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Long-term phototransformation of microplastics under simulated sunlight irradiation in aquatic environments: Roles of reactive oxygen species

Water Research 2020 580 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Kecheng Zhu, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Yajiao Sun, Hanzhong Jia, Yajiao Sun, Kecheng Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Yajiao Sun, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Tiecheng Wang, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Yajiao Sun, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yunchao Dai Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Yajiao Sun, Yajiao Sun, Yunchao Dai, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Yajiao Sun, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Yunchao Dai Yunchao Dai, Yunchao Dai, Kecheng Zhu, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yunchao Dai Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Hanzhong Jia, Yunchao Dai, Chi Zhang, Chi Zhang, Yunchao Dai Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Yunchao Dai, Xuetao Guo, Yajiao Sun, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Yunchao Dai Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Kecheng Zhu, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Kecheng Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Lingyan Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Lingyan Zhu, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Tiecheng Wang, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Hanzhong Jia, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Xuetao Guo, Lingyan Zhu, Xuetao Guo, Hanzhong Jia, Xuetao Guo, Tiecheng Wang, Yunchao Dai, Yunchao Dai

Summary

Researchers examined the long-term photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics under simulated sunlight in aquatic conditions, finding that reactive oxygen species — particularly hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen — were the primary drivers of surface oxidation and fragmentation into nanoplastics.

Polymers

Microplastics may experience photoaging and breakdown into nanoplastics in aquatic environment as a result of long-term light irradiation. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the photodegradation of microplastics are largely overlooked. In this study, the photodegradation of microplastics, utilizing polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP) as a model, was investigated under irradiation with simulated solar light for as long as 150 d. A large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including O, O, HO and •OH, were detected in the PS-MP suspension due to light irradiation, which displayed significant relationships with the generated environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). Distinct photoaging of PS-MP was observed with increased surface roughness and decreased particle size. However, these photoaging effects were significantly inhibited by ROS quenchers, suggesting that the generation ROS played a vital role in the PS-MP phototransformation. In addition, ROS induced formation of more oxidative functional groups on the PS-MP, thus enhancing the negative surface potential and the stability of PS-MP in water. This study elucidated the mechanism of formation of ROS by simulated solar light irradiated MPs and their subsequent roles in the phototransformation of MP, thus expanding current knowledge on the fate of MPs in aquatic environments.

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