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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The Hydrolytic Behavior of Poly(Lactic Acid)/Polystyrene‐ Grafted‐Hectorite Nanocomposite Films and Its Regulatory Mechanism on Microplastics
ClearInteractions of humic acid with pristine poly (lactic acid) microplastics in aqueous solution
Researchers studied the adsorption of humic acid onto polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in water, finding that humic acid forms a coating on PLA surfaces through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, altering the environmental behavior of this biodegradable plastic.
High Barrier Nanocomposite Film with Accelerated Biodegradation by Clay Swelling Induced Fragmentation
This study developed a polylactic acid (PLA) composite film reinforced with clay that improves the poor gas barrier properties of biodegradable plastics while also accelerating their breakdown through a clay-induced fragmentation mechanism. Creating biodegradable packaging that performs as well as conventional plastic while genuinely degrading in the environment is a key challenge for reducing plastic pollution.
Evaluation of Functional and Degradation Properties of Enzyme‐Embedded PLA Films: A Multi‐Analytical Approach and Evaluation of Microplastics Post‐Degradation
This study developed polylactic acid (PLA) films embedded with enzymes designed to help the material degrade more quickly, and then characterized what happens to the plastic during and after degradation — including what kind of microplastic residues are left behind. While enzyme addition accelerated surface breakdown and increased porosity, it also slightly reduced the film's mechanical and thermal strength. Critically, investigating the microplastic byproducts of degradable plastics is important for ensuring that "eco-friendly" materials do not simply create a new wave of micro- and nanoplastic pollution.
Aging behavior of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics accelerated by UV/H2O2 processes
Researchers used UV and hydrogen peroxide to simulate environmental aging of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding that PLA microplastics undergo significant surface and structural changes during weathering that alter their environmental behavior and persistence.
Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic
This review covers how microorganisms degrade polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic under different environmental conditions. Understanding PLA biodegradation is important for assessing whether PLA products actually break down as intended in real-world environments rather than persisting as microplastics.
Photo-Aging of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Microplastics
Researchers investigated the photo-aging of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding that UV exposure caused fragmentation that increased total particle numbers while decreasing average particle size. The study provides quantitative data on how biodegradable PLA plastics generate secondary microplastics through photoaging, a previously poorly characterized degradation pathway for this widely used industrial bioplastic.
Hydrolyzable microplastics in soil—low biodegradation but formation of a specific microbial habitat?
Hydrolyzable microplastics such as polylactic acid showed low biodegradation in soil despite their marketed degradability, while their surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities forming a specialized plastisphere. The study questions the environmental safety of biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil contexts.
Degradation of Polylactic Acid/Polypropylene Carbonate Films in Soil and Phosphate Buffer and Their Potential Usefulness in Agriculture and Agrochemistry
Researchers studied how blends of polylactic acid and polypropylene carbonate, two biodegradable plastics being promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, break down in soil and in laboratory conditions over time. The degradation was slow and incomplete, with the films losing weight and molecular structure gradually over 24 months. This raises concerns that even biodegradable plastics may persist in the environment long enough to fragment into microplastics before fully breaking down.
Do poly(lactic acid) microplastics instigate a threat? A perception for their dynamic towards environmental pollution and toxicity
This review examines whether poly(lactic acid), a popular biodegradable plastic marketed as an eco-friendly alternative, actually poses environmental risks as it breaks down into microplastics. Researchers found that PLA only degrades fully under specific industrial composting conditions with high temperatures and moisture, and may persist much longer in natural environments. The study calls for deeper investigation into the environmental fate and potential toxicity of PLA microplastics as their use continues to grow.
Properties of reclaimed polypropylene microplastic-polylactic acid blends
This study explored whether mixing reclaimed microplastic polypropylene with biodegradable PLA plastic could reduce environmental harm while preserving useful mechanical properties. The blends were tested in seawater and buried in soil to assess biodegradation, and a 90% PP / 10% PLA blend retained the highest tensile strength after seawater immersion. Higher PLA content accelerated biodegradation but reduced thermal stability and strength. The research offers a potential strategy for making recovered microplastic materials more environmentally manageable without sacrificing too much performance.
Mineral-ArmoredStructure Enhanced the Stability ofPolyethylene Microplastics Rather Than Polylactic Acid Microplastics:A Long-Term Natural Aging Study
Researchers conducted a long-term natural aging study comparing polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics in different environmental settings, finding that mineral coating structures enhanced the stability of polyethylene microplastics while polylactic acid particles degraded more rapidly under the same conditions.
Mineral-Armored Structure Enhanced the Stability of Polyethylene Microplastics Rather Than Polylactic Acid Microplastics: A Long-Term Natural Aging Study
Researchers conducted a long-term natural aging study comparing polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics across different environmental settings, finding that mineral armoring on polyethylene surfaces enhanced structural stability and slowed aging, whereas polylactic acid microplastics degraded more readily.
Poly(lactic acid) nanoplastics through laser ablation: establishing a reference model for mimicking biobased nanoplastics in aquatic environments
PLA (polylactic acid) nanoplastics were fabricated via laser ablation to create a reference model for studying biobased nanoplastics in aquatic environments, with the resulting particles sharing surface chemistry characteristics with environmentally degraded PLA debris.
Can Polylactic Acid (PLA) Act as an Important Vector for Triclosan?
This study tested whether polylactic acid acts as a carrier for the antimicrobial compound triclosan, comparing PLA with polystyrene, PVC, and polyethylene of different particle sizes. PLA showed lower triclosan adsorption than non-biodegradable polymers, but its carrier capacity increased under acidic conditions, with implications for how biodegradable microplastics transport chemical contaminants.
Mineralization and microbial utilization of poly(lactic acid) microplastic in soil
Researchers tracked how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a common biodegradable plastic, actually break down in different agricultural soils. They found that standard testing methods significantly overestimate how quickly PLA degrades because they fail to account for interactions with soil organic matter. The study reveals that PLA microplastics may persist longer in some soils than previously thought, raising questions about how truly biodegradable these materials are in real-world conditions.
Polylactic acid synthesis, biodegradability, conversion to microplastics and toxicity: a review
Researchers reviewed polylactic acid (PLA), a popular plant-based "biodegradable" plastic used in packaging and agriculture, finding that while it breaks down inside the body, it does not fully degrade under natural outdoor or aquatic conditions — and in fact fragments into microplastics faster than conventional petroleum-based plastics. This challenges the assumption that bioplastics are a straightforward environmental solution.
Not Only Diamonds Are Forever: Degradation of Plastic Films in a Simulated Marine Environment
Researchers found that biodegradable plastics, including polylactic acid (PLA), do not fully degrade in simulated marine environments at realistic temperatures and conditions. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are a straightforward solution to ocean plastic pollution.
Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites
Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.
State of the art on biodegradability of bio-based plastics containing polylactic acid
This review examines whether bio-based plastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) actually break down in the environment as intended. While certain microorganisms can degrade PLA, the process is slow and depends heavily on conditions like temperature and moisture. The findings matter because if bio-based plastics do not fully break down, they can still fragment into microplastics, posing many of the same environmental and health risks as conventional plastics.
Transformation of Polylactic Acid (PLA) Microparticles in Soil and their Effects on Soil Properties: A Review
This review examined how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics transform in soil over time and affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties including pH, organic matter, nutrient cycling, and microbial communities, highlighting the complexities of PLA as a supposedly biodegradable agricultural plastic.
Insights into the Characteristics, Adsorption, and Desorption Behaviors of Polylactic Acid Aged with or without Salinities
Researchers studied how salinity affects the aging process and pollutant adsorption behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — a biodegradable plastic increasingly used as a conventional plastic substitute. Seawater aged PLA differently than freshwater, and aged particles adsorbed more contaminants than fresh ones. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can become environmental pollutants through aging and contaminant accumulation.
Degradation Pathways of Biodegradable Films in Aquatic Ecosystems: the Role of Environmental Factors in Microplastics Formation
This review examines how biodegradable agricultural and packaging films degrade in aquatic environments, detailing how UV radiation, temperature, microbial activity, and pH interact to determine the rate of microplastic formation from supposedly eco-friendly plastic alternatives.
Enzymatic Self-Biodegradation of Poly(l-lactic acid) Films by Embedded Heat-Treated and Immobilized Proteinase K
Polylactic acid plastic films containing embedded enzyme proteinase K successfully biodegraded from the inside out, losing 78% of their weight in four days. Immobilizing the enzyme improved its heat stability during manufacturing, offering a new concept for self-biodegrading plastics that could reduce microplastic accumulation in the environment.
Adsorption/desorption behavior of degradable polylactic acid microplastics on bisphenol A under different aging conditions
Researchers studied how different types of UV-simulated aging affect the ability of polylactic acid microplastics to adsorb and release bisphenol A. The study found that aging conditions changed the surface properties of the biodegradable plastic, altering its interaction with this common environmental contaminant. The findings suggest that even biodegradable microplastics can act as carriers of harmful chemicals depending on their degradation state.