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Chemical and physical fragmentations of plastics and microplastics in freshwater under UV-visible irradiation
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This Norwegian study monitored microplastic concentrations in freshwater rivers and lakes, establishing baseline data for national policy development. Sampling sites near urban and agricultural areas showed elevated microplastic loads compared to remote reference sites.
The question of marine litter and their environmental impact gains importance. It was shown that 80% of plastics results from terrestrial sources, while 20% come from coastlines and seas. Many authors point to a serious environmental problem involved to the absorption of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) by plastic detritus, thus initiating a potential source of contamination of the food chain. All authors attribute the fragmentation to "microplastic" (size < 5mm) to phenomena related to degradation, under UV without ever having demonstrated or analysed it. The rivers constituting then a privileged vector of transport of the terrestrial waste towards the seas and oceans, we decided to highlight (and quantify) the presence of microplastics in a river known as "wild" as the Allier. At the laboratory, we develop simulation protocols for the fragmentation of plastics under UV irradiation of various plastic materials in fresh water. We analyse both the chemical molecules resulting from the degradation of plastics and transferred to the aqueous medium as well as the molecular changes that can undergo the material.
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Freshwater systems accumulate microplastics from multiple pathways including wastewater discharge, atmospheric deposition, and urban runoff, with behavior influenced by particle size, density, and hydrodynamic conditions. Understanding these transport dynamics is critical for assessing human exposure risk through drinking water sources and aquatic food chains.
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