A minimalist approach to quantify emission factor of microplastic by mechanical abrasion

Shu-Yan Ren; Qing Sun; Hong-Gang Ni; Jianfeng Wang

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125630

A minimalist approach to quantify emission factor of microplastic by mechanical abrasion

Chemosphere. 2020 Apr:245:125630. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125630. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Authors

Shu-Yan Ren¹, Qing Sun¹, Hong-Gang Ni², Jianfeng Wang³

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
² Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: nihg@pkusz.edu.cn.
³ East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China.

PMID: 31881384
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125630

Abstract

Plastic film has allowed manufacturers to meet varied marketplace demands. Typically, its usage can be divided into two general categories-packaging (food, nonfood and other) and nonpackaging. The microplastics emission resulting from wearing of plastic film is unavoidable in the process of production and use. Currently, no reliable method exists for measure emission factor (EF) of microplastics by mechanical abrasion (MA). In the present study, a simple but effective approach to quantify EF of microplastic by MA was developed. Specifically, the relative light transmittance (RLT) of the plastic film is decreased with increase of MA degree. This quantitative relationship between the two factors can be applied to determine EFs of microplastics induced by MA. The method developed in this study is easy and feasible, but it still has limitations in the standpoint and range, the direction of worthiness of theory.

Keywords: Emission factor; Light transmittance; Mechanical abrasion; Microplastic; Plastic film.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring*
Microplastics / chemistry*
Plastics
Stress, Mechanical*

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics