We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Characterizing microplastic size and morphology of photodegraded polymers placed in simulated moving water conditions
ClearFrom 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.
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.
Plastics Degradation Process within a Controlled Aqueous Laboratory Setting
This study developed a controlled laboratory method to investigate plastic degradation in aquatic environments over time, analyzing the physical and chemical changes in plastic particles as they weather and fragment. Understanding plastic degradation kinetics is important for predicting how quickly macroplastics generate microplastics in water bodies.
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.
Photodegradation of macroplastics to microplastics : A laboratory study on common litter found in urban areas
A laboratory study used UV light to simulate how plastic litter found in urban environments degrades into microplastics over time. The results help explain the pathway from discarded plastic items to the small fragments now found across the environment, from soils to human tissues.
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.
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.
UV sources and plastic composition influence microplastic surface degradation: Implications for plastic weathering studies
This study tested how different UV light sources change the surface of common microplastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The results show that sunlight and lab UV lights weather plastics differently, changing their surface roughness and chemical makeup -- which matters because these surface changes affect how microplastics transport pollutants and interact with living organisms in the environment.
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.
Quantitative study of microplastic degradation in urban hydrosystems: Comparing in situ environmentally aged microplastics vs. artificially aged materials generated via accelerated photo-oxidation
Researchers compared how polyethylene microplastics degrade in real urban water environments versus under controlled laboratory UV exposure. They found that lab-aged plastics showed primarily physical and chemical changes from UV light, while microplastics collected from stormwater and sediments also showed signs of biological degradation and hydrolysis. The study demonstrates that artificial aging alone does not fully replicate the complex degradation processes microplastics undergo in actual urban water systems.
Photo-induced degradation of single-use polyethylene terephthalate microplastics under laboratory and outdoor environmental conditions
Researchers tested how sunlight, water, and physical wear work together to break down PET microplastics, the type commonly found in plastic bottles and food packaging. Over 60 days, combined UV light and water exposure caused significant chemical degradation of the plastic surfaces. This matters because as microplastics break down in the environment, they release smaller fragments and potentially harmful chemicals that are easier for organisms to absorb.
Accelerated Weathering of Microplastics: A Systematic Approach to Model Microplastic Production
Researchers developed a systematic laboratory method for producing environmentally realistic microplastics through accelerated UV weathering of common polymer types. The approach generates particles with surface degradation patterns that closely mimic those found in nature, unlike commercially available test beads. The study provides a reproducible protocol that could improve the relevance of microplastic toxicity and environmental fate studies.
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.
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.
Investigating the physicochemical property changes of plastic packaging material exposed to UV radiation
UV radiation was shown to degrade polypropylene and PET plastic packaging materials, causing surface changes and potential microplastic formation, with degradation rates influenced by sample shape and size. These findings are relevant to understanding how discarded plastic packaging breaks down in marine and outdoor environments.
Abiotic Long-Term Simulation of Microplastic Weathering Pathways under Different Aqueous Conditions
Laboratory weathering experiments simulated long-term microplastic degradation under UV, thermal, and mechanical stress to characterize how environmental exposure alters plastic surface chemistry, fragmentation, and additive release. The results provide insight into the formation pathways of secondary microplastics under realistic environmental conditions.
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.
Microplastics formation based on degradation characteristics of beached plastic bags
Laboratory weathering of plastic bags under UV and mechanical stress produced microplastic fragments of varied sizes and shapes, with degradation rate and fragment characteristics depending on the bag material and environmental conditions.
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.
Mimicking the environmental ageing of polymers for the preparation of model microplastics
Researchers developed a laboratory methodology to reproduce environmental polymer degradation by combining photodegradation and mechanical stress (UV aging followed by either cryomilling or gentle stirring), producing microplastics closer in size, shape, and composition to those found in nature. Particles produced via the soft stirring protocol were more stable in water and better retained the chemical composition of the parent material compared to cryomilled particles.
Environmental Degradation of Microplastics: How to Measure Fragmentation Rates to Secondary Micro- and Nanoplastic Fragments and Dissociation into Dissolved Organics
Researchers developed an adapted protocol for measuring UV-driven fragmentation of microplastics into nano-sized fragments and dissolved organics, providing a standardized method to better understand microplastic degradation rates 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.
Developing environmentally relevant test materials for microplastic research through UV-induced photoaging
Researchers used UV irradiation to create photoaged microplastics from multiple polymer types as environmentally relevant test materials for ecotoxicology research, characterizing how aging changes surface chemistry, particle size distribution, and potential biological effects.
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.