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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Linking UV aging of polymers and microplastics formation: An assessment employing various characterization techniques
ClearLinking UV aging of polymers and microplastics formation: An assessment employing various characterization techniques
Researchers examined the link between UV aging of plastic polymers and the generation of microplastics in marine environments, using environmental assessment tools to model the process. The study clarifies how photodegradation rates and polymer type influence the rate and quantity of microplastic formation.
UVA-induced weathering of microplastics in seawater: surface property transformations and kinetics
Researchers studied how UVA radiation weathers microplastics in seawater, examining changes to surface properties and degradation rates. The study developed a model integrating an aging index with degradation kinetics, finding that UV exposure significantly transforms microplastic surface characteristics, which affects their behavior and potential ecological impact in marine environments.
From Macro to Micro Plastics; Influence of Photo-oxidative Degradation
This study used simulated UV aging to investigate how photo-oxidative degradation of common plastics drives fragmentation from macro to micro scale, characterizing the surface property changes and structural breakdown that generate microplastic particles in the environment.
Aging simulation of thin-film plastics in different environments to examine the formation of microplastic
Researchers aged polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene thin films under land, freshwater, estuarine, and oceanic conditions, finding that UV radiation was the primary driver of surface degradation and microplastic formation, with degradation rates varying substantially by environmental medium.
Environmental degradation and fragmentation of microplastics: dependence on polymer type, humidity, UV dose and temperature
Researchers systematically tested how UV light, temperature, and humidity cause five common plastic types to break apart into secondary microplastics and nanoplastics. They found that the type of plastic — not the aging conditions — was the main factor determining how quickly it fragmented and what byproducts it released, data that can improve models predicting how plastics break down in the environment.
Microplastic particle versus fiber generation during photo-transformation in simulated seawater
Researchers exposed common plastic films and fibers to simulated sunlight in seawater and tracked the photo-transformation process, finding that particles and fibers formed at different rates and that UV irradiation preferentially generates certain morphologies depending on the parent polymer.
Ageing and fragmentation of marine microplastics
Researchers studied how marine microplastics fragment into smaller particles when exposed to UV light and mechanical forces, simulating natural environmental aging. They found that aged microplastics generated an enormous number of fragments, reaching billions of particles per gram of plastic, with most pieces smaller than two micrometers. The results suggest that current environmental sampling methods severely undercount the true number of small microplastic and nanoplastic particles present in the ocean.
Physicochemical and biological ageing processes of (micro)plastics in the environment: a multi-tiered study on polyethylene
Researchers applied a multi-tiered approach combining laboratory aging, field deployment, and environmental simulation to study how polyethylene plastic undergoes physicochemical and biological weathering in natural settings. The study found that UV radiation and microbial colonization act synergistically to accelerate surface oxidation and fragmentation of PE into smaller particles.
Experimental parameterization of microplastic fragmentation and degradation to develop a mechanistic model of micro- and nanoplastic fragmentation in the environment
Researchers subjected seven plastic types (LDPE, PP, HIPS, PU, PET, PLA, and PA) to controlled UV irradiation and hydrolysis under varying temperature, humidity, salinity, and pH conditions, using multiple analytical methods including the NanoRelease/ISO22293 protocol, ATR-FTIR, TOC, GPC, and particle counting to quantify fragmentation rates from micro- to nanoscale. Preliminary results showed HIPS and LDPE fragmented most under UV stress, generating the largest counts of particles in the 1-2 µm size class, providing parameterization data for mechanistic models of environmental microplastic fragmentation.
Simulated experimental investigation of microplastic weathering in marine environment
Researchers simulated microplastic weathering under marine conditions, finding that exposure to UV light, saltwater, and mechanical abrasion progressively degraded plastic surfaces, increased surface roughness, and enhanced the adsorption capacity of contaminants onto microplastic particles.
Developing environmentally relevant test materials for microplastic research through UV-induced photoaging
Researchers used UV irradiation to create photoaged microplastics from multiple polymer types as environmentally relevant test materials for ecotoxicology research, characterizing how aging changes surface chemistry, particle size distribution, and potential biological effects.
Microplastics formation based on degradation characteristics of beached plastic bags
Laboratory weathering of plastic bags under UV and mechanical stress produced microplastic fragments of varied sizes and shapes, with degradation rate and fragment characteristics depending on the bag material and environmental conditions.
Влияние ультрафиолетового излучения на фрагментацию полимеров в водной среде
This review examines how UV radiation drives polymer fragmentation in aquatic environments through autocatalytic thermal oxidation initiated by solar radiation, which combined with wind and mechanical stress causes molecular chain scission. The authors also discuss how prior UV aging accelerates subsequent mechanical fragmentation, providing a mechanistic framework for understanding microplastic generation from larger plastic items in water.
Progress on the photo aging mechanism of microplastics and related impact factors in water environment
This review examined the photo-aging mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that solar UV radiation drives oxidation reactions that alter surface chemistry, fragment particles further, and enhance their capacity to adsorb and release co-occurring pollutants.
Accelerated aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastics by UV irradiation: Aging characteristics, filtrate analysis, and adsorption behavior
Researchers systematically investigated how UV irradiation ages polyvinyl chloride microplastics, characterizing changes in their physical and chemical properties and the organic matter they release. The study established quantitative relationships between the degree of aging and the capacity of microplastics to adsorb environmental pollutants like malachite green and sulfamethoxazole, providing a tool for predicting contaminant accumulation on weathered microplastics in natural environments.
Non-Negligible Effects of UV Irradiation on Transformation and Environmental Risks of Microplastics in the Water Environment
This review examines how UV irradiation drives photoaging of microplastics in aquatic environments, altering their surface chemistry, mechanical properties, and adsorption capacity for co-pollutants, and thereby amplifying their ecotoxicological risks beyond those of virgin plastic particles.
Photoaging of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polystyrene Under UVA Radiation in Diverse Environmental Conditions
Researchers exposed polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene plastics to UVA radiation under diverse environmental conditions and tracked their photoaging and fragmentation, finding that UVA exposure accelerates microplastic generation in ways that vary with environmental context.
Data Sheet 1_UVA-induced weathering of microplastics in seawater: surface property transformations and kinetics.docx
Researchers examined UVA-induced weathering of microplastics in seawater, characterizing surface property transformations and developing kinetic models to describe how UV exposure alters the physical and chemical properties of microplastic particles during environmental aging.
Accelerated Weathering of Microplastics: A Systematic Approach to Model Microplastic Production
Researchers developed a systematic laboratory method for producing environmentally realistic microplastics through accelerated UV weathering of common polymer types. The approach generates particles with surface degradation patterns that closely mimic those found in nature, unlike commercially available test beads. The study provides a reproducible protocol that could improve the relevance of microplastic toxicity and environmental fate studies.
Impact of weathering on the chemical identification of microplastics from usual packaging polymers in the marine environment
The impact of environmental weathering on the chemical identification of common microplastics was investigated, examining how UV radiation, mechanical abrasion, and microbial activity alter the spectroscopic signatures used for polymer identification. Weathered plastics were harder to correctly identify than pristine ones, highlighting the need for reference libraries that include aged material.