We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environmental fate of microplastics under ageing conditions: degradation and fragmentation of microplastics in the environment
Original title: Environmental fate of microplastics under ageing conditions: degradación y fragmentación de microplásticos en el medio ambiente
AI summary Read the abstract
This Spanish-language thesis studied the physical and chemical changes that occur in plastics subjected to simulated environmental conditions in the laboratory, with a focus on understanding how microplastics further fragment into smaller particles over time. The work characterized degradation products and structural changes from UV exposure and mechanical stress.
Degradación y Fragmentación de microplásticos en el medio ambiente En este trabajo se estudiaron los cambios físico - químicos y estructurales de los plásticos sometidos a condiciones medioambientales simuladas en laboratorio con enfoque en la generación de pequeñas partículas plásticas, desde microplásticos primarios a microplásticos secundarios y nanoplásticos. Los plásticos seleccionados fueron polietileno, polipropileno y poliestireno en forma de granza industrial y plásticos comerciales, así como desechos muestreados en playas. Los cambios producidos en los picos de absorción asociados al envejecimiento fotoquímico se estudiaron con espectroscopia infrarroja por transformada de Fourier (FTIR) y se utilizaron métodos quimiométricos de análisis discriminante de regresión de mínimos cuadrados parciales en proyección ortogonal (OPLS-DA) para procesar toda la información espectral. Se utilizó citometría de flujo combinada con difractometría láser para cuantificar la generación de pequeñas partículas plásticas (< 100 µm). Las mediciones de micro-FTIR permitieron determinar la formación de funciones oxigenadas en fragmentos pequeños, particularmente los correspondiente a grupos hidroxilo, carbonilo y otros enlaces carbono-oxígeno. También permitió evaluar la presencia de plástico en la fracción de tamaño < 1 µm.
More Papers Like This
Fate of polymers in the environment: mechanisms and kinetics of degradation
AI summary Read the abstract
This French-language thesis examined how plastics degrade and fragment into microplastics in aquatic environments through UV exposure, mechanical forces, and biodegradation, noting that microplastics are both more harmful and more persistent than the larger plastic waste they originate from.
Study of aging and microplastic behaviour after accelerated thermodegradation
AI summary Read the abstract
This Croatian thesis simulated atmospheric thermal aging of plastic materials to study microplastic formation and characterized the resulting particles. The study examined how thermal degradation alters the physical and chemical properties of common plastic polymers.
From Macro to Micro Plastics; Influence of Photo-oxidative Degradation
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used simulated UV aging to investigate how photo-oxidative degradation of common plastics drives fragmentation from macro to micro scale, characterizing the surface property changes and structural breakdown that generate microplastic particles in the environment.
Influence of electromagnetic radiation on microplastic aging
AI summary Read the abstract
This Croatian thesis examines how electromagnetic radiation and UV light exposure cause aging and degradation of plastic materials in the environment. The study investigates how weathering processes affect plastic properties and generate microplastic particles.
Fragmentation des plastiques : effet de l’environnement et de la nature du polymère sur la taille et la forme des fragments générés
AI summary Read the abstract
This study reviews the fragmentation of plastics in ocean environments, examining how environmental conditions (UV, mechanical abrasion, temperature) and polymer composition affect the rate and pathway by which macroplastics break down into microplastics. Understanding fragmentation dynamics is essential for predicting microplastic generation rates and long-term fate in marine systems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.