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Influence of electromagnetic radiation on microplastic aging
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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.
Zahvaljujući dobrim karakteristikama i niskoj cijeni, proizvodnja plastičnih proizvoda u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća znatno je porasla. Većina tih proizvoda namijenjena je jednokratnoj upotrebi što dovodi do stvaranja velike količine otpada koji često nije dobro zbrinut te završava u okolišu. Djelovanjem prirodnih pojava na plastične proizvode, oni gube svoja svojstva i razgradnjom prelaze u oblik mikroplastike. Plastične čestice takve veličine mogu se pronaći u ribama koje poslije konzumiraju ljudi te u podzemnim vodama. U ovom radu ispitani su napredni oksidacijski procesi, UV-C/H2O2, UV-C/S2O82-, Fenton i foto-Fenton procesi, kao metode uklanjanja mikroplastike polietilena (PE) i polipropilena (PP). Prilikom razgradnje pratio se utjecaj koncentracije oksidansa (H2O2 i Na2S2O8), mase mikroplastike, pH vrijednost i duljine izlaganja UV-C svijetlu na raspad navedenih polimera. Foto-Fenton procesi provodili su se na sličan način, ali uz praćenje utjecaja H2O2 pratio se i utjecaj koncentracije Fe2+ iona dok se duljina izlaganja zračenju i masa mikroplastike nisu mijenjale. Fenton proces provodio se kao foto-Fenton proces, ali bez izlaganja UV-C zračenju. Nakon provedbe UV-C/H2O2 i UV-C/S2O82- naprednih oksidacijskih procesa i analize dobivenih rezultata, kao bolji oksidans pokazao se Na2S2O8 jer je i kod PP i PE mikroplastike njegovom primjenom došlo do većeg stupnja razgradnje. Također, maksimalna razgradnja postignuta je pri maksimalnom vremenu izlaganja zračenju (90 min) uz minimalnu koncentraciju oksidansa (1 mM) te obrnuto, pri minimalnom vremenu izlaganja (30 min) i maksimalnoj koncentracije (20 mM) radi prisutnosti „Scavenger effecta“. Usporedbom dobivenih rezultata nakon provedenih Fenton i foto-Fenton procesa, foto-Fenton proces u većini slučajeva pokazao se učinkovitijim jer UV-C zračenje doprinosi nastanku većeg broja radikala.
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