Microplastics can function as carriers in the environment, absorbing various toxins and spreading to diverse ecosystems. Toxins accumulated in microplastics have the potential to be re-released, posing a threat. In this study, two typical plastics, namely polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS), along with the degradable plastic Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), were subjected to a long-term ultraviolet alternating weathering experiment. The study investigated the variations in the weathering process and pollutant adsorption of microplastics of different particle sizes. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of microplastics for various pollutants was assessed. The findings indicate that particle size significantly influences weathering, leading to variations in adsorption capacity. The weathered PE displays a higher adsorption capacity for azo dyes. Additionally, the adsorption capacity of PBAT for neutral red is double that of antibiotics. Importantly, the maximum adsorption capacity of PBAT for pollutants after aging is approximately 10 times greater than that of PE. Consequently, degradable plastics undergoing weathering in the natural environment may pose a higher ecological risk than traditional plastics.

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长期加速风化模拟中典型微塑料的特性及吸附行为

微塑料可以作为环境中的载体，吸收各种毒素并扩散到不同的生态系统。微塑料中积累的毒素有可能重新释放，构成威胁。在这项研究中，两种典型的塑料，即聚乙烯（PE）和聚苯乙烯（PS），以及可降解塑料聚（己二酸-对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯）（PBAT），进行了长期的紫外线交替老化实验。该研究调查了不同粒径的微塑料的风化过程和污染物吸附的变化。此外，还评估了微塑料对各种污染物的吸附能力。研究结果表明，颗粒尺寸显着影响风化，导致吸附能力的变化。风化的PE对偶氮染料表现出更高的吸附能力。此外，PBAT对中性红的吸附能力是抗生素的两倍。重要的是，老化后PBAT对污染物的最大吸附能力约为PE的10倍。因此，可降解塑料在自然环境中经历风化可能比传统塑料带来更高的生态风险。