| Title: | Assessment of the suitability and accuracy of different methods to determine the degree of photodegradation of high- and low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon and polystyrene microplastics |
|---|
| Authors: | ID Yeste, María Pilar (Author)
ID Bergaliyeva, Saltanat (Author)
ID Cauqui, Miguel Ángel (Author)
ID Cajaraville, Miren P. (Author)
ID Sendra, Marta (Author) |
|---|
| Files: |  URL - Source URL, visit https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8929/5/2/62
 PDF - Presentation file, download (12,70 MB)
MD5: D688074BD857945356ADE4127067A789
|
|---|
| Language: | English |
|---|
| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
|---|
| Organization: |  NIB - National Institute of Biology
|
|---|
| Abstract: | In an accelerated aging experiment involving a wide range of cumulative UV-B radiant exposures (up to approximately 9.46 × 103 J cm−2), the degradation state of microplastics was assessed using SEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and DSC, and correlated with the cumulative UV-B dose. Sunlight-induced photooxidation is a significant weathering mechanism for microplastics. In this study, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, and polystyrene (PS) were exposed to UV-B radiation under controlled dry conditions at two irradiance levels (0.06 and 0.6 mW cm−2), covering cumulative UV-B radiant exposures of up to approximately 9.47 × 103 J cm−2. Degradation was evaluated using SEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and DSC, and was related to the cumulative UV-B dose (H). The extent and progression of degradation varied significantly among the polymers. Overall, FTIR provided the most sensitive assessment of photooxidative surface changes for HDPE, LDPE, PP, and PS, Raman spectroscopy was most diagnostic for PVC (particularly for dechlorination-related changes), and DSC-derived crystallinity was most informative for nylon. These dose-resolved datasets establish a reproducible reference framework (“degradation library”) to facilitate the comparative assessment of the relative photooxidative aging stage of microplastics under comparable surface UV-driven conditions. Outdoor “sunlight-equivalent” times are reported solely as order-of-magnitude contextualization due to environmental variability. |
|---|
| Keywords: | microplastic, UV irradiation, degradation, SEM, FTIR, Raman, DSC |
|---|
| Publication status: | Published |
|---|
| Publication version: | Version of Record |
|---|
| Publication date: | 01.04.2026 |
|---|
| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
|---|
| Number of pages: | str. 1-23 |
|---|
| Numbering: | Vol. 5, [article no.] 62 |
|---|
| PID: | 20.500.12556/DiRROS-30003  |
|---|
| UDC: | 504.5 |
|---|
| ISSN on article: | 2673-8929 |
|---|
| DOI: | 10.3390/microplastics5020062 |
|---|
| COBISS.SI-ID: | 279496451 |
|---|
| Note: | Nasl. z nasl. zaslona;
Soavtorji: Saltanat Bergaliyeva, Miguel Ángel Cauqui, Miren P. Cajaraville, Marta Sendra;
Opis vira z dne 27. 5. 2026;
|
|---|
| Publication date in DiRROS: | 11.06.2026 |
|---|
| Views: | 65 |
|---|
| Downloads: | 52 |
|---|
| Metadata: |    |
|---|
|
:
|
Copy citation |
|---|
| | | | Share: |  |
|---|
Hover the mouse pointer over a document title to show the abstract or click
on the title to get all document metadata. |
