Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pod Patankou 30/5, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pod Patankou 30/5, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Nov 1;949:174913. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174913. Epub 2024 Jul 26.
Currently, the environmental problems associated with plastic production and waste, such as the consequences of worldwide pollution of natural waters with microplastics, have led to the seeking of alternative materials that can at least partially replace conventional petroleum-based plastics. Substitute materials include bioplastics and similar plant-based materials or their composites. However, their fate when disposed of in unintended environments (e.g., water bodies) remains largely unknown, while such information is highly desirable prior to massive expansion of exploiting such materials. This study aims to contribute filling this knowledge gap. Specifically, 19 different types of bioplastic and similar plant-based material debris (corresponding to the size of microplastics) were kept in long-term contact with water to mimic their behaviour as water pollutants, and the leachates were continuously analysed. Eighteen of the 19 investigated materials released significant amounts of dissolved organic carbon-up to 34.0 mg per g of debris after 12 weeks of leaching. Each leachate also contained one or more of the following elements: Al, B, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, P, Si, Ti, and Zn. Non-targeted analysis aimed at providing more specific insight into the leachate composition tentatively revealed 91 individual chemicals, mostly fatty acids and other carboxylic acids, phthalates, terephthalates, adipates, phenols, amides, alcohols, or organophosphates. Based on the compound characteristics, they might be additives, non-intentionally added substances, as well as their degradation products. In general, the current results imply that bioplastics and similar plant-based materials should be considered complex materials that undergo industrial processing and comprise additives rather than harmless natural matter. Additionally, various compounds can release from the bioplastic and similar plant-based material debris when deposited in water. It might have consequences on the fluxes of carbon, metals and specific organic contaminants, and it resembles some properties of conventional petroleum-based microplastics.
目前，与塑料生产和废物相关的环境问题，例如微塑料对全球天然水域的污染后果，已导致人们寻求替代材料，这些材料至少可以部分替代传统的基于石油的塑料。替代材料包括生物塑料和类似的植物基材料或它们的复合材料。然而，当它们被丢弃在非预期环境（例如水体）中时，其命运在很大程度上仍然未知，而在大规模开发利用这些材料之前，这种信息是非常需要的。本研究旨在填补这一知识空白。具体而言，将 19 种不同类型的生物塑料和类似的植物基材料碎片（与微塑料的大小相对应）长期置于水中，以模拟它们作为水污染的行为，并持续分析浸出液。在所研究的 19 种材料中的 18 种释放了大量的溶解有机碳——在浸出 12 周后，每克碎片的浸出液中释放了高达 34.0 毫克的溶解有机碳。每种浸出液还含有一种或多种以下元素：Al、B、Ba、Ca、Fe、K、Mg、Mn、N、Na、P、Si、Ti 和 Zn。非靶向分析旨在更具体地了解浸出液的成分，初步揭示了 91 种单独的化学物质，主要是脂肪酸和其他羧酸、邻苯二甲酸酯、对苯二甲酸酯、己二酸酯、苯酚、酰胺、醇或有机磷酸酯。根据化合物的特性，它们可能是添加剂、非有意添加物质以及它们的降解产物。一般来说，目前的结果意味着生物塑料和类似的植物基材料应被视为经过工业加工的复杂材料，包含添加剂而不是无害的天然物质。此外，当生物塑料和类似的植物基材料碎片沉积在水中时，各种化合物可能会从其中释放出来。这可能会对碳、金属和特定有机污染物的通量产生影响，并且与传统的基于石油的微塑料具有一些相似的特性。
