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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Study on the photo-aging process and mechanism of polystyrene microplastics under different salinities mediated by humic acid
ClearHigh salinity promotes the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics with humic acid in seawater
Researchers found that high salinity seawater significantly accelerates the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics in the presence of humic acid, producing more hydroxyl radicals that promote fragmentation and oxidation of the plastic particles.
Dissolved Organic Matter Promotes the Aging Process of Polystyrene Microplastics under Dark and Ultraviolet Light Conditions: The Crucial Role of Reactive Oxygen Species
Researchers found that dissolved organic matter commonly present in natural water environments accelerates the aging and degradation of polystyrene microplastics under both dark and ultraviolet light conditions. The study identified reactive oxygen species as the crucial driver of this aging process, with fulvic acid showing a stronger effect than humic acid due to its greater ability to generate semiquinone radicals.
Exploring the mechanisms of humic acid mediated degradation of polystyrene microplastics under ultraviolet light conditions
Humic acid in water promoted the photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics under UV light by generating higher levels of hydroxyl radicals (0.631 mM), resulting in 4.3% greater weight loss, smaller average particle size (89.5 microns), and more oxygen-containing products compared to UV alone.
Combined effects of photoaging and natural organic matter on the colloidal stability of nanoplastics in aquatic environments
Researchers found that photoaging of polystyrene nanoplastics alters how natural organic matter interacts with their surfaces — reducing humic acid adsorption while increasing protein adsorption — with downstream effects on the nanoplastics' stability and transport in aquatic environments.
Inorganic anions influenced the photoaging kinetics and mechanism of polystyrene microplastic under the simulated sunlight: Role of reactive radical species
Researchers found that common inorganic anions in natural water significantly influence the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics under sunlight, with nitrate and bicarbonate accelerating degradation while chloride and bromide had varying effects on aging mechanisms.
Reactive species-mediated stepwise photoaging mechanisms of microplastics transferred from freshwater to seawater
This study revealed a two-stage photoaging mechanism for polystyrene microplastics as they move from freshwater to saltwater: reactive oxygen species drive degradation in freshwater, then reactive chloride species take over in seawater, together causing 43% more polymer chain breakage than freshwater aging alone. The finding is significant because it means microplastics that travel from rivers to the ocean degrade faster and more extensively than lab studies conducted in a single water type would predict, potentially releasing more chemical additives and forming more nanoplastics.
Effect of pH and salinity on the release of polystyrene microplastics derived dissolved organic matter as revealed by experimental studies and molecular dynamic simulations
Researchers studied how pH and salinity affect the release of dissolved organic matter from polystyrene microplastics as they age in water. They found that higher pH and salinity accelerate the aging of microplastics and increase the release of potentially harmful dissolved substances. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed these findings, offering important insights into how microplastics behave and release chemicals in different aquatic environments.
Understanding microplastic aging driven by photosensitization of algal extracellular polymeric substances
Researchers found that substances released by algae significantly speed up the breakdown of polystyrene microplastics under sunlight. The algal compounds generate reactive molecules that attack the plastic surface, creating smaller fragments and releasing dissolved organic matter. The findings are particularly relevant for understanding how microplastics degrade in waterways affected by algal blooms.
Aging mechanism of microplastics with UV irradiation and its effects on the adsorption of heavy metals
Researchers aged polystyrene microplastics using UV irradiation under three conditions (air, pure water, seawater) and found that aging changed surface chemistry and increased the microplastics' capacity to adsorb heavy metals, with seawater aging producing the most pronounced surface oxidation.
Insights into the Photoaging Behavior of Microplastics: Environmental Fate and Ecological Risk
This review examines how sunlight ages microplastics in the environment, breaking them into smaller pieces and changing their surface chemistry in ways that make them more toxic and more likely to carry other pollutants. Sun-aged microplastics release dissolved organic matter that can harm aquatic life, and their roughened surfaces attract more bacteria and chemical contaminants. Since most microplastics in nature have been exposed to sunlight, their real-world health risks may be higher than studies using fresh lab plastics suggest.
Influence of UV exposure time and simulated marine environment on different microplastic degradation
Researchers examined how UV radiation and saltwater conditions affect the degradation of polypropylene, polystyrene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate microplastics. The study found that each polymer type responded differently to photodegradation, with changes in surface properties, crystallinity, and chemical bond formation varying by material. Evidence indicates that saline marine conditions can intensify certain degradation processes, suggesting that multiple environmental factors must be considered when assessing microplastic breakdown.
Increased bio-toxicity of leachates from polyvinyl chloride microplastics during the photo-aging process in the presence of dissolved organic matter
Researchers investigated how photo-aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastics is affected by the presence of dissolved organic matter in surface waters. They found that humic acid, a common component of dissolved organic matter, enhanced the degradation of PVC microplastics under light exposure and significantly increased the toxicity of the resulting chemical leachates. The study highlights the importance of considering dissolved organic matter when assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution in natural waters.
Photochemical transformation of microplastics-derived dissolved organic matter altered the photoaging of microplastics
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from different microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and biodegradable PBAT) affects the aging of polystyrene microplastics under UV irradiation, finding that PBAT-derived organic matter most strongly accelerated plastic photoaging.
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.
Revealing the effect of humic substance compounds on the aged characteristics and release compounds profiles from photodegradation of polyethylene microplastics
This study investigated how humic substances (humic acid and fulvic acid) — natural organic compounds abundant in water and soil — affect how polyethylene microplastics degrade under UV light and what chemical by-products are released. Humic acid accelerated degradation more than fulvic acid, producing a wider range of oxidised breakdown compounds and releasing siloxane additives from the plastic. The findings matter because microplastics in real environments are always exposed to natural organic matter, which can substantially change both how fast they degrade and what toxic compounds they release.
Photoaging mechanisms of microplastics mediated by dissolved organic matter in an iron-rich aquatic environment
Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter and iron mediate the photoaging of PVC and PET microplastics, finding that humic acid and iron accelerate surface degradation and alter the environmental behavior and risks of aged microplastics.
Hydrophilic Fraction of Dissolved Organic Matter Largely Facilitated Microplastics Photoaging: Insights from Redox Properties and Reactive Oxygen Species
This study investigated how dissolved organic matter in natural water affects the breakdown of microplastics by sunlight. The water-soluble fraction of organic matter was most effective at speeding up microplastic aging by generating reactive oxygen species that attack the plastic surface. This matters because faster breakdown of microplastics in the environment creates smaller, potentially more dangerous nanoplastic particles that can more easily enter living organisms.
Releasing characteristics of toxic chemicals from polystyrene microplastics in the aqueous environment during photoaging process
This study revealed that as polystyrene microplastics age under UV light, they release a growing number of toxic chemicals including organic compounds and heavy metals into surrounding water. The rate of chemical release increased dramatically with aging time, meaning that weathered microplastics in the environment are more chemically hazardous than fresh ones, with implications for water quality and human exposure.
Molecular characteristics and plastic additives in dissolved organic matter derived from polystyrene microplastics: Effects of cumulative irradiation and microplastic concentrations
This study investigated how ultraviolet light breaks down polystyrene microplastics and releases dissolved organic matter, including plastic additives, into the surrounding water. Greater UV exposure produced more complex chemical mixtures with higher levels of potentially toxic compounds. The findings are important because sunlight-driven breakdown of microplastics in the environment may release harmful chemicals into water sources that people use for drinking and recreation.
Interactions between polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) and humic acid influenced by aging of MPs
Researchers examined how aging affects polypropylene microplastic interactions with humic acid, finding that aged microplastics with increased surface oxygen groups showed stronger adsorption of humic acid compared to pristine particles, altering their environmental behavior.
Insight into interactions of polystyrene microplastics with different types and compositions of dissolved organic matter
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with different types of dissolved organic matter, finding that fulvic acid and humic acid adsorb onto microplastics through distinct mechanisms, which influences microplastic transport and transformation in the environment.
Probing the molecular interaction between photoaged polystyrene microplastics and fulvic acid
Researchers investigated how photoaged polystyrene microplastics interact with fulvic acid, a common natural organic compound found in water environments. Using advanced spectroscopy techniques, they found that aging changed the surface chemistry of the microplastics and altered how they bind to fulvic acid at the molecular level. The study suggests that weathering processes in the environment may significantly change how microplastics interact with and transport other dissolved substances in water.
Wastewater preinteraction accelerates the photoaging of disposable box-derived polystyrene microplastics in water
Researchers found that pre-exposure of polystyrene microplastics to real wastewater significantly accelerated their subsequent photoaging under UV light — doubling oxidation rates — with fulvic acid identified as the primary wastewater constituent driving this enhancement.
New Insights into the Mechanisms of Toxicity of Aging Microplastics
This study showed that UV-aged polypropylene microplastics are significantly more toxic than fresh ones, absorbing more chemicals and generating more harmful reactive oxygen species in seawater. The aged particles caused greater damage to cell membranes in mussels compared to pristine plastics. Since most microplastics in the ocean have been weathered by sunlight, real-world exposure risks may be higher than laboratory studies using new plastics suggest.