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Environmental behaviors of microplastics in aquatic systems: A systematic review on degradation, adsorption, toxicity and biofilm under aging conditions
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Aging processes like UV irradiation and physical abrasion alter microplastic surface properties, increasing their capacity to adsorb environmental pollutants while also enhancing leaching of toxic additives like phthalates, collectively amplifying the environmental toxicity of weathered microplastics.
Microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) in the environment have attracted worldwide attention due to their wide distribution and difficulty in handling. Aging processes such as UV irradiation, biodegradation, physical abrasion and chemical oxidation can affect the environmental behavior of MPs. This review article summarizes different aging processes of MPs and subsequent effects on the adsorption of pollutants, the leaching of additives, and the toxicity of MPs. In addition, the formation process of biofilm on the surface of MPs and the interactions between biofilm and aged MPs are revealed. MPs can accumulate different environmental pollutants (organic pollutants, heavy metals, microorganisms, etc.) through surface adsorption, pore filling and distribution. Moreover, the aging of MPs affects their adsorption performance toward these pollutants due to a series of changes in their specific surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups. The release of some toxic additives such as phthalates after aging can enhance the toxic effects of MPs. Aging also changes the shape and size of MPs, which can affect the eating habits of the organisms and further increase the potential toxicity of MPs. This article conducts a systematical analysis and summary of the environmental behavior and physicochemical properties of MPs as well as the changes due to MPs aging, which helps to better understand the impact of aging on MPs in the environment. Future research on MPs aging should reduce the knowledge gap between laboratory simulation and actual conditions and increase the environmental relevance.
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UV photo-oxidation and physical abrasion are the most practical laboratory methods for simulating microplastic weathering; aging increases surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups, altering pollutant adsorption behavior and potentially increasing environmental risks.
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This review found that environmental aging transforms microplastic surface properties through abrasion, chemical oxidation, UV irradiation, and biodegradation, altering their environmental behavior and ecological risk. Aging also triggers the release of toxic plastic additives, but significant gaps remain between laboratory aging simulations and real-world conditions.
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This review examines how UV irradiation drives photoaging of microplastics in aquatic environments, altering their surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and adsorption capacity for co-pollutants, and thereby amplifying their ecotoxicological risks beyond those of virgin plastic particles.
Microplastics’ Aging Processes in the Aquatic Environment: Aging Mechanisms, Altered Environmental Behaviors and Ecotoxicity
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This review details how physical, chemical, and biological aging processes transform microplastics in aquatic environments, altering their surface properties, pollutant adsorption capacity, and ability to leach plasticizers and flame retardants. Aged microplastics pose compounded risks to aquatic organisms and human health by acting as more potent carriers of toxic chemicals and penetrating biological tissues more readily than pristine particles.
Aging Characteristics and Adsorption Properties of Microplastics: Research Progress
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Tiny plastic bits (microplastics) don't just sit unchanged in the environment, sunlight, weather, and other natural forces break them down over time, and this "aging" process actually makes them better at soaking up toxic substances like heavy metals. This review pulls together existing research to show that aged microplastics may pose a bigger contamination risk than fresh ones, which matters because these particles can end up in our water, food, and eventually our bodies. Understanding how this works helps scientists better predict the real-world risks microplastics pose to human health.
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