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Equilibrium leaching of selected ultraviolet stabilizers from plastic products.
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This study found that UV stabilizer additives leach from polyethylene, PET, and polystyrene plastics into water, with the Flory-Huggins model best explaining the leaching behavior. Results suggest microplastics likely serve as important carriers of these hydrophobic compounds in aquatic environments.
Despite the importance of (micro)plastics in the release of plastic additives, the leaching mechanism of organic plastic additives from various plastic materials is poorly understood. In this study, the equilibrium leaching of five highly hydrophobic ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers (UV326, UV327, UV328, UV329, and UV531) from three plastics (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS)), was investigated employing acetonitrile-water cosolvent systems. Their extrapolated water solubilities were in the 0.15-0.54 μg L range, limiting their transport as "dissolved" in water and (micro)plastics are likely those particulate carriers. The equilibrium leaching of UV stabilizers from plastics was better explained by the Flory-Huggins model incorporating the nonideal behavior caused by the size disparity between UV stabilizers and polymer materials and their compatibility. Specifically, leaching of UV stabilizers from LDPE showed a positive deviation from Raoult's law, whereas slight negative deviations were observed in PET and PS. In addition, the equilibrium concentration of the benzotriazoles in LDPE increased linearly with the volume fraction up to only 0.4%. These observations could be explained by the unfavorable interactions of UV stabilizers with polyethylene, indicating that polymer type should be also important when evaluating the fate of hydrophobic additives. Because equilibrium distribution of additives between (micro)plastics and water is crucial for evaluating the fate and transport of hydrophobic plastic additives, further studies on the leaching equilibrium of various additives from different plastic materials are necessary.
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This study models how UV stabilizer additives leach from polyethylene microfibers into water, finding that the rate depends heavily on the amount of additive present and the surrounding water flow conditions. The results show that leaching can take months to years at environmental concentrations, which has implications for how long plastic-derived chemical contamination persists in aquatic environments.
Simultaneous sorption behaviors of UV filters on the virgin and aged micro-high-density polyethylene under environmental conditions.
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Researchers studied how UV filter chemicals from sunscreens adsorb onto both virgin and aged high-density polyethylene microplastics. They found that aged, weathered microplastics had greater capacity to accumulate UV filter compounds than fresh plastic due to changes in surface chemistry. This suggests that environmental aging of plastics increases their ability to transport chemical contaminants.
Benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers and antioxidants in plastic marine debris and their new products
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Researchers identified benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers and antioxidants in plastic marine debris, finding that these plastic additives are present at measurable levels in marine environments and could be released as plastic weathers.
The influence of oxidation and hydrophobic coupling on the transport behavior of polyethylene microplastics: The synergistic effect of ultraviolet aging and surfactants
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Researchers investigated how ultraviolet aging and surfactant attachment interact to influence the transport behavior of polyethylene microplastics, finding that UV oxidation increases oxygen-containing surface groups and reduces hydrophobicity, which in turn alters surfactant adsorption and modifies particle mobility in environmental systems. The study addresses a gap in understanding the coupled effects of oxidative aging and surface chemistry on microplastic transport.
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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.