Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
Radiation Safety Systems Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2022;57(7):575-583. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2022.2085984. Epub 2022 Jun 8.
Microplastics act as a potential vector for a wide range of contaminants, which have emerged as a major environmental hazard in the modern world. Considering the seriousness of the problem, a simulated laboratory and field experiment were conducted to study the weathering of pristine microplastics following long-term exposure to natural background radiation and the marine environment after being disposed of in the open environment. For the study, polyethylene-originating (HDPE and LDPE) microplastics were chosen. The study revealed that radiation exposure causes surface roughness and cracks, leading to an increased surface area, which can invite a wide spectrum of pollutants to sorb on their surface. Furthermore, we report that the radiation-induced morphological changes favor microbial colonization on the microplastic surface when exposed to the marine environment. The growth of biofilms on the surface of microplastics reduces their hydrophobicity, which may attract a wide variety of polar contaminants. The study led to an interesting finding: that the HDPE microplastic surface is more conducive for biofilm growth in comparison to the LDPE surface.
微塑料可以作为各种污染物的潜在载体，这些污染物已成为现代世界的主要环境危害。考虑到问题的严重性，我们进行了模拟实验室和野外实验，以研究在自然背景辐射下长期暴露以及在开放环境中丢弃后原始微塑料的风化情况。在这项研究中，我们选择了源自聚乙烯的（HDPE 和 LDPE）微塑料。研究表明，辐射暴露会导致表面粗糙度和裂缝，从而增加表面积，这可能会吸引广泛的污染物吸附在其表面上。此外，我们报告称，当暴露于海洋环境时，辐射诱导的形态变化有利于微生物在微塑料表面的定殖。生物膜在微塑料表面的生长会降低其疏水性，这可能会吸引各种极性污染物。研究还得出了一个有趣的发现：与 LDPE 表面相比，HDPE 微塑料表面更有利于生物膜的生长。
