Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 9 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Kemija u industriji 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Journal of Xenobiotics 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Which factors mainly drive the photoaging of microplastics in freshwater?

This study systematically investigated the roles of UV irradiation, oxygen, temperature, and physical abrasion in the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics in freshwater. UV irradiation and mechanical abrasion were identified as the dominant aging factors, and their combined effect caused more extensive surface oxidation and fragmentation than either alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-driven fragmentation of plastics in an aquatic environment: laboratory studies

This laboratory study examined how UV light causes plastic debris in water to fragment into smaller and smaller pieces over time. Understanding the rates and pathways of UV-driven fragmentation is important for predicting how quickly large plastic items break down into the microplastics that eventually enter the food chain.

2023
Article Tier 2

Linking 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.

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

Towards Understanding Drivers of Plastic Embrittlement and Fragmentation in Coastal Environments

This review examines the physical and chemical drivers of plastic fragmentation in coastal environments, including UV radiation, mechanical wave action, temperature fluctuations, and oxidation. The authors find that coastal environments produce microplastics faster than open ocean environments due to compounding abiotic stressors, and that fragmentation dynamics shape the size distribution and toxicity profile of coastal plastic pollution.

2025
Article Tier 2

From macroplastics to microplastics: Role of water in the fragmentation of polyethylene

Laboratory photodegradation experiments compared how polyethylene plastic films fragment in water versus air under UV light, finding that the aquatic environment significantly influences the physical and chemical breakdown of plastic into microplastics. The study improves understanding of how water immersion changes the photodegradation pathways of floating and submerged plastic debris.

2019 Chemosphere 294 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

Environmental Degradation and Fragmentation of Microplastics: Dependence on Polymer Type, Humidity, UV Dose and Temperature

A systematic study of UV dose, humidity, and temperature effects on six polymer types found that photo-oxidation is the primary driver of microplastic fragmentation and release of secondary nano-sized particles, with the relationship between weathering conditions and fragmentation rates varying by polymer type.

2024
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

Combined Effects of UV Exposure Duration and Mechanical Abrasion on Microplastic Fragmentation by Polymer Type

Researchers studied how UV exposure duration and mechanical abrasion combine to fragment different plastic types under simulated beach conditions. They found that polypropylene was far more susceptible to fragmentation than polyethylene after UV weathering, while expanded polystyrene broke apart readily even without UV exposure. The experiments showed that a large fraction of fragmented particles were too small to recover, suggesting that significant amounts of nanoplastic are being generated on beaches.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 1424 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal oxidation, ultraviolet radiation, and mechanical abrasion - understanding mechanisms of microplastic generation and chemical transformation

Researchers evaluated how consumer-derived polymers fragment and chemically transform when exposed to UV radiation or thermal oxidation followed by soil abrasion. The study found that these combined weathering processes, which mimic real-world environmental conditions, significantly affect the rate and type of microplastic generation. The results highlight how everyday use and environmental exposure work together to break down plastics into microplastic particles.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 54 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Water Research 170 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 University of Alberta Library
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation and Fragmentation of Microplastics

This review examines the degradation and fragmentation mechanisms that generate secondary microplastics from ocean plastic debris, covering photo-oxidation chemistry, environmental weathering rates, and how different polymer types break down under marine conditions.

2022 38 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the impact of photoaging on the generation of very small microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) and the wettability of plastic surface

Experiments using UV light to artificially age six common plastic types showed that sunlight (photoaging) accelerates the breakdown of plastics into very small microplastics and nanoplastics and makes plastic surfaces rougher and more chemically reactive. Understanding how different polymer structures respond to light aging is important for predicting which plastics will fragment fastest in the environment and generate the most hazardous small particles.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidation and fragmentation of plastics in a changing environment; from UV-radiation to biological degradation

This review examines how plastics break down in the environment through UV radiation, weathering, and biological processes, producing smaller and smaller fragments including microplastics and nanoplastics. The breakdown process also releases chemical additives and creates particles with altered surface properties that may be more toxic than the original plastic. Understanding these degradation pathways is critical because the secondary particles produced may pose greater risks to ecosystems and human health than the larger plastic debris.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 335 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental plastics in the context of UV radiation, climate change, and the Montreal Protocol

This review examines how UV radiation and climate change interact with environmental plastics to alter their degradation rates and toxic profiles, with particular focus on how ozone depletion affects UV-induced plastic fragmentation. The authors argue that changing UV environments under climate change will accelerate plastic breakdown and increase nanoplastic production in surface waters.

2024 Global Change Biology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of ultraviolet and thermal degradations of four common microplastics and evidence of nanoparticle release

Researchers studied how UV light and elevated temperature break down four common plastics and found that weathering releases nanoscale plastic particles. Polystyrene and polypropylene were particularly susceptible to UV degradation, generating significant numbers of nanoparticles. The findings confirm that environmental conditions actively fragment microplastics into even smaller, potentially more harmful nanoplastics.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters 49 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics in the environment: Systematic studies to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics induced by photolysis and hydrolysis

Researchers conducted systematic studies on the photolytic and hydrolytic degradation of microplastics using three photolysis protocols and multiple polymer types to determine release rates of secondary micro- and nanoplastics and water-soluble organics, providing mechanistic data needed for environmental fate and risk assessment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)