A study published in New Contaminants shows that microplastics in rivers, lakes and oceans release invisible clouds of dissolved chemicals, mainly caused by sunlight, that affect aquatic ecosystems. Chemical compounds known as DOM MPs are often more biologically active than naturally occurring organic matter. Researchers examined four common plastics and found that each produces a specific chemical signature that evolves as the material weathers. Biodegradable plastics produced the highest amount.
Using advanced molecular analyses, the team found that MPs DOM contained plastic additives, polymer fragments and oxidized compounds that resembled organic matter from microbes rather than soil or land plants. “Microplastics not only pollute the aquatic environment as visible particles. They also form an invisible chemical layer that changes with weathering,” says lead author Junian Guan. These bioavailable molecules can disrupt microbial growth, nutrient cycling, and pollutant behavior, highlighting the growing threat to the environment as plastic production increases.
Source: Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
This article features in Journal of Wellbeing 222
