Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The aging behavior of polyvinyl chloride microplastics promoted by UV-activated persulfate process

Researchers investigated UV-activated persulfate as an accelerated aging process for PVC microplastics, finding significant dechlorination and surface changes that help predict long-term weathering behavior of microplastics in the environment.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 147 citations
Article Tier 2

The Aging Behavior of Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics by UV/Sodium Percarbonate Oxidation: Efficiency and Mechanism

Researchers investigated how UV-activated sodium percarbonate breaks down PVC microplastics, finding effective dechlorination and fragmentation after 35 hours of treatment. The study identified hydroxyl and carbonate radicals as the primary agents driving the aging process, providing insights into how advanced oxidation could be used to treat microplastic-contaminated wastewater.

2024 Water 10 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

Accelerated aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastics by UV irradiation: Aging characteristics, filtrate analysis, and adsorption behavior

Researchers systematically investigated how UV irradiation ages polyvinyl chloride microplastics, characterizing changes in their physical and chemical properties and the organic matter they release. The study established quantitative relationships between the degree of aging and the capacity of microplastics to adsorb environmental pollutants like malachite green and sulfamethoxazole, providing a tool for predicting contaminant accumulation on weathered microplastics in natural environments.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 50 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

Generation of micro(nano)plastics and migration of plastic additives from Poly(vinyl chloride) in water under radiation-free ambient conditions

Researchers demonstrated that PVC plastic releases micro- and nano-sized particles and chemical additives into water even under radiation-free ambient conditions, with degradation driven by autocatalyzed oxidative processes that produce surface erosion and particle detachment.

2022 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of oxidation and hydrophobic coupling on the transport behavior of polyethylene microplastics: The synergistic effect of ultraviolet aging and surfactants

Researchers investigated how ultraviolet aging and surfactant attachment interact to influence the transport behavior of polyethylene microplastics, finding that UV oxidation increases oxygen-containing surface groups and reduces hydrophobicity, which in turn alters surfactant adsorption and modifies particle mobility in environmental systems. The study addresses a gap in understanding the coupled effects of oxidative aging and surface chemistry on microplastic transport.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Aging assessment of microplastics (LDPE, PET and uPVC) under urban environment stressors

Researchers aged LDPE, PET, and uPVC microplastics using ozone, UV-C, and solar radiation to simulate urban environmental stressors, finding that each aging agent produced distinct changes in surface morphology, chemical structure, and crystallinity that could alter particle behavior in the environment.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastic in the presence of natural organic acids

Researchers described a new photo-aging pathway for polyvinyl chloride microplastics in aquatic environments involving low-molecular-weight organic acids. The study found that natural organic acids and their iron complexes significantly accelerated the degradation of PVC microplastics under sunlight through hydroxyl radical generation, revealing how environmental conditions influence microplastic weathering.

2020 Water Research 297 citations
Article Tier 2

Sulfide- and UV-induced aging differentially affect contaminant-binding properties of microplastics derived from commercial plastic products

Researchers found that sulfide- and UV-induced aging of microplastics differentially alter their ability to bind environmental contaminants, with sulfide treatment particularly enhancing chromium adsorption through thiol group formation and both processes increasing PET adsorption capacity through particle flattening.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential Morphological and Physicochemical Responses of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polyamide-12 Micro- and Nanoplastics to Fenton Oxidation

Researchers applied Fenton oxidation to 5 µm PVC and polyamide-12 microplastics and characterized changes in physicochemical properties using multimodal methods. Oxidative aging altered surface chemistry, crystallinity, and particle morphology differently for each polymer, with implications for how aged MPs interact with organisms and sorb additional contaminants.

2025
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

Characterization of the microplastic photoaging under the action of typical salt ions of biological nitrogen removal processes

Photoaging — the breakdown of plastics under UV light — of PVC microplastics was significantly slowed in the presence of bicarbonate and nitrate ions commonly found in wastewater treatment systems. Paradoxically, aged PVC particles leached more contaminants and more readily adsorbed nitrogen compounds than fresh particles, with leaching increasing as particles got smaller. Understanding how wastewater chemistry alters the aging and behavior of microplastics is critical for improving the ability of treatment plants to remove and manage plastic particles before they are released into waterways.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Sulfur-Containing Persistent Free Radicals and Reactive Species on Photoaged Microplastics: Identification and the Formation Mechanism

Researchers identified sulfur-containing persistent free radicals and reactive species on photoaged microplastics for the first time, revealing that sulfur in the polymer composition promotes radical formation during UV aging with implications for environmental toxicity.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the role of overlooked environmentally persistent free radicals and reactive chlorine species on photoaged chlorine-containing microplastics: New insights into formation mechanisms and health risks

Researchers investigated the formation of environmentally persistent free radicals and reactive chlorine species on photoaged chlorine-containing microplastics like PVC and PVDC. The study revealed previously overlooked chemical transformations during microplastic aging that may pose additional health risks beyond the physical presence of the plastic particles themselves.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

UV aging induces colloidal-like behavior in microplastics, mediating contaminant fluxes across interfaces

Researchers showed that UV aging and mechanical stress transform polyethylene microplastics into reactive porous particles with colloidal behavior, developing surface oxidation, increased roughness, and trace metal accumulation — changes that alter how they transport contaminants across water-sediment interfaces.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
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

UV-induced aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics: effects of radicals, surface functional groups and electrolyte

UV irradiation was found to increase the aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics to varying degrees depending on surface functional groups and electrolyte conditions, with free radicals playing a key role. Understanding aggregation behavior is important for predicting how nanoplastics behave and settle in aquatic environments.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 126 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

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

Enhanced Photoaging of Functionalized Nanoplastics by Cadmium Ions and Corresponding Diverse Transport Behaviors of Products in Porous Media: Mechanisms and Modeling

Researchers found that cadmium ions accelerate the photoaging of functionalized nanoplastics under UV irradiation, altering the surface chemistry and fragmentation behavior of the particles and increasing the production of potentially toxic nanoplastic breakdown products.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Surface Alteration of Microplastics by Using UV Irradiation

UV radiation causes polystyrene and other plastic microparticles to undergo photooxidative degradation, changing their surface chemistry and potentially making them more likely to adsorb or release chemical pollutants. Understanding these weathering processes is important for predicting the environmental behavior and toxicity of microplastics.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging alters the aggregation behavior of functionalized nanoplastics differently: effects of leached organic matter and surface properties changes

This study found that UV photoaging of nanoplastics changes their surface chemistry and causes them to release organic compounds, but the downstream effect on how particles clump together (aggregation) differs markedly depending on what chemical groups are on the particle surface. This matters because aggregation behaviour controls whether nanoplastics sink or stay suspended in water, affecting which organisms are exposed and how far the particles travel.

2026 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Accelerated photoaging of microplastic - polyethylene terephthalate: physical, chemical, morphological properties and pesticide adsorption

Researchers subjected polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics to accelerated photoaging under simulated sunlight, characterizing changes in surface chemistry, crystallinity, and mechanical properties over time. Photoaging increased surface oxidation, reduced molecular weight, and enhanced the release of plastic additives, suggesting aged PET microplastics present greater chemical hazard than pristine particles.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
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