Aging significantly increases the interaction between polystyrene nanoplastic and minerals. (1st July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yangyang; Luo, Yuanyuan; Yu, Xiaoqin; Huang, Daofen; Guo, Xuetao; Zhu, Lingyan
• Is Part Of: Water research. Volume 219(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-01
• Subjects: Polystyrene nanoplastic -- Ultraviolet aging -- Minerals -- Adsorption -- Electrostatic interaction; Water -- Pollution -- Research -- Periodicals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118544
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-1354

Abstract

Highlights: The preferential adsorption of aged PSNP on minerals followed the order of OFGs. The extent of adsorption was greater for UV-irradiated than pristine PSNP. There were adsorption behaviors between aged PSNP and clay minerals. Electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange dominate the adsorption process. Abstract: With the massive use and discarding of plastic products, plastic particles, including nanoplastics (NPs), which are continuously released under the action of environmental factors, are posing greater risk to the ecosystem and human health. NPs exposed to the environment experience aging, which can significantly change their physical and chemical properties and affect their environmental behavior. Here, we examined the adsorption behavior of polystyrene nanoplastic (PSNP) aging by ultraviolet (UV) exposure on different minerals (goethite, magnetite, kaolinite and montmorillonite). Aging not only changes the surface morphology of PSNP, but also increases the surface negative charge and produces a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs). Incubation of aged PSNP with minerals indicated that iron oxides (goethite and magnetite) showed stronger interactions with aged PSNP than pristine PSNP, and there was an interaction between clay minerals and aged PSNP. The adsorption experiments and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) suggested that the higher adsorption capacity of a mineral surface to aged PSNP may be related to electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra after adsorption showed that the adsorption affinity between the functional groups was different, and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) analysis further indicated that the mineral preferentially adsorbed the aged PSNP in accordance with the order of OFGs. The findings provide a theoretical basis for scientific evaluation of ecological risks of NPs in the environment. Graphical Abstract: Graphical Abstract Image, graphical abstract .