US EPA

4729980 

Journal Article 

The effect of polymer aging on the uptake of fuel aromatics and ethers by microplastics 

Müller, A; Becker, R; Dorgerloh, U; Simon, FG; Braun, U 

2018 

Yes 

Environmental Pollution
ISSN: 0269-7491
EISSN: 1873-6424 

240 

639-646 

English 

29772514 

10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.127 

WOS:000438322100070 

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85048536822&doi=10.1016%2fj.envpol.2018.04.127&partnerID=40&md5=18454ee6456951947a875e309a262673
Exit
 

Microplastics are increasingly entering marine, limnic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, where they sorb hydrophobic organic contaminants. Here, the sorption behavior of the fuel-related water contaminants benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) and four tertiary butyl ethers to virgin and via UV radiation aged polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) pellets was investigated. Changes in material properties due to aging were recorded using appropriate polymer characterization methods, such as differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and microscopy. Pellets were exposed to water containing BTEX and the ethers at 130-190 μg L-1 for up to two weeks. Aqueous sorbate concentrations were determined by headspace gas chromatography. Sorption to the polymers was correlated with the sorbate's Kow and was significant for BTEX and marginal for the ethers. Due to substantially lower glass transition temperatures, PP showed higher sorption than PS. Aging had no effect on the sorption behavior of PP. PS sorbed less BTEX after aging due to an oxidized surface layer.