Microplastics – Role of Sunlight in Modification of Physicochemical Properties Studied

The abstract of an August 31, 2022 ACS Environmental AU article https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00036 by researchers with Louisiana State University report that “… Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, leading to a new form of plastic pollution crisis, which has reached an alarming level worldwide. Micron and nanoscale plastics may get integrated into ecological cycles with detrimental effects on various ecosystems … Through simulated weathering experiments, we delineate the role of sunlight in modifying the physicochemical properties of microplastics. Within 10 days of accelerated weathering, microplastics become dramatically more dispersible in the water column and can more than double the surface uptake of common chemical pollutants, such as malachite green and lead ions. The study provides the basis for identifying the elusive link between the surface properties of microplastics and their fate in the environment …” #MicroPlastics #PlasticWaste #SingleUsePlastic @LSU