In this study, five quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models were developed for predicting the microplastic/water partition coefficients (log Kd) of organics between polyethylene/seawater, polyethylene/freshwater, polyethylene/pure water, polypropylene/seawater, and polystyrene/seawater. All the QSPR models show good fitting ability (R2 = 0.811–0.939), predictive ability (Q2ext = 0.835–0.910, RMSEext = 0.369–0.752), and robustness (Qcv2 = 0.882–0.957). They can be used to predict the Kd values of organic pollutants (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorobenzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, antibiotics perfluorinated compounds, etc.) under different pH conditions. The hydrophobic interaction has been indicated as an important mechanism for the adsorption of organic pollutants to microplastics. In sea waters, the role of hydrogen bond interaction in adsorption is considerable. For polystyrene, π–π interaction contributes to the partitioning. The developed models can be used to quickly estimate the adsorption capacity of organic pollutants on microplastics in different types of water, providing necessary information for ecological risk studies of microplastics.
This paper characterizes the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate) throughout a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relates them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structures were related[…]
This paper provides insights into the sustainable alternatives that can replace conventional plastic mulches, such as biodegradable mulches made from natural fibers and biopolymers. The microscopic and FTIR analyses conducted during the study showed the degradation of the fibers from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The nonwoven mulches provide higher[…]
This paper investigates the degradation of biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) and traditional polyethylene (PE) plastic under two typical abiotic conditions: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and mechanical abrasion (MA) for up to nine months. The quantitative analysis of the degradation products was carried out using membrane filtration and total organic carbon determination (MF-TOCD). The results[…]
This paper identifies technological innovation, policy formulation, advocacy and sensitization, and bioremediation as some of the approaches that are currently used for the mitigation of plastic pollution in Nigeria. This chapter also highlights the need to encourage, enhance, and disseminate scientific research on mitigating the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Nigeria. It concluded with[…]
This review provides insights into the sources of microplastics, the ecotoxicity of microplastics, and the impact microplastics have on aquatic and marine life, management, and bioremediation of microplastics. Policies and strategies adopted by the government to combat microplastic pollution are also discussed in this review. Microplastics tend to accumulate in many aquatic systems, contaminate them,[…]