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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Rapid oxidative fragmentation of polypropylene with pH control in seawater for preparation of realistic reference microplastics
ClearElaborating more realistic model microplastics by simulating polypropylene's environmental ageing
This study developed more realistic model microplastics by simulating the environmental aging of polypropylene, producing laboratory particles with surface chemistry, roughness, and density closer to field-collected environmental microplastics.
New approach to produce accelerated aged microplastics standard
Researchers developed a new approach to produce accelerated aged microplastic standard materials by subjecting polymer particles to simulated weathering conditions, generating reference materials that more accurately reflect the degraded chemical and physical properties of microplastics found in real environmental samples.
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.
Accelerated Hydrolysis Method for Producing Partially Degraded Polyester Microplastic Fiber Reference Materials
An accelerated hydrolysis method was developed to produce partially degraded polyester microplastic fibers that more closely resemble environmentally weathered materials than pristine reference microplastics used in most toxicity studies. The approach allows researchers to test realistic, aged microplastic fibers from textiles, which dominate environmental microplastic contamination.
Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.
Researchers quantified the proportion of microplastics generated during UV-driven degradation of polypropylene and assessed changes in chemical composition caused by photooxidation. The study found that UV exposure progressively fragments polypropylene and alters its surface chemistry, affecting subsequent environmental behavior and toxicity.
Degradation of polypropylene : proportion of microplastics formed and assessment of their density.
This study quantified microplastic formation during UV degradation of polypropylene and characterized the chemical changes in the polymer structure caused by photooxidation. UV exposure was shown to generate new particles and alter chemical composition in ways that may change microplastic toxicity and environmental behavior.
Size-dependent long-term weathering converting floating polypropylene macro- and microplastics into nanoplastics in coastal seawater environments
Researchers found that floating polypropylene plastics of different sizes undergo long-term weathering in coastal seawater, with particle size decreasing by over 99% after accelerated UV exposure, demonstrating a size-dependent pathway for converting macroplastics into nanoplastics.
Synthesis of model polyethylene particles for the study of nanoplastics in the oceans
Researchers developed a synthesis method for model polyethylene particles designed to replicate the physicochemical properties of naturally degraded nanoplastics in the ocean, addressing the need for environmentally representative reference materials for studying nanoplastic behavior in marine systems.
New approach to produce accelerated aged microplastics standard
Researchers developed a new approach to produce accelerated-aged microplastic reference standards that more closely resemble environmentally weathered particles, accounting for the range of polymer types, shapes, sizes, and degradation conditions that determine real-world microplastic properties.
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.
Photo aging and fragmentation of polypropylene food packaging materials in artificial seawater
Photo-aging and fragmentation of two common polypropylene (PP) food packaging materials with different additive contents were studied under artificial accelerated weathering. Additive composition significantly influenced the rate of photochemical aging and fragmentation into microplastic particles, with implications for how packaging design affects microplastic generation in the marine environment.
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.
Degradation of low-density polyethylene to nanoplastic particles by accelerated weathering
Researchers demonstrated that accelerated weathering of low-density polyethylene produces nanoplastic particles, providing experimental evidence for the degradation pathway from macro-plastics to nanoscale fragments in the environment.
Aging behavior of microplastics accelerated by mechanical fragmentation: alteration of intrinsic and extrinsic properties
Researchers mechanically fragmented polystyrene, polypropylene, and PET microplastics to simulate environmental aging, finding that fragmentation alters surface chemistry, crystallinity, and heavy metal adsorption capacity, with aging degree measurable through structural changes.
Polymer weathering under simulated solar radiation and comparison to stormwater and estuarine microplastics
Researchers weathered polyethylene and polypropylene plastics under simulated sunlight in water for 90 days and compared their spectral changes to those found in environmental microplastics from stormwater and estuaries. They found that polypropylene degraded faster than polyethylene and that spectral databases had difficulty accurately identifying heavily weathered plastics. The study highlights challenges in identifying and age-dating microplastics found in the environment.
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.
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.
Facile nanoplastics formation from macro and microplastics in aqueous media
This study examined how nanoplastics form from larger macro- and microplastics in aqueous environments, finding that mechanical and photochemical processes in water accelerate fragmentation beyond what occurs on dry land. The findings help explain nanoplastic abundance in aquatic systems and improve models of plastic environmental fate.
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.
Synthesis of model polyethylene particles for the study of nanoplastics in the oceans
Researchers synthesized model polyethylene nanoplastic particles to serve as reference materials for studying the behavior and fate of nanoplastics in ocean environments, addressing the gap created by the lack of standardized particles representative of naturally fragmented marine plastic debris.
Are we really producing environmentally relevant reference materials for microplastic studies?
This study evaluated whether laboratory-produced microplastic reference materials used in research adequately represent the physical and chemical properties of particles found in natural environments. Results found substantial differences between commercially available reference materials and environmentally weathered microplastics, undermining the ecological relevance of studies using pristine materials.
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.
Experimental parameterization of microplastic fragmentation and degradation to develop a mechanistic model of micro- and nanoplastic fragmentation in the environment
Researchers subjected seven plastic types (LDPE, PP, HIPS, PU, PET, PLA, and PA) to controlled UV irradiation and hydrolysis under varying temperature, humidity, salinity, and pH conditions, using multiple analytical methods including the NanoRelease/ISO22293 protocol, ATR-FTIR, TOC, GPC, and particle counting to quantify fragmentation rates from micro- to nanoscale. Preliminary results showed HIPS and LDPE fragmented most under UV stress, generating the largest counts of particles in the 1-2 µm size class, providing parameterization data for mechanistic models of environmental microplastic fragmentation.
From macroplastic to microplastic: Degradation of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene in a salt marsh habitat
Researchers subjected high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and other plastics to simulated environmental degradation and tracked their fragmentation from macro- to microplastic sizes, characterizing surface changes and particle generation rates.