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Degradation of Some Polymeric Materials of Bioreactors for Growing Algae
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Exposure of PMMA, polycarbonate, and PET polymer panels to 70 days of bioreactor conditions caused an average 15% loss in optical transparency, increased surface roughness, and reduced contact angles across all materials, with PET performing worst and PMMA showing the highest optical stability. This accelerated aging study directly documents how commonly used transparent plastics degrade under aquatic and light exposure, producing surface microstructural changes consistent with early-stage microplastic and nanoplastic generation.
Transparent polymeric materials such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are widely used as glass alternatives in algal bioreactors, where optical clarity and mechanical stability are crucial. However, their long-term use is limited by surface degradation processes. Photodegradation, hydrolysis, and biofilm accumulation can reduce light transmission in the 400-700 nm range essential for photosynthesis. This study examined the aging of PMMA, PC, and PET under bioreactor conditions. Samples were exposed for 70 days to illumination, culture medium, and aquatic environments. Changes in their optical transmittance, surface roughness, and wettability were analyzed. All polymers exhibited measurable surface degradation, characterized by an average 15% loss in transparency, significant increases in surface roughness, and reduced contact angles. PMMA demonstrated the highest optical stability, maintaining strong transmission in key blue and red spectral regions, while PET performed the worst, showing low initial clarity and the steepest decline. The most severe surface degradation occurred in areas exposed to the receding liquid interface, highlighting the need for targeted cleaning and/or a reduction in the size of the liquid-vapor transition zone. Overall, the results identify PMMA and recycled PMMA (PMMAR) as durable, cost-effective materials for transparent bioreactor walls.
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Development of PCL/PMMA and PCL/PEG Polymeric Film as Potential for Algae Removal
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This study developed composite polymer films of PCL/PMMA and PCL/PEG as a novel approach to mitigating harmful algal blooms, finding that a 1:0.4 PCL/PMMA film achieved the highest algae removal efficiency of 10.6% within 15 minutes, outperforming PCL/PEG blends across all tested ratios.
Short-term degradability of plastic in the marine environment
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Researchers incubated seven common plastic polymers (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and EPS) in the marine environment for 40 days at two sites and two seasons, characterizing degradation through visual inspection, mass change, contact angle, FTIR, and SEM analysis. No significant mass loss occurred, but significant changes in oxidation status were recorded with an oscillating trend, and EPS showed the greatest chemical alteration, with macro-biofouling settlement appearing to shield plastics from photochemical degradation.
Impact of weathered and virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro- and nanoplastics on growth dynamics and the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of microalgae
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Researchers compared how fresh and sun-weathered PET micro and nanoplastics affect microalgae growth and the sticky substances (EPS) algae produce in response to stress. Weathered plastics triggered more EPS production and had greater effects on algae than fresh plastics did. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains and most ocean microplastics have been weathered by sunlight, these findings suggest real-world impacts on marine ecosystems may be worse than laboratory studies with fresh plastics indicate.
Laboratory-Simulated Photoirradiation Reveals Strong Resistance of Primary Macroplastics to Weathering
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Researchers exposed five common plastic types to simulated UV radiation equivalent to 25–75 years of sunlight and found that while surface layers became highly oxidized and eroded, the bulk polymer remained largely intact, highlighting the strong resistance of industrial macroplastics to weathering and the resulting persistence of plastic pollution.
Investigation of the Impact of Chemical Modifications on the Photostability of Polymethyl Methacrylate
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This study modified polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a common plastic used in many consumer products, by attaching metal-containing compounds to make it more resistant to UV light degradation. While focused on improving plastic durability, the findings relate to microplastics because UV breakdown is one of the main ways plastics fragment into microplastics in the environment. Making plastics more UV-resistant could potentially slow the creation of microplastics from sun-exposed plastic products.
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