Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Verification of the existence of copper-based antifouling paint particles in the sea and their implications for marine microplastic degradation

Researchers collected marine debris near Nagasaki, Japan, and found copper-based antifouling paint particles alongside conventional microplastics at several sampling stations. These copper-based particles differ in chemical composition from typical plastic debris and may influence surrounding microplastic degradation patterns. The co-occurrence raises new questions about combined effects of paint particles and microplastics in marine environments.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Verification of the existence of copper-based antifouling paint particles in the sea and their implications for marine microplastic degradation

Researchers collected marine debris samples near Nagasaki, Japan, and found that copper-based antifouling paint particles are widespread in the sea alongside conventional microplastics. The copper-based particles showed no depth-dependent distribution, unlike typical microplastics. Their presence may interact with or influence the degradation of surrounding plastic debris.

2023
Article Tier 2

Co-occurrence of microplastics and microparticles containing Cu and Zn and other heavy metals in sea-surface microlayer in Osaka Bay, Japan

Researchers analyzed tiny particles floating on the sea surface in Osaka Bay, Japan, and found microplastics containing heavy metals like copper and zinc from ship antifouling paints. Most of these metal-laden particles were made of acrylic resins commonly used in marine coatings, carrying copper concentrations up to 54,000 mg/kg. The study reveals that antifouling paint fragments are a significant and underrecognized source of toxic metal-containing microplastics in coastal waters.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics from antifouling coatings released under controlled conditions with an automated SEM-EDX particle analysis method

Researchers demonstrated that antifouling coatings on boat hulls release microplastic particles into seawater during normal sailing conditions, with most particles between 1 and 5 micrometers in size. These particles contain both plastic binder material and toxic metals like copper and zinc used as biocides. This study reveals an often-overlooked source of microplastic pollution in the ocean, where the released particles carry both plastic and heavy metal contamination into marine ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Increased Cu(II) Adsorption Onto UV-Aged Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Particles in Seawater

Researchers found that UV aging significantly increased copper(II) adsorption onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater by up to 2.92 times after 12 months, with oxidation-induced surface changes and smaller particle sizes amplifying this effect for PP and PET.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive assessment of photo-oxidative degradation and biofilm colonization on microplastic pellets in simulated marine environment

Researchers exposed polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon-6 microplastics to artificial UV aging and chemical oxidation in seawater to study photo-oxidative degradation and subsequent biofilm colonization. Aging altered surface chemistry and enabled biofilm formation, with degradation rates and biofilm composition varying by polymer type.

2025 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A
Article Tier 2

New insights on metal ions accelerating the aging behavior of polystyrene microplastics: Effects of different excess reactive oxygen species

The aging behavior of polystyrene microplastics was investigated in the presence of copper and lead ions, finding that both metals accelerated surface oxidation through generation of reactive oxygen species, with copper producing stronger effects. The study reveals that heavy metal co-contamination can substantially alter the weathering trajectory of microplastics in natural environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation and fragmentation behavior of polypropylene and polystyrene in water.

Polypropylene and polystyrene retrieved from beaches were compared in their surface texture and degradation behavior when exposed to highly reactive sulfate radicals in water. Polypropylene showed more surface roughening than polystyrene, and both plastics produced degradation products at different rates. The study provides insight into how common plastics break down in aquatic environments into microplastic fragments.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the potential release of microplastics from coatings used on commercial ships

This review examined how polymer-based paints applied to commercial ships contribute to ocean microplastic pollution. The study found that anticorrosive and antifouling coatings shed plastic particles through normal weathering and in-water hull cleaning, with the extent of release depending on coating type, condition, and maintenance practices.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods for the detection and characterization of boat paint microplastics in the marine environment

This study developed and evaluated analytical methods for detecting and characterizing boat paint microplastics in the marine environment, addressing a largely overlooked source of plastic pollution from antifouling and decorative coatings that enter seawater through normal boat use.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental pollution with antifouling paint particles: Distribution, ecotoxicology, and sustainable alternatives

This review examines antifouling paint particles as a type of microplastic pollution loaded with toxic biocidal compounds in the marine environment. Researchers found that these particles are mainly concentrated around boatyards and port areas and contribute significantly to overall microplastic pollution, while also discussing recent advances in nontoxic, biobased antifouling alternatives.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Mass Concentrations and Distribution in German Bight Waters by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry/Thermochemolysis Reveal Potential Impact of Marine Coatings: Do Ships Leave Skid Marks?

A mass-based Py-GC/MS survey of microplastics in the German Bight (North Sea) found highly variable concentrations (2–1396 µg/m³) influenced by oceanographic conditions, with coastal samples showing packaging waste signatures and central areas revealing an unexpected signal consistent with marine antifouling paint.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 135 citations
Review Tier 2

A Review of Microplastics Research in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Transport Industry

This review examined microplastic research specifically focused on the shipbuilding and maritime transport industry, an underexplored source of plastic contamination in marine environments. The authors found that ship maintenance, antifouling paint degradation, and fiber rope wear generate significant quantities of microplastics that largely escape current monitoring frameworks.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Formation and Surface Crack Patterns: A Method for Waste Plastic Identification

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic formation mechanisms from polyolefin plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene in marine environments, identifying autoxidation as the dominant degradation pathway while finding that salinity and chloride ions significantly retard radical formation and proposing surface crack patterns as a method for identifying waste plastic origins.

2025 Molecules
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Promoting Biofilm Formation by Serratia marcescens on Three Types of Artificially Aged Microplastics Under Marine Conditions

Researchers investigated Serratia marcescens biofilm formation on virgin and UV-aged polyethylene, polypropylene, and expanded polystyrene microplastics under marine conditions, finding that aging enhanced biofilm formation on PE and enabled it on PP, while expanded polystyrene showed initial biofilm that dissipated by day 14.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Aging processes and microplastic release behavior of aquaculture implements

Researchers studied how four types of plastic aquaculture equipment age and release microplastics under simulated marine conditions over 16 weeks. They found that PVC buoys released the most microplastic particles, followed by polypropylene cables, polyethylene nets, and PET buoys, with all materials developing increasingly rough surfaces, cracks, and oxygen-containing chemical groups during aging. The study provides guidance for selecting aquaculture materials that minimize microplastic pollution in marine environments.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption properties and influencing factors of Cu(II) on polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater

Researchers investigated how polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics adsorb copper ions in seawater, characterizing adsorption kinetics and influencing factors to understand microplastics' role as vectors for heavy metal pollutants in marine environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of microplastics derived from antifouling paint in effluent from ship hull hydroblasting and their emission into the marine environment

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination generated during ship hull hydroblasting, a common maintenance procedure. They found that a single vessel produced billions of paint-derived particles, with the vast majority smaller than 5 millimeters and composed primarily of acrylic polymers. The study identifies ship maintenance activities as a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic emissions into marine environments.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Linking UV aging of polymers and microplastics formation: An assessment employing various characterization techniques

This study used environmental assessment tools to model how UV aging of plastic polymers drives microplastic formation in marine environments. The analysis identified polymer-specific degradation rates and environmental conditions that accelerate the conversion of plastic debris into microplastics.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The aging behavior of polyvinyl chloride microplastics promoted by UV-activated persulfate process

Researchers investigated UV-activated persulfate as an accelerated aging process for PVC microplastics, finding significant dechlorination and surface changes that help predict long-term weathering behavior of microplastics in the environment.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm facilitates metal accumulation onto microplastics in estuarine waters

This study demonstrated that biofilm colonization on microplastics in estuarine waters significantly enhanced their sorption of metals such as copper and zinc, suggesting biofouling changes the contaminant-carrying capacity of plastic debris.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 241 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo aging of polypropylene microplastics in estuary water and coastal seawater: Important role of chlorine ion

Researchers studied how UV light ages polypropylene microplastics in estuarine and coastal seawater and found that chloride ions significantly accelerated photo-degradation by generating reactive chlorine radicals, suggesting that marine microplastics age faster than freshwater ones.

2021 Water Research 161 citations