TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding plastic degradation and microplastic formation in the environment
T2 - A review
AU - Zhang, Kai
AU - Hamidian, Amir Hossein
AU - Tubić, Aleksandra
AU - Zhang, Yu
AU - Fang, James K.H.
AU - Wu, Chenxi
AU - Lam, Paul K.S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - Plastic waste are introduced into the environment inevitably and their exposure in the environment causes deterioration in mechanical and physicochemical properties and leads to the formation of plastic fragments, which are considered as microplastics when their size is < 5 mm. In recent years, microplastic pollution has been reported in all kinds of environments worldwide and is considered a potential threat to the health of ecosystems and humans. However, knowledge on the environmental degradation of plastics and the formation of microplastics is still limited. In this review, potential hotspots for the accumulation of plastic waste were identified, major mechanisms and characterization methods of plastic degradation were summarized, and studies on the environmental degradation of plastics were evaluated. Future research works should further identify the key environmental parameters and properties of plastics affecting the degradation in order to predict the fate of plastics in different environments and facilitate the development of technologies for reducing plastic pollution. Formation and degradation of microplastics, including nanoplastics, should receive more research attention to assess their fate and ecological risks in the environment more comprehensively. Degradation of plastics and formation of microplastics in the environment should be better understood to assess their fate and risks more comprehensively.
AB - Plastic waste are introduced into the environment inevitably and their exposure in the environment causes deterioration in mechanical and physicochemical properties and leads to the formation of plastic fragments, which are considered as microplastics when their size is < 5 mm. In recent years, microplastic pollution has been reported in all kinds of environments worldwide and is considered a potential threat to the health of ecosystems and humans. However, knowledge on the environmental degradation of plastics and the formation of microplastics is still limited. In this review, potential hotspots for the accumulation of plastic waste were identified, major mechanisms and characterization methods of plastic degradation were summarized, and studies on the environmental degradation of plastics were evaluated. Future research works should further identify the key environmental parameters and properties of plastics affecting the degradation in order to predict the fate of plastics in different environments and facilitate the development of technologies for reducing plastic pollution. Formation and degradation of microplastics, including nanoplastics, should receive more research attention to assess their fate and ecological risks in the environment more comprehensively. Degradation of plastics and formation of microplastics in the environment should be better understood to assess their fate and risks more comprehensively.
KW - Characterization
KW - Degradation mechanisms
KW - Fate
KW - Hotspots
KW - Plastics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100223850&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116554
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116554
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33529891
AN - SCOPUS:85100223850
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 274
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
M1 - 116554
ER -