We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Identification and quantification of additive-derived chemicals in beached micro-mesoplastics and macroplastics.
Summary
Researchers screened 261 macro- and micro-mesoplastic debris samples from two beaches for plastic additives, detecting 52 chemicals including antioxidants, phthalates, UV stabilizers, and flame retardants, and finding that antioxidant degradation products served as markers for weathering duration in the marine environment.
Although marine plastic debris are expected to retain various chemical additives, little is known about the additives that are retained. We conducted a screening analysis of additives in 261 macroplastic and micro-mesoplastic debris from two beaches. We detected 52 chemicals-antioxidants, phthalates, ultraviolet stabilizers, hindered amine light stabilizers, and flame retardants-and quantified the concentrations of 15 of them. Comparison of the concentrations of Irgafos 168, an antioxidant stabilizer, among sample categories indicated that leaching had occurred from micro-mesoplastics. Differences in diffusion rates between polymer types may explain faster leaching from polyethylene than polypropylene. The significant amounts of Irgafos 168 retained in even micro-mesoplastics indicated the importance of plastics as a vector of additives. This study provides fundamental data needed to assess the risks to organisms from exposure to plastic additives and to understand the effect of stabilizers on the aging behavior of marine plastics.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers and antioxidants in plastic marine debris and their new products
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.
Identification of polymer types and additives in marine microplastic particles using pyrolysis-GC/MS and scanning electron microscopy
Researchers used pyrolysis and thermal analysis to identify polymer types and plastic additives in marine microplastic particles, finding a diverse range of polymers and additive chemicals in samples from multiple ocean environments.
Plastic additives and microplastics as emerging contaminants: Mechanisms and analytical assessment
Researchers reviewed how chemical additives mixed into plastics during manufacturing — including stabilizers, flame retardants, and plasticizers — can leach out throughout a plastic's lifecycle and pose risks to ecosystems and human health, with microplastics acting as carriers that concentrate and transport these hazardous chemicals.
Plastic additives in the ocean: Use of a comprehensive dataset for meta-analysis and method development
Researchers compiled the first comprehensive database of studies measuring the more than 13,000 chemical additives — including plasticizers, flame retardants, and antioxidants — that are mixed into plastics and can leach into ocean water, sediment, and marine life. Their meta-analysis revealed major gaps in what's being monitored, with only a small fraction of known additives currently being tested for in marine environments.
Oceanic Long-Range Transport of Organic Additives Present in Plastic Products – An overview
This review examined the oceanic long-range transport of chemical additives leaching from marine plastic debris, finding that persistent synthetic polymer matrices release significant quantities of additives — including plasticizers, flame retardants, and antioxidants — that can travel globally via ocean currents.