We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Understanding microplastic aging driven by photosensitization of algal extracellular polymeric substances
ClearPolystyrene microplastics enhanced the photo-degradation and -ammonification of algae-derived dissolved organic matters
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the breakdown of organic matter released by algae when exposed to UV light. They found that the presence of microplastics accelerated the degradation of amino acid-like compounds and increased ammonia production compared to UV exposure alone. The study suggests that microplastics can act as environmental photosensitizers, potentially altering nutrient cycling in natural water bodies.
Molecular-level insights into the heterogeneous variations and dynamic formation mechanism of leached dissolved organic matter during the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics
Researchers investigated the molecular-level changes that occur when polystyrene microplastics break down under light exposure and release dissolved organic matter into water. They found that the released molecules were highly diverse and changed dynamically over the course of aging, with different chemical classes appearing at different stages. The study provides new insight into how degrading microplastics introduce complex mixtures of organic chemicals into aquatic environments.
Photochemistry of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter: Reactive species generation and organic pollutant degradation
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from degrading polystyrene and PVC microplastics behaves when exposed to sunlight in water. They found that sunlight breaks down the aromatic compounds in this plastic-derived material and generates reactive chemical species, though at lower rates than natural organic matter. Despite this, these reactive species significantly accelerated the breakdown of co-existing pollutants, suggesting that degrading microplastics may act as unexpected natural catalysts in aquatic environments.
Enhancing aggregation of microalgae on polystyrene microplastics by high light: Processes, drivers, and environmental risk assessment
Researchers found that bright light conditions caused algae to clump together with polystyrene microplastics much more readily than dim light, by secreting sticky protein-rich substances. This aggregation process changes how microplastics behave in water, potentially causing them to sink and concentrate in certain zones. Since algae are at the base of aquatic food chains, these interactions could affect how microplastics move through ecosystems and eventually reach organisms consumed by humans.
Polystyrene microplastics accelerated photodegradation of co-existed polypropylene via photosensitization of polymer itself and released organic compounds
Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics can accelerate the breakdown of polypropylene microplastics when both are present together in water exposed to sunlight. The polystyrene acts as a photosensitizer, generating reactive oxygen species that speed up the oxidation and fragmentation of polypropylene. The finding reveals that different types of microplastics can interact with each other in unexpected ways, potentially accelerating the generation of even smaller plastic particles in the environment.
Study on the photo-aging process and mechanism of polystyrene microplastics under different salinities mediated by humic acid
This study examined how sunlight breaks down polystyrene microplastics in water with different salt levels and dissolved organic matter. The combination of salt and humic acid accelerated the aging of microplastics, making them smaller and more chemically reactive. This matters because aged microplastics can more easily absorb toxic pollutants and are small enough to be taken up by organisms, increasing potential health risks.
Releasing characteristics of toxic chemicals from polystyrene microplastics in the aqueous environment during photoaging process
This study revealed that as polystyrene microplastics age under UV light, they release a growing number of toxic chemicals including organic compounds and heavy metals into surrounding water. The rate of chemical release increased dramatically with aging time, meaning that weathered microplastics in the environment are more chemically hazardous than fresh ones, with implications for water quality and human exposure.
Effect of microplastics on the photodegradation of high-consumption drugs under simulated sunlight: The critical role of aging and reactive oxygen species
Researchers evaluated how polypropylene, polylactic acid, and PET microplastics act as photosensitizers affecting the sunlight-driven degradation of commonly consumed pharmaceutical drugs. The study found that the aging state of microplastics and the reactive oxygen species they generate play critical roles in influencing drug breakdown rates in the environment.
Swelling-Induced Fragmentation and Polymer Leakage of Nanoplastics in Seawater
Researchers tracked polystyrene nanoplastics in seawater over 29 days under simulated sunlight and found that light accelerates aggregation, while also inducing swelling and fragmentation of particles and leaching of polymer components, complicating predictions of nanoplastic fate and risk in marine environments.
Long-term phototransformation of microplastics under simulated sunlight irradiation in aquatic environments: Roles of reactive oxygen species
Researchers examined the long-term photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics under simulated sunlight in aquatic conditions, finding that reactive oxygen species — particularly hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen — were the primary drivers of surface oxidation and fragmentation into nanoplastics.
Accelerated Weathering Increases the Release of Toxic Leachates from Microplastic Particles as Demonstrated through Altered Toxicity to the Green Algae Raphidocelis subcapitata
Researchers subjected polystyrene microplastics to accelerated weathering and tested the resulting leachates against green algae, finding that weathered particles released significantly more toxic compounds and caused greater inhibition of algal growth than pristine particles.
Molecular characteristics and plastic additives in dissolved organic matter derived from polystyrene microplastics: Effects of cumulative irradiation and microplastic concentrations
This study investigated how ultraviolet light breaks down polystyrene microplastics and releases dissolved organic matter, including plastic additives, into the surrounding water. Greater UV exposure produced more complex chemical mixtures with higher levels of potentially toxic compounds. The findings are important because sunlight-driven breakdown of microplastics in the environment may release harmful chemicals into water sources that people use for drinking and recreation.
Insights into the Photoaging Behavior of Microplastics: Environmental Fate and Ecological Risk
This review examines how sunlight ages microplastics in the environment, breaking them into smaller pieces and changing their surface chemistry in ways that make them more toxic and more likely to carry other pollutants. Sun-aged microplastics release dissolved organic matter that can harm aquatic life, and their roughened surfaces attract more bacteria and chemical contaminants. Since most microplastics in nature have been exposed to sunlight, their real-world health risks may be higher than studies using fresh lab plastics suggest.
Microplastic removal from urban stormwater: Current treatments and research gaps
Researchers investigated the phototransformation of polystyrene microplastics under simulated solar radiation, finding surface oxidation and formation of carbonyl groups after UV exposure. Photo-aged particles showed increased release of dissolved organic carbon and greater toxicity to marine copepods.
Toxic effects of pristine and aged polystyrene and their leachate on marine microalgae Skeletonema costatum
Researchers compared the toxic effects of pristine and aged polystyrene microplastics, as well as their chemical leachates, on the marine microalga Skeletonema costatum. The study found that aged microplastics and their leachates caused greater growth inhibition, reduced chlorophyll concentration, and triggered stronger oxidative stress responses than pristine particles, suggesting that environmental weathering increases the toxicity of plastic debris.
Aging of Polystyrene Micro/Nanoplastics Enhances Cephalosporin Phototransformation via Structure-Sensitive Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding
Researchers found that aged polystyrene micro and nanoplastics significantly speed up the breakdown of common antibiotics (cephalosporins) in water when exposed to sunlight. The aged plastic surfaces generate reactive chemicals that attack the antibiotics, and the effect depends on how the antibiotic molecule binds to the plastic surface. This is important because it shows microplastics can actively change the chemical environment around them, potentially affecting how pollutants behave in waterways.
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.
Photochemical transformation of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter altered the photoaging of microplastics
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from different microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and biodegradable PBAT) affects the aging of polystyrene microplastics under UV irradiation, finding that PBAT-derived organic matter most strongly accelerated plastic photoaging.
A new concept for the ecotoxicological assessment of plastics under consideration of aging processes
A new ecotoxicological assessment approach for plastic leachates derived from alternating UV and hydrolysis weathering found that polystyrene leachates produced measurable algae growth inhibition and that oxidized polymer degradation products may be more bioavailable and toxic than pristine particles.
Effects of photochlorination on the physicochemical transformation of polystyrene nanoplastics: Mechanism and environmental fate
Researchers studied how sunlight combined with chlorine in water treatment changes the properties of polystyrene nanoplastics. They found that solar irradiation significantly accelerated the chemical breakdown of the nanoplastics, including surface oxidation and the release of organic compounds. The study reveals that nanoplastics leaving wastewater treatment plants undergo rapid transformation in the environment, which could alter both their fate and toxicity.
Role of polystyrene microplastics in the photodegradation of steroidal estrogens: Influencing factors, mechanism and aquatic toxicity assessment.
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in water can speed up the breakdown of hormone chemicals (like estrogen) when exposed to sunlight. While this might sound good, some of the broken-down hormone pieces actually become more toxic than the original chemicals. This matters because both microplastics and hormone pollutants are common in our water systems, and their interaction could create new health risks we didn't know about before.
Dissolved Organic Matter Promotes the Aging Process of Polystyrene Microplastics under Dark and Ultraviolet Light Conditions: The Crucial Role of Reactive Oxygen Species
Researchers found that dissolved organic matter commonly present in natural water environments accelerates the aging and degradation of polystyrene microplastics under both dark and ultraviolet light conditions. The study identified reactive oxygen species as the crucial driver of this aging process, with fulvic acid showing a stronger effect than humic acid due to its greater ability to generate semiquinone radicals.
Photodegradation Controls of Potential Toxicity of Secondary Sunscreen-Derived Microplastics and Associated Leachates
Researchers studied how sunlight breaks down microplastics from sunscreen products and whether this makes them more or less toxic. They found that sunlight aging caused chemical changes on the plastic surfaces and released harmful compounds into the water, increasing toxicity to aquatic organisms. This is relevant because sunscreen microplastics are commonly washed into oceans and lakes, where sun exposure could make them more dangerous over time.
Photo-aging promotes the inhibitory effect of polystyrene microplastics on microbial reductive dechlorination of a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture (Aroclor 1260)
Researchers found that photo-aging of polystyrene microplastics enhances their inhibitory effect on microbial activity in the environment. UV weathering alters the surface chemistry of microplastics in ways that increase toxicity to microorganisms, with implications for nutrient cycling in plastic-contaminated ecosystems.