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Comparison of surficial modification of micro-sized polyethylenein between by UV/O3 and UVO submerged system
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Researchers compared ozone and UV oxidation methods for chemically modifying the surface of polyethylene microplastics in water, finding that different treatment combinations create distinct surface changes. Understanding how weathering alters microplastic surfaces is important for predicting their environmental behavior and toxicity.
This study examined the effects of ozonation and UV applied in series (O3+UV) or simultaneously (UVO) under four different ozone dosages from 4 to 7 mg/min to understand the surface alterations on polyethylene microplastics in aquatic environments via the photochemical oxidation process. The plastic samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurements. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the levels of carbonyl (ketone and esters) and vinyl groups increased gradually with increasing ozone dose injected; the highest was observed at 6 mg/min of ozone. On the other hand, the levels at 7 mg/min of ozone were slightly lower than those at 4 to 6 mg/min. This could be related to the deeper penetration into the crystalline bulk polymeric chain. The contact angle changed from 125.90˚ to the lowest value of 120.04˚ and 123.8˚ for O3+UV and UVO, respectively. Furthermore, XPS showed that C-O was only presented in the 7 mg/min sample, whereas C-O, OH, C=O, and C-C=O remained for 4 to 6 mg/min. Overall, O3+UV can oxidize the surface of the polyethylene microplastic particles more effectively than those of UVO, irrespective of the ozone dosages.
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Researchers examined how ozone treatment in water systems changes the physical and chemical properties of six common types of microplastics. They found that ozonation altered surface roughness, wettability, and chemical composition of the plastics, with some types being more affected than others. The findings are important because these changes could influence how microplastics interact with other pollutants and organisms in treated water.
Reactivity of four model microplastics with ozone.
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Researchers investigated the reactivity of four model microplastic types with ozone, examining how ozone treatment affects the physicochemical properties of microplastics as a potential water treatment strategy for degrading plastic particles.
The effect of Ozonation on the chemical structure of microplastics
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Ozone treatment of microplastics in water caused oxidative changes to polymer surfaces including carbonyl group formation and surface cracking, which altered hydrophobicity and potentially increased the capacity of treated particles to adsorb contaminants, suggesting that ozonation in water treatment may chemically transform rather than eliminate microplastic hazards.
Aging and Transformation of Polyethylene Microplasticsin UASB Effluents Treated with O3 and O3/H2O2: Physicochemical Changes and Toxicity Assessment
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Researchers treated polyethylene microplastics in UASB wastewater reactor effluents with ozone and ozone/hydrogen peroxide, finding that both processes caused significant surface degradation and chemical transformation without increasing toxicity, suggesting safe application for wastewater treatment.
Surface modification of polyethylene microplastic particles during the aqueous-phase ozonation process
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Researchers examined the surface modification of polyethylene microplastics during aqueous-phase ozonation, finding that increasing ozone dosage and exposure time progressively increased carbonyl and hydroxyl functional groups on the particle surface. FTIR and XPS analysis showed ozonation altered the surface chemistry of polyethylene microplastics in ways that could change their environmental fate and pollutant adsorption capacity.
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