Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Photoaging enhances the leaching of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and transformation products from polyvinyl chloride microplastics into aquatic environments

This study found that sunlight aging of PVC microplastics accelerates the release of DEHP, a hormone-disrupting plasticizer, by 1.5 times compared to new plastics. The aging process also creates harmful breakdown products like MEHP and phthalic acid that leach into water. Since most microplastics in the environment have been exposed to sunlight, the actual release of toxic chemicals from plastic pollution is likely much higher than estimates based on new plastic suggest.

2024 Communications Chemistry 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Leaching of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate from biodegradable and conventional microplastics and the potential risks

Researchers compared the leaching of the plasticizer DEHP from biodegradable and conventional microplastics into seawater. They found that conventional polyethylene mulch film released the most DEHP, at about six times the amount leached from biodegradable alternatives. The study suggests that while all tested microplastics released some DEHP, the pollution risk from the leached amounts was assessed as low based on phthalate pollution indices.

2022 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Kinetics of plasticiser release and degradation in soils

Researchers measured the release of the plasticizer DEHTP from PVC microplastics in soil over three months and also assessed degradation rates of 12 phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers. DEHTP was released rapidly from PVC pellets within two hours, and seven of the twelve plasticizers showed half-lives under 30 days in soil, suggesting most emerging plasticizers degrade relatively quickly but initial release is fast.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of particle size and environmental conditions on the release of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from microplastics

Researchers studied how the plasticizer DEHP leaches out of microplastics under different environmental conditions, finding that smaller particles release more of the chemical due to their greater surface area. Higher temperatures, lower pH, and higher salt concentrations all increased the rate of DEHP release. The study suggests that environmental conditions can significantly influence how much potentially harmful chemical is released from microplastic debris in soil and water.

2023 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic formation and simultaneous release of phthalic acid esters from residual mulch film in soil through mechanical abrasion

Researchers found that mechanical abrasion of residual mulch film in soil simultaneously generates microplastics and releases phthalic acid esters like DEHP, with film thickness, polymer type, and aging all influencing the rate of microplastic formation and plasticizer release.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) to microplastics in seawater: a comparison between pristine and aged particles

Natural aging of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics in seawater over three months increased their adsorption capacity for the plasticizer DEHP compared to pristine particles, due to surface oxidation and biofilm formation. The results indicate that environmentally aged MPs are stronger vectors for hydrophobic contaminants than fresh MPs used in most laboratory studies.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental factors strongly influence the leaching of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from polyvinyl chloride microplastics

Researchers found that environmental conditions like temperature, UV light, salinity, and pH strongly influence how fast the plasticizer DEHP leaches from PVC microplastics into water. Higher temperatures and UV exposure significantly accelerated the release of this endocrine-disrupting chemical. This is important because it means microplastics in warm, sunlit waters may release harmful additives much faster than lab studies under standard conditions would predict.

2023 Water Research 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of aging on environmental behavior of plastic additives: Migration, leaching, and ecotoxicity

This review examines how the aging and weathering of microplastics in the environment causes chemical additives like plasticizers, flame retardants, and antioxidants to leach out. As microplastics age through UV exposure, heat, and biological activity, they release these additives more readily, increasing the toxic risk to organisms. The findings are important because they show that older, weathered microplastics found in the real world may be more chemically hazardous than fresh plastics used in most lab studies.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 221 citations
Article Tier 2

Plasticiser leaching from polyvinyl chloride microplastics and the implications for environmental risk assessment

Researchers measured the leaching of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and bisphenol A (BPA) from polyvinyl chloride microplastics under simulated marine conditions, finding that both plasticizers leached in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These findings are important for environmental risk assessments of PVC microplastics, which represent a major fraction of ocean plastic pollution.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Leaching of phthalate acid esters from plastic mulch films and their degradation in response to UV irradiation and contrasting soil conditions

Researchers studied how phthalate plasticizers leach from agricultural mulch films and break down under different soil conditions and UV exposure. They found that sunlight accelerates the release of these chemicals from plastic, while soil microbes play a major role in their subsequent degradation. The study highlights how plastic mulch in farming can be a continuous source of potentially harmful chemical additives entering the soil environment.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 99 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 New Journal of Chemistry 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Contaminant release from aged microplastic

Researchers exposed recycled plastic granules of polyethylene, PVC, and polystyrene to simulated aging conditions including UV radiation and high temperatures. They found that aging significantly increased the rate at which chemical additives leached from the plastic particles into water, with UV exposure having the greatest effect. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may release harmful chemicals at much higher rates than fresh plastic materials.

2017 Environmental Chemistry 285 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging process and mechanism of four commonly commercial microplastics

Researchers exposed four common commercial microplastic types to UV light to simulate photoaging on soil surfaces and studied changes in their properties and chemical leachates. The study found that PVC and polystyrene underwent more dramatic physical and chemical changes than polypropylene and polyethylene, with aging creating cracks that facilitated the release of dissolved organic matter and chemical additives. These findings suggest that aged microplastics may pose greater environmental risks to soil and groundwater than pristine ones due to increased leaching of complex organic compounds.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the characteristic of leachates released from microplastics under different aging conditions: Perspectives of dissolved organic carbon fingerprints and nano-plastics

Researchers investigated how different aging conditions affect the release of dissolved organic carbon and nanoplastics from PVC and polystyrene microplastics over 130 days. The study found that UV aging and high temperatures promoted the release of nanoplastics and altered the chemical characteristics of leached substances, with UV-aged treatments producing smaller, rougher nanoparticles that may pose greater ecological risks.

2023 Water Research 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic interplay of weathered microplastics: Coupling sorption-leaching behavior and environmental risk implications

Researchers investigated how photo-weathering alters the properties of polystyrene and PVC microplastics, affecting their ability to adsorb heavy metals and leach chemical additives. They found that UVC irradiation caused more significant surface changes than xenon light, and weathering accelerated the leaching rate of the plasticizer DEHP from PVC by three times. A health risk assessment showed that weathered microplastics posed roughly double the health risk of virgin microplastics.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mulch-derived microplastic aging promotes phthalate esters and alters organic carbon fraction content in grassland and farmland soils

Researchers found that microplastics derived from agricultural plastic mulch undergo aging in soil, which promotes the release of phthalate ester contaminants and alters organic carbon content. The study compared black and white polyethylene mulch to biodegradable mulch in grassland and farmland soils over eight weeks, revealing that aging characteristics and environmental impacts vary by mulch type and soil context.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviors and bioavailability of tetrabromobisphenol A in the presence of polystyrene microplastic in soil: Effect of microplastics aging

Researchers studied how aging changes the ability of polystyrene microplastics to absorb and release a flame retardant chemical called TBBPA in soil. They found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to adsorb the chemical but also released it more readily, increasing the bioavailability of this toxic compound to soil organisms. The study reveals that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may actually become more effective carriers of harmful chemicals into the food chain.

2023 Environmental Pollution 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into photoaging behaviors and mechanisms of biodegradable and conventional microplastics in soil

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics break down when exposed to light in soil environments. They found that biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) aged faster than conventional polyethylene, with both types developing surface cracks and chemical changes over time. The study provides new insights into how different plastic types weather in soil, which affects their environmental persistence and potential toxicity.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex release dynamics of microplastic additives: An interplay of additive degradation and microplastic aging

This study investigated how microplastics release their chemical additives -- including phthalates, bisphenol A, and flame retardants -- into water, especially under UV sunlight. The process is more complicated than simple leaching: sunlight both breaks down the additives and ages the plastic itself, which changes how fast chemicals are released. These findings matter because the toxic additives that leach from microplastics may pose a greater health risk than the plastic particles themselves.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of Biodegradable Microplastics under Artificially Controlled Aging Conditions with UV Radiation

Researchers subjected biodegradable plastics to controlled UV aging and found that they fragmented into microplastics faster than conventional plastics under simulated outdoor conditions. Biodegradable plastics are promoted as an eco-friendly alternative, but this study shows they may actually create microplastic pollution more rapidly in real-world environments. The findings raise important questions about whether biodegradable plastics are a genuine solution to plastic pollution.

2023 Journal of Biomedical Research & Environmental Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging of biodegradable microplastics and their effect on soil properties: Control from soil water

Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics made from PLA and PBAT break down in different soil types under varying water conditions. They found that while these plastics aged more in dry and alternating wet-dry conditions, flooded conditions caused bigger changes to soil chemistry, including increased dissolved organic carbon. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully alter soil properties, and the effects depend heavily on moisture conditions.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging Changes theVector Effects of Various Microplasticson the Bioaccumulation of Decabromodiphenyl Ethane in Earthworms

Researchers found that UV aging of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics changes how they carry the flame retardant DBDPE into earthworm intestines, with aged biodegradable PLA-MPs increasing intestinal bioaccumulation by 15% while aged PE-MPs decreased it by 21%, showing polymer-specific vector effects.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polyethylene microplastics on the performance and mechanism of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) degradation by two ecotype earthworms

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics affect di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) biodegradation by two ecotypes of earthworms in soil. Both earthworm ecotypes accelerated DEHP degradation (up to 72% without microplastics), but microplastic co-contamination reduced degradation efficiency to 51%, likely by altering soil microbiome composition.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic aging on its detectability and physico-chemical properties in loess and sandy soil

This study compared fresh microplastics to aged particles collected from soil and found that weathering significantly changes their physical and chemical properties, including making them more mobile. Aged microplastics may behave very differently in the environment than the pristine particles typically used in laboratory studies.

2023 1 citations