首页|Photodegradation of biodegradable plastics in aquatic environments: Current understanding and challenges

Photodegradation of biodegradable plastics in aquatic environments: Current understanding and challenges

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  • Elsevier
Direct and indirect photolysis are important abiotic processes in aquatic environments through which plasticscan be transformed physically and chemically. Transport of biodegradable plastics in water is influenced byvertical mixing and turbulent flow, which make biodegradable plastics remain susceptible to sunlight andphotolysis despite their high density. In general, biodegradable plastics are composed of ester containingpolymers (e.g., poly(butylene succinate), polyhydroxyalkanoate, and polylactic acid), whereas nonbiodegradableplastics are composed of long chains of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons in their backbones (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene). Based on the reviewed knowledge and discussion, we mayhypothesize that 1) direct photolysis is more pronounced for non-biodegradation than for biodegradable plastics,2) smaller plastics such as micro/nano-plastics are more prone to photodegradation and photo-transformation bydirect and indirect photolysis, 3) the production rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface ofbiodegradable plastics is higher than that of non-biodegradable plastics, 4) the photodegradation of biodegradableplastics may be promoted by ROS produced from biodegradable plastics themselves, and 5) the subsequentreactions of ROS are more active on biodegradable plastics than non-biodegradable plastics. Moreover, micro/nanoplastics derived from biodegradable plastics serve as more effective carriers of organic pollutantsthan those from non-biodegradable plastics and thus biodegradable plastics may not necessarily be more ecofriendlythan non-biodegradable plastics. However, biodegradable plastics have been largely unexplored fromthe viewpoint of direct or indirect photolysis. Roles of reactive oxygen species originating from biodegradableplastics should be further explored for comprehensively understanding the photodegradation of biodegradableplastics.

AdditivesMicroplasticPhotodegradationPolymerReactive oxygen species

Vinhteang Kaing、Zhongyu Guo、Ty Sok、Dilini Kodikara、Florian Breider、Chihiro Yoshimura

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Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan||Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan

Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, Phnom Penh, Cambodia||Research and Innovation Center, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

EPFL – Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Central Environmental Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ENAC, station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne,Switzerland

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2024

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168539

Science of the Total Environment

Science of the Total Environment

EISCI
ISSN：0048-9697
年,卷(期)：2024.911(Feb.10)
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