After the sun: a nanoscale comparison of the surface chemical composition of UV and soil weathered plastics
Open accessAbstract
Once emitted into the environment, macro- (MaP), micro- (MP) and nanoplastics (NP) are exposed to environmental weathering. Yet, the effects of biogeochemical weathering factors occurring in the soil environment are unknown. As the transport, fate, and toxicity of MP and NP depend directly on their surface properties, it is crucial to characterize their transformation in soils to better predict their impact and interactions in this environment. Here, we used scanning transmission x-ray micro spectroscopy to characterize depth profiles of the surface alteration of environmental plastic debris retrieved from soil samples. Controlled weathering experiments in soil and with UV radiation were also performed to investigate the individual effect of these weathering factors on polymer surface alteration. The results revealed a weathered surface on a depth varying between 1 µm and 100 nm in PS, PET and PP environmental plastic fragments naturally weathered in soil. Moreover, the initial step of surface fragmentation was observed on a PS fragment, providing an insight on the factors and processes leading to the release of MP and NP in soils. The comparison of environmental, soil incubated (for 1 year) and UV weathered samples showed that the treatments led to different surface chemical modifications. While the environmental samples showed evidence of alteration involving oxidation processes, the UV weathered samples did not reveal oxidation signs at the surface but only decrease in peak intensities (indicating decrease of the number of chemical C bonds). After a one-year incubation of samples in soil no clear aging effects were observed, indicating that the aging of polymers can be slow in soils. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43591-023-00066-2.
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The oxidation of plastic fragments is limited to a surface layer of less than 1 μm in thickness.
“The oxidation of plastic fragments is limited to a surface layer of less than 1 µm in thickness [129].”
From Environmental consequences of interacting effects of changes in stratospheric ozone, ultraviolet radiation, and climate: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2024 (2025) · cites this paper as [129]
The Abstract and Conclusions report surface alteration involving oxidation in plastic fragments naturally weathered in soil, generally within a 100 nm–1 µm layer. But the Results & discussion report spatial variation, including a PS surface layer reaching 1000 nm and altered material at 800–1100 nm depth. The paper therefore supports shallow surface oxidation in the studied fragments, not a strict limit of less than 1 µm for plastic fragments generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Foetisch, A., Filella, M., Watts, B., Bragoni, M., & Bigalke, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Bern (CH)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
- Technische Universität Darmstadt (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Bigalke, Moritz
- Venue
- Microplastics and Nanoplastics
- Published
- 2023-08-03
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 18-18
- ISSN
- 2662-4966 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10400702
- OpenAlex
- W4385557351
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 1.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Microplastics and Nanoplastics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DORA PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- TUbilio (Technical University of Darmstadt) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- TUbilio (Technical University of Darmstadt) (submittedVersion)
- Technischen Universität Darmstadt (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Technischen Universität Darmstadt (cc-by)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (200021_182672/1)
- Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
- Keywords
- plastic weathering, soil weathering, UV weathering, nanoplastics, microplastics, surface oxidation, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, plastic debris, surface fragmentation, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy
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