Biofouling and stability of synthetic polymers in sea water

Artham, Trishul; Sudhakar, M.; Venkatesan, R.; Nair, C. Madhavan; Murty, K. V. G. K.; Doble, Mukesh

doi:10.1016/j.ibiod.2009.03.003

Cited by 237 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Increasing ratios of oxidized to non-oxidized carbon, associated with surface oxidation of polymers exposed to natural sunlight, can be related to polymer chain scission reactions, leading to polymer deterioration (Stark and Matuana, 2004). An increase in carbonyl index followed by a decrease was considered as an indication of biodegradation by Artham et al (2009) which was verified by a weight loss of 1.6% for HDPE (1.9% for LDPE) after 12 months.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weight loss of almost 40% has been observed in plastics buried in soil (Accinelli et al, 2012), while Müller et al (2012) estimated degradation rates between 3 and 9% for biodegradable bags in simulated sea turtle gastrointestinal conditions. Microorganisms have also been used for the biodegradation of weathered plastics (Shah et al, 2008), including polyethylene (Artham et al, 2009;Restrepo-Flórez et al, 2014;Kumar Sen and Raut, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms

et al. 2017

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The fragmentation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) films from single-use supermarket plastic bags to microplastics under laboratory-simulated onshore and nearshore conditions was investigated for a period of 6 months. The weathering process of the plastic strips either on beach sand or in seawater under direct natural sunlight was monitored by tensile strength, molecular weight measurements, FTIR, weight loss, and image processing of photographs of the plastic strips before and after mild mechanical stress was applied. The latter represents a novel method proposed for determining the onset of fragmentation through the application of mild mechanical stress on the weathered plastic samples emulating the action of sand and wind on a beach. It was found that 12 h of application of mild mechanical stress in rotating glass bottles filled partially with sand was sufficient time to reach the maximum degree of fragmentation that could occur for the weathered plastics samples being tested. For example, applied mechanical stress yielded an area loss of almost 14% for samples weathered for a period of 5 months and about 16.7% after 5.5 months. While tensile strength tests and molecular weight measurements were rather inconclusive till the very last month when the onset of fragmentation was identified; FTIR measurements revealed that samples under ultraviolet irradiation were gradually modified chemically until fragmentation commenced. After 6 months of weathering, molecular weight measurements showed a 60% reduction for sample SMB-1 whereas for sample SMB-2 the measurement was not possible due to extensive fragmentation. The onset of fragmentation for SMB-1 and SMB-2 samples occurred at a cumulative luminance of 5.3 × 10 6 lux•d and in the presence of atmospheric oxygen whereby the polymer films broke down partially to microplastics. When the UV exposure reached 7.2 × 10 6 lux•d the weathered plastic strips broke down fully to microplastics with the application of a mild mechanical stress. Samples placed in seawater proved to be resistant to fragmentation compared to those on sand over the 6-month period of the weathering experiment. The direct implication of this work is that beached macroplastic debris should be regularly collected from the seashore before they are weathered by sunlight and returned to the sea as microplastics by the action of high waves or strong winds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms

et al. 2017

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“…fouling and degradation) can alter the structure of the plastic debris (e.g. increasing their surface area and/or charge; Artham et al 2009;Holmes et al 2012Holmes et al , 2014, changing the way of how chemicals accumulate on the material.…”

Section: Process Of Accumulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the marine environment, the surface properties of the plastic debris consistently change. As plastic debris weathers it gains surface area, generates oxygen groups (increasing polarity; Mato et al 2001;Fotopoulou and Karapanagioti 2012) and fouls (increasing their charge, roughness and porosity) (Artham et al 2009)-all allowing plastic debris to accumulate increasingly larger concentrations of chemical contaminants (Holmes et al 2012;Fotopoulou and Karapanagioti 2012;Rochman et al 2013cRochman et al , 2014a. Thus, in general, the longer the plastic is in the water, the greater concentrations of chemical contaminants it will accumulate (Engler et al 2012), suggesting that plastic debris may become more hazardous the longer it remains at sea.…”

Section: Rate Of Accumulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complex Mixture, Fate and Toxicity of Chemicals Associated with Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment

Rochman

2015

Marine Anthropogenic Litter

224

191

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For decades we have learned about the physical hazards associated with plastic debris in the marine environment, but recently we are beginning to realize the chemical hazards. Assessing hazards associated with plastic in aquatic habitats is not simple, and requires knowledge regarding organisms that may be exposed, the exposure concentrations, the types of polymers comprising the debris, the length of time the debris was present in the aquatic environment (affecting the size, shape and fouling) and the locations and transport of the debris during that time period. Marine plastic debris is associated with a 'cocktail of chemicals', including chemicals added or produced during manufacturing and those present in the marine environment that accumulate onto the debris from surrounding seawater. This raises concerns regarding: (i) the complex mixture of chemical substances associated with marine plastic debris, (ii) the environmental fate of these chemicals to and from plastics in our oceans and (iii) how this mixture affects wildlife, as hundreds of species ingest this material in nature. The focus of this chapter is on the mixture of chemicals associated with marine plastic debris. Specifically, this chapter discusses the diversity of chemical ingredients, byproducts of manufacturing and sorbed chemical contaminants from the marine environment among plastic types, the role of marine plastic debris as a novel medium for environmental partitioning of chemical contaminants in the ocean and the toxic effects that may result from plastic debris in marine animals.

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“…The abiotic phase can be induced by thermal, photolytic, chemical, catalytic and mechanical degradation processes (Singh and Sharma 2008). The second step takes place only if the abiotically degraded plastic faces proper conditions for microbial growth (Kumanayaka et al 2010) Biodeterioration and biodegradation of HDPE, LDPE, PP, and polycarbonate (PC) without additives exposed to sea water have been shown before (Artham et al 2009). In studies focused on the mechanisms of degradation, it has been found that LDPE can be partially degraded by marine bacteria from pelagic waters (Harshvardhan and Jha 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degradation of Conventional and Oxodegradable High Density Polyethylene in Tropical Aqueous and Outdoor Environments

Villamizar

Vázquez‐Morillas

2018

Rev. Int. Contam. Ambie.

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Polyethylene is widely used in packaging due to its chemical stability, lightness, impermeability and low cost. However, these properties become questionable when it is discarded. Oxodegradable plastics, which degrade by an abiotic-biotic process, have been promoted as a solution to the pollution caused by plastics. This research assesses the degradability of conventional and oxodegradable high density polyethylene in marine, freshwater, and outdoor tropical environments. Samples of these plastics, with and without previous abiotic degradation, were exposed to direct weathering in the Caribbean Sea and the Magdalena River, in Colombia. Their degradation was evaluated during six months by the formation of carbonyl groups, a decrease in elongation at break and visual evidence of deterioration. We found faster degradation for outdoor, followed by marine and freshwater conditions, evidencing that UV and temperature are the most relevant promoters of degradation, especially for oxodegradable plastics, as evidenced by the increase in carbonyl index. In aqueous environments, all specimens showed the formation of biofilm and in some cases cracks and fragmentation, especially in oxidized oxodegradable high density polyethylene specimens in the marine environment. Even if oxodegradables plastics, and in a lesser degree conventional ones, began their degradation process, they did not achieve complete disintegration or mineralization, due to lack of environmental conditions that can only be guaranteed in carefully monitored waste management systems.Palabras clave: contaminación por plásticos, microplásticos, ambientes acuáticos, fotooxidación RESUMENEl polietileno se utiliza ampliamente en el envasado debido a su estabilidad química, ligereza, impermeabilidad y bajo costo. Sin embargo, estas propiedades son cuestionables cuando se desecha. Los plásticos oxodegradables, que se degradan por un proceso abiótico-biótico, se han promovido como solución. Esta investigación evalúa la capacidad de descomposición del polietileno convencional de alta densidad y el oxodegradable en ambientes tropicales marinos, de agua dulce y a la intemperie. Las C.A. Arias-Villamizar and A. Vázquez-Morillas 138 muestras de polietileno convencional y oxodegradable, con y sin degradación abiótica previa, se expusieron en directo a la intemperie, en el mar Caribe y en el río Magdalena, en Colombia. Se evaluó su degradación durante seis meses por la formación de grupos carbonilo, la disminución del porcentaje de elongación a la ruptura y mediante evidencias visuales de deterioro. Se encontró degradación más rápida para las condiciones al aire libre, lo que demuestra que la radiación UV y el perfil de temperatura son los promotores más pertinentes de la degradación, especialmente en plásticos oxodegradables, como se evidencia por el aumento en el índice de carbonilo. En sistemas acuosos, todas las probetas exhibieron biopelícula, en algunos casos se encontraron grietas y se observó fragmentación. Especialmente se encontró este comportamiento en l...

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Biofouling and stability of synthetic polymers in sea water

Cited by 237 publications

References 33 publications

Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms

Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms

The Complex Mixture, Fate and Toxicity of Chemicals Associated with Plastic Debris in the Marine Environment

Degradation of Conventional and Oxodegradable High Density Polyethylene in Tropical Aqueous and Outdoor Environments

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