastics
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This research investigated how environmental pollutants such as persistent organic chemicals adsorb onto virgin and weathered plastic particles in natural systems, examining factors such as plastic type, surface aging, and chemical properties. The study contributes to understanding how microplastics act as carriers for toxic contaminants in aquatic environments.
Effects of Weathering on Microplastic Dispersibility and Pollutant Uptake Capacity
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This study examined how environmental weathering changes the surface properties of microplastics and their ability to absorb co-pollutants, finding that weathered MPs bind more contaminants than pristine particles due to surface oxidation and cracking. The results emphasize that the environmental fate and toxicity of microplastics change dynamically as they age in the environment.
Influence of a suite of environmentally relevant conditions on PBT leaching from, and sorption to, marine microplastic debris
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Researchers examined how environmental conditions such as UV exposure, weathering, and saltwater affect the ability of marine microplastics to absorb or release persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals, finding that the type of plastic and its weathering history significantly influence how much chemical contamination it carries into the marine food web.
Adsorption of some hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons by various pristine and heat-activated aged microplastics as potential pollutant carriers in aquatic environment
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Researchers examined how pristine and heat-aged microplastics of four polymer types adsorb hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that aging significantly altered adsorption capacity. The results demonstrate that weathered microplastics may act as more effective pollutant vectors than pristine particles in aquatic environments.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.