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Sci Total Environ

Title:		"Gaseous products generated from polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate during ultraviolet irradiation: Mechanism, pathway and toxicological analyses"
Author(s):		Wu X; Tan Z; Liu R; Liao Z; Ou H;
Address:		"Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; Center for Environmental Microplastics Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China. Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Science in Guangdong Province of Community of Life for Man and Nature, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China. Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; Center for Environmental Microplastics Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China. Electronic address: touhuase@jnu.edu.cn"
Journal Title:		Sci Total Environ
Year:		2023
Volume:		20230311
Issue:
Page Number:		162717 -
DOI:		10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162717
ISSN/ISBN:		1879-1026 (Electronic) 0048-9697 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The generation of various degradation products from microplastics (MPs) has been confirmed under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The gaseous products, primarily volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are usually overlooked, leading to potential unknown risks to humans and the environment. In this study, the generation of VOCs from polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) under UV-A (365 nm) and UV-C (254 nm) irradiation in water matrixes were compared. More than 50 different VOCs were identified. For PE, UV-A-derived VOCs mainly included alkenes and alkanes. On this basis, UV-C-derived VOCs included various oxygen-containing organics, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acid and even lactones. For PET, both UV-A and UV-C irradiation induced the generation of alkenes, alkanes, esters, phenols, etc., and the differences between these two reactions were insignificant. Toxicological prioritization prediction revealed that these VOCs have diverse toxicological profiles. The VOCs with the highest potential toxicity were dimethyl phthalate (CAS: 131-11-3) from PE and 4-acetylbenzoate (3609-53-8) from PET. Furthermore, some alkane and alcohol products also presented high potential toxicity. The quantitative results indicated that the yield of these toxic VOCs from PE could reach 10(2) mug g(-1) under UV-C treatment. The degradation mechanisms of MPs included direct scission by UV irradiation and indirect oxidation induced by diverse activated radicals. The former mechanism was dominant in UV-A degradation, while UV-C included both mechanisms. Both mechanisms contributed to the generation of VOCs. Generally, MPs-derived VOCs can be released from water to the air after UV irradiation, posing a potential risk to ecosystems and human beings, especially for UV-C disinfection indoors in water treatments"
Keywords:		Humans *Polyethylene Polyethylene Terephthalates Plastics Gases Ecosystem *Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism Microplastics Alcohols Alkanes Degradation Plastic debris Ultraviolet Volatile organic compounds;
Notes:		"MedlineWu, Xinni Tan, Zongyi Liu, Ruijuan Liao, Zhianqi Ou, Huase eng Netherlands 2023/03/13 Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jun 10; 876:162717. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162717. Epub 2023 Mar 11"