Zhenggui Wu , Yanan Li , Hongmei Chen , Xinyi Dong , Qingfei Duan , Xudong Hao , Long Yu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The environmental concerns of microplastics (MPs) have attracted increasing attention due to their potential harm to human health. However, most of the MPs used in previous studies are from virgin materials through artificial granulation, as it is almost impossible to collect the natural MPs from nature and accurately identify their sources or ages. It is anticipated that the MPs after UV aging possess some major distinct characteristics similar as aged in nature, including variations in molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, surface chemicals. This study systematically investigated both virgin and UV aged samples derived from the most prevalent sources, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polystyrene (PS), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), focusing on the effects of the artificial digestion system on the MPs. Additionally, the study evaluated the impact of these MPs on health by examining their effects on probiotics within the digestive system. The results demonstrate that both the effect of digestion treatment MPs and the impact of MPs on intestinal microbiota are significantly different between virgin and aged MPs. While digestion processes were ineffective in degrading virgin MPs, primarily due to their chemical inertness, the surface changes in MPs were more pronounced after UV aging, though they remained largely unaffected by digestion. The surface chemical changes were significant during aging but not during digestion. On the other hand, certain MPs, particularly PVC, may disrupt the balance of intestinal microbiota, especially from aged samples.
期刊介绍：
Polymer Degradation and Stability deals with the degradation reactions and their control which are a major preoccupation of practitioners of the many and diverse aspects of modern polymer technology.
Deteriorative reactions occur during processing, when polymers are subjected to heat, oxygen and mechanical stress, and during the useful life of the materials when oxygen and sunlight are the most important degradative agencies. In more specialised applications, degradation may be induced by high energy radiation, ozone, atmospheric pollutants, mechanical stress, biological action, hydrolysis and many other influences. The mechanisms of these reactions and stabilisation processes must be understood if the technology and application of polymers are to continue to advance. The reporting of investigations of this kind is therefore a major function of this journal.
However there are also new developments in polymer technology in which degradation processes find positive applications. For example, photodegradable plastics are now available, the recycling of polymeric products will become increasingly important, degradation and combustion studies are involved in the definition of the fire hazards which are associated with polymeric materials and the microelectronics industry is vitally dependent upon polymer degradation in the manufacture of its circuitry. Polymer properties may also be improved by processes like curing and grafting, the chemistry of which can be closely related to that which causes physical deterioration in other circumstances.
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