Effect of weathering on environmental behavior of microplastics: properties, sorption and potential risks
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution is a raising global concern in recent years due to its wide distribution. Additionally, most of the MPs have undergone extensive weathering in the environment, and weathered MPs may exhibit different physicochemical properties from pristine ones. The review reveals the change in physicochemical properties (e.g. size, color, crystallinity, mechanical property and oxygen-containing groups) and the release of additives and MP-derived intermediates (i.e. oligomers and oxygenated compounds) during weathering processes. Weathering further affects the sorption behavior of MPs for environmental pollutants because of the changed crystallinity, specific surface area and oxygen functional groups. The interaction mechanisms of pristine and weathered MPs with pollutants are summarized, and how weathering processes affect sorption behavior is critically revealed. Because of the changed size, color and surface charges, weathered MPs might be ingested by aquatic organisms in different ways from the pristine ones. The detailed effects of weathering on the ingestion of MPs are discussed, and the potential toxicity of leachates from weathering processes is evaluated. In addition, the environmental components (e.g. natural organic matter and salinity) and biofilm correlated to the sorption behavior of MPs are reviewed. As for the knowledge gap, further studies should focus on the long-term weathering of MPs and the relationships between weathering properties and sorpt…
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Weathering of microplastics retained in GSI media can decrease their hydrophobic properties and alter their surface charge.
“weathering of microplastics retained in GSI media can decrease their hydrophobic properties and alter their surface charge (Liu et al., 2020)”
From Review of emerging contaminants in green stormwater infrastructure: antibiotic resistance genes, microplastics, tire wear particles, PFAS, and temperature (2024) · cites this paper as Liu et al., 2020
Environmental exposure to UV radiation, biodegradation, chemical oxidation, and physical abrasion can lead to changes in microplastic physicochemical properties that affect their sorption behavior.
“environmental exposure to UV radiation, biodegradation, chemical oxidation, and physical abrasion could lead to changes in physiochemical properties that affect the sorption behavior or micro plastics (Jahnke et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2020)”
From Review of emerging contaminants in green stormwater infrastructure: antibiotic resistance genes, microplastics, tire wear particles, PFAS, and temperature (2024) · cites this paper as Liu et al., 2020
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- Authors
- Liu, P., Zhan, X., Wu, X., Li, J., Wang, H., & Gao, S.
- ORCID
- Gao, Shixiang
- Venue
- Chemosphere
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-03
- Volume
- 242
- Pages
- 125193
- ISSN
- 0045-6535
- Cited by
- 756
- References
- 11
- Language
- en
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
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