Li Chaoran, Zhou Zhonglai, Meng Xinran, Li Junheng, Chen Hongyi, Yu Tianle, Xu Min
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Ocean-Land Environmental Change and Ecological Construction, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Toxics. 2025 May 24;13(6):429. doi: 10.3390/toxics13060429.
With the widespread use of plastic products globally, the issue of microplastics as environmental pollutants has become increasingly severe. Due to their small size, large surface area, and hydrophobic properties, microplastics are capable of adsorbing various pollutants, particularly radionuclides, which, in turn, can impact the stability of ecosystems. This laboratory study investigates the adsorption capacity of microplastics (PVC) for radionuclides (Ra-226, Cs-137, and K-40) under controlled conditions, examining the effects of spatial distribution and particle size. The laboratory experiment results indicate that the adsorption of Ra-226 by microplastics was significantly higher in the bottom water compared to the surface layer, with concentrations of 13.29 mBq/kg on microplastics mixed with the bottom water and 1.65 mBq/kg in the surface layer. The concentration of Cs-137 on microplastics mixed with the bottom water was 6.99 mBq/kg, while on microplastics mixed with the surface water, the concentration was 1.31 mBq/kg. In contrast, the adsorption of K-40 was lower, with concentrations of 2.1 mBq/kg and 0.35 mBq/kg on microplastics mixed with the bottom and surface water, respectively. Furthermore, microplastics with smaller particle sizes exhibited stronger adsorption capacities. The adsorption concentrations of Ra-226 and Cs-137 by 50 µm microplastics were 13.29 mBq/kg and 6.99 mBq/kg, respectively, while the concentrations for 100 µm and 150 µm particles decreased to 3.14 mBq/kg and 1.39 mBq/kg, and 2.2 mBq/kg and 0.35 mBq/kg, respectively. These findings suggest that the adsorption capacity of microplastics is significantly influenced by particle size and sediment depth, highlighting the potential risk of exacerbating the spread of radioactive pollutants in marine ecosystems.
随着塑料制品在全球范围内的广泛使用，微塑料作为环境污染物的问题日益严峻。由于微塑料尺寸小、表面积大且具有疏水性，它们能够吸附各种污染物，尤其是放射性核素，进而可能影响生态系统的稳定性。本实验室研究在可控条件下调查了微塑料（聚氯乙烯）对放射性核素（镭 - 226、铯 - 137 和钾 - 40）的吸附能力，研究了空间分布和粒径的影响。实验室实验结果表明，与表层水相比，微塑料对镭 - 226 的吸附在底层水中显著更高，与底层水混合的微塑料上的浓度为 13.29 毫贝克勒尔/千克，表层水中为 1.65 毫贝克勒尔/千克。与底层水混合的微塑料上铯 - 137 的浓度为 6.99 毫贝克勒尔/千克，而与表层水混合的微塑料上的浓度为 1.31 毫贝克勒尔/千克。相比之下，钾 - 40 的吸附较低，与底层水和表层水混合的微塑料上的浓度分别为 2.1 毫贝克勒尔/千克和 0.35 毫贝克勒尔/千克。此外，粒径较小的微塑料表现出更强的吸附能力。50 微米的微塑料对镭 - 226 和铯 - 137 的吸附浓度分别为 13.29 毫贝克勒尔/千克和 6.99 毫贝克勒尔/千克，而 100 微米和 150 微米颗粒的浓度分别降至 3.14 毫贝克勒尔/千克和 1.39 毫贝克勒尔/千克，以及 2.2 毫贝克勒尔/千克和 0.35 毫贝克勒尔/千克。这些发现表明，微塑料的吸附能力受粒径和沉积物深度的显著影响，突出了加剧海洋生态系统中放射性污染物扩散的潜在风险。
