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Opposite impact of DOM on ROS generation and photoaging of aromatic and aliphatic nano- and micro-plastic particles.
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This study examined how dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water affects the photodegradation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation of aromatic versus aliphatic plastic particles. Researchers found that DOM had opposite effects on the two types of plastics, enhancing aging of aromatic polymers while inhibiting aging of aliphatic ones. The results reveal that natural water chemistry plays a complex role in determining how quickly different microplastics break down.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a significant role in the photochemical behavior of nano- and micro-plastic particles (NPs/MPs). We investigated the influence of DOM on the mechanism on the photoaging of NPs/MPs with different molecular structures under UV irradiation in water. DOM components used in this study are mainly humic acid and fulvic acid. The results showed that DOM promoted the weathering of aliphatic NPs/MPs (polypropylene (PP)), but inhibited or had only a minor effect on the photoaging of aromatic NPs/MPs (polystyrene (PS) NPs/MPs, carboxyl-modified PS NPs, amino-modified PS NPs, and polycarbonate MPs). NPs with a large surface area may adsorb sufficient DOM on the particle surfaces through π-π interactions, which competes with NPs for photon absorption sites, thus, can delay the photoaging of PS NPs. Aromatic MPs may release phenolic compounds that quench •OH, thereby weakening the photoaging process. For aliphatic MPs, the detection of peracid, aldehyde, and ketone groups on the polymer surface indicated that DOM promoted weathering of PP MPs, which was primarily because the generation of •OH due to DOM photolysis may attack the polymer by C-C bond cleavage and hydrogen extraction reactions. This study provides insight into the UV irradiation weathering process of NPs/MPs of various compositions and structures, which are globally distributed in water.
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This study investigated how dissolved organic matter in natural water affects the breakdown of microplastics by sunlight. The water-soluble fraction of organic matter was most effective at speeding up microplastic aging by generating reactive oxygen species that attack the plastic surface. This matters because faster breakdown of microplastics in the environment creates smaller, potentially more dangerous nanoplastic particles that can more easily enter living organisms.
The intermolecular differences in dissolved organic matter derived from microplastics during photo-aging and photo-bio-aging processes
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Researchers compared dissolved organic matter released from microplastics during photo-aging alone versus combined photo-biological aging in seawater, finding that combined aging produced DOM with distinct molecular characteristics including greater aromaticity and more complex intermolecular structures.
Photochemical reactivity of water-soluble dissolved organic matter from microplastics and microfibers
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When microplastics and microfibers sit in water, they leach dissolved organic matter (DOM) that can react with sunlight to produce reactive chemicals. This study found that the type and amount of DOM released depends heavily on polymer chemistry, with aromatic plastics like PET and polystyrene releasing more light-absorbing DOM, and microfibers releasing more DOM overall than microplastic particles. Understanding how plastic-derived DOM breaks down in sunlight is important because these chemical by-products can interact with other aquatic pollutants and affect aquatic ecosystems in ways not yet fully understood.
Insights into the photosensitivity and photobleaching of dissolved organic matter from microplastics: Structure-activity relationship and transformation mechanism
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This study investigated the photosensitivity and photobleaching behavior of dissolved organic matter released from microplastics (MPDOM), examining how physicochemical properties of different plastics influence photoactivation and transformation. The structure-activity analysis revealed that MPDOM composition strongly determines its photoreactivity, affecting how microplastic-derived organic compounds interact with sunlight and generate reactive oxygen species in aquatic environments.
Photoaging mechanism of microplastics: a perspective on the effect of dissolved organic matter in natural water
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This perspective paper examines how microplastics in natural water photoage under UV irradiation via reactive oxygen species generation, breaking down polymer bonds, and explores how dissolved organic matter may accelerate or alter these aging pathways. Understanding photoaging is critical because it fragments plastics into smaller and more biologically available nanoplastics while releasing toxic chemical additives into aquatic ecosystems.
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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.