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Microplastics Originating from Polymer Blends: An Emerging Threat?
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Researchers highlight an overlooked source of microplastic pollution: polymer blends, where a single gram of blended plastic can contain millions to billions of micrometer-sized particles of the dispersed phase. When the surrounding matrix material degrades, especially if it is biodegradable while the dispersed phase is not, enormous quantities of microplastics can be released. The study warns that polymer blends represent an emerging and potentially massive source of microplastic contamination during production, use, and disposal.
No one can have missed the growing global environmental problems with plastics ending up as microplastics in food, water, and soil, and the associated effects on nature, wildlife, and humans. A hitherto not specifically investigated source of microplastics is polymer blends. A 1 g polymer blend can contain millions to billions of micrometer-sized species of the dispersed phase and therefore aging-induced fragmentation of the polymer blends can lead to the release of an enormous amount of microplastics. Especially if the stability of the dispersed material is higher than that of the surrounding matrix, the risk of microplastic migration is notable, for instance, if the matrix material is biodegradable and the dispersed material is not. The release can also be much faster if the matrix polymer is biodegradable. The purpose of writing this feature article is to arise public and academic attention to the large microplastic risk from polymer blends during their development, production, use, and waste handling.
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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.