We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
New Insights into the Aging Behavior of Microplastics Accelerated by Advanced Oxidation Processes
Summary
Advanced oxidation treatments (heat-activated persulfate and Fenton reaction) were used to accelerate aging of polystyrene and HDPE microplastics, and the resulting surface oxidation was quantified using a new O/C ratio parameter correlated with natural freshwater aging rates. The study provides a standardized parameter for comparing microplastic weathering across studies and linking lab aging experiments to natural environmental conditions.
In the environment, microplastics are subjected to multiple aging processes; however, information regarding the impact of aging on the environmental behavior of microplastics is still lacking. This study investigated the alteration properties of polystyrene and high-density polyethylene microplastics by heat-activated K2S2O8 and Fenton treatments to improve the understanding of their long-term natural aging in aquatic environments. Our results indicated that the O/C ratio was an alternative parameter to the carbonyl index (CI) to quantitatively describe the surface alteration properties of microplastics. The correlation model of the O/C ratio or CI versus alteration time was developed and compared by natural alteration of microplastics in freshwater samples. Moreover, the regression equation of the equilibrium adsorption capacity of altered microplastics versus the O/C ratio and average size was proposed. This study is the first effort in differentiating the relationships between the alteration properties and alteration time/adsorption capacity of microplastics, which would be helpful for predicting the weathering degree and accumulation of hydrophilic antibiotics onto aged microplastics in aquatic environments. This research develops promising strategies to accelerate the aging reactions using advanced oxidation processes, which would provide further information to assess the microplastic pollution in actual environments.