Microplastics undergo physical abrasion and chemical weathering processes in the environment, which reduce the size and change the surface properties of microplastics. For example, UV light oxidizes the surface of the microplastics, resulting in the changes of a functional group on the surface. As a result, the surface properties may change from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, and the adsorption probability of heavy metals may increase. The characterization of the surface properties caused by the weathering and oxidation process plays an essential role in evaluating the environmental impact of microplastics.<br/>We investigate the effect of weathering and oxidation of microplastic on cytotoxicity. Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were used to evaluate the surface properties of microplastics as a function of UV exposure time. After irradiation with UV light for a long time, we observed the carbonyl groups on the microplastic surface. We investigated the cytotoxicity of microplastic using the A549 cell line. We found that the cytotoxicity was increased as the concentration of microplastics increased. In particular, UV treatment caused more significant cytotoxicity than non-exposed microplastics. The results informed that the weathering and oxidation process in the environment might enhance the toxicity level of microplastics.

Effects of the weathered microplastics on the cytotoxicity

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ACS Fall 2022

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