PMID:
Environ Sci Technol. 2019 Aug 8. Epub 2019 Aug 8. PMID: 31393116
Abstract Title:
Microplastics as both a Sink and a Source of Bisphenol A in the Marine Environment.
Abstract:
Microplastics were demonstrated to be an environmental sink for hydrophobic organic pollutants, while they can also serve as a potential source of such pollutants. In this study, the sorption and release of bisphenol A in marine water was investigated through laboratory experiments. Sorption and desorption isotherms were developed and the results reveal that sorption and desorption depend on the crystallinity, elasticity and hydrophobicity of the polymer concerned. The adsorption and partition of bisphenol A can be quantified using a dual-mode model of the sorption mechanisms. Polyamide and polyurethane were found to exhibit the highest sorption capacity for bisphenol A, and it was almost irreversible, probably due to hydrogen bonding. Polyethylenes and polypropylene exhibited high and reversible sorption without noticeable desorption hysteresis. Glassy polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polymethyl methacrylate and polyethylene terephthalate exhibited low sorption capacity and only partial reversibility. Low-density polyethylene and polycarbonate microplastic particles were for the first time proved to be a persistent source releasing bisphenol A into aquatic environments. Salinity, pH, co-existing estrogens and water chemistry influence the sorption/desorption behaviors to different degree. Plastic particles can serve as transportation vectors for bisphenol A, which may constitute an ecological risk.
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