TY - JOUR
T1 - Weathering of microplastics and interaction with other coexisting constituents in terrestrial and aquatic environments
AU - Duan, Jiajun
AU - Bolan, Nanthi
AU - Li, Yang
AU - Ding, Shiyuan
AU - Atugoda, Thilakshani
AU - Vithanage, Meththika
AU - Sarkar, Binoy
AU - Tsang, Daniel C.W.
AU - Kirkham, M. B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 21677015 ), the Fund for Innovative Research Group of the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 51721093 ), the Hong Kong Research Grants Council ( E-PolyU503/17 ), and the United States Department of Agriculture (Hatch Fund 2000HA-08HA20 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/5/15
Y1 - 2021/5/15
N2 - Weathering of microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) in terrestrial and aquatic environments affects MP transport and distribution. This paper first summarizes the sources of MPs, including refuse in landfills, biowastes, plastic films, and wastewater discharge. Once MPs enter water and soil, they undergo different weathering processes. MPs can be converted into small molecules (e.g., oligomers and monomers), and may be completely mineralized under the action of free radicals or microorganisms. The rate and extent of weathering of MPs depend on their physicochemical properties and environmental conditions of the media to which they are exposed. In general, water dissipates heat better, and has a lower temperature, than land; thus, the weathering rate of MPs in the aquatic environment is slower than in the terrestrial environment. These weathering processes increase oxygen-containing functional groups and the specific surface area of MPs, which influence the sorption and aggregation that occur between weathered MPs and their co-existing constituents. More studies are needed to investigate the various weathering processes of diverse MPs under natural field conditions in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments, to understand the impact of weathered MPs in the environment.
AB - Weathering of microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) in terrestrial and aquatic environments affects MP transport and distribution. This paper first summarizes the sources of MPs, including refuse in landfills, biowastes, plastic films, and wastewater discharge. Once MPs enter water and soil, they undergo different weathering processes. MPs can be converted into small molecules (e.g., oligomers and monomers), and may be completely mineralized under the action of free radicals or microorganisms. The rate and extent of weathering of MPs depend on their physicochemical properties and environmental conditions of the media to which they are exposed. In general, water dissipates heat better, and has a lower temperature, than land; thus, the weathering rate of MPs in the aquatic environment is slower than in the terrestrial environment. These weathering processes increase oxygen-containing functional groups and the specific surface area of MPs, which influence the sorption and aggregation that occur between weathered MPs and their co-existing constituents. More studies are needed to investigate the various weathering processes of diverse MPs under natural field conditions in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments, to understand the impact of weathered MPs in the environment.
KW - Aggregation
KW - Aging
KW - Influence factors
KW - Microplastics
KW - Physicochemical property
KW - Sorption
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102585563&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117011
DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117011
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85102585563
SN - 0043-1354
VL - 196
JO - Water Research
JF - Water Research
M1 - 117011
ER -