Induced aging, structural change, and adsorption behavior modifications of microplastics by microalgae

Claude Kiki; Ying Qiu; Qi Wang; Binessi Edouard Ifon; Dan Qin; Kassim Chabi; Chang-Ping Yu; Yong-Guan Zhu; Qian Sun

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107382

Induced aging, structural change, and adsorption behavior modifications of microplastics by microalgae

Environ Int. 2022 Aug:166:107382. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107382. Epub 2022 Jun 28.

Authors

Claude Kiki¹, Ying Qiu², Qi Wang³, Binessi Edouard Ifon⁴, Dan Qin⁵, Kassim Chabi⁶, Chang-Ping Yu⁵, Yong-Guan Zhu⁵, Qian Sun⁷

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100043, China; National Institute of Water, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP: 526, Cotonou, Benin.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
³ College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100043, China.
⁵ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100043, China.
⁷ CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. Electronic address: qsun@iue.ac.cn.

PMID: 35803076
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107382

Abstract

The effects of microalgal biofouling on microplastic (MP) may differ from bacterial biofouling. In this study, the influence of microalgae on MP surface alteration, structural change, and adsorption of organic micropollutants was evaluated. Virgin polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyamide (PA) were each immersed in algal photobioreactor and river freshwater for 30 days to simulate algal and river microbe biofouling respectively. Consequently, their physicochemical changes and adsorption potential of a mixture of six bisphenol analogues (BPA, BPS, BPE, BPB, BPF, BPAF) and two parabens (propyl-paraben, benzyl-paraben) were investigated. Owing to the algal bioactive compounds, major microalgae-induced biofouling and more MP aging than the river microbe aging were observed through fractures, pits, cracks, and algal attachments. Intrusion of algal organic matter and scission of polymeric functional groups were revealed during microalgal immersion and the potential MP aging pathways were proposed. Algal biofouling considerably altered the intrinsic properties of the MPs, consequently the adsorption capacity of PE and PVC was enhanced by 3.04-6.72 and 2.14-8.72 times, respectively. Adsorption process onto algal-aged MPs was pH-dependent, endothermic, non-spontaneous, and favored by hydrogen bonds. Meanwhile, the amide group in PA structure was conducive to organic micropollutant adsorption, which was likely reduced by algal aging and the erosion of the N-H stretching. Moreover, higher adsorption capacities of organic micropollutants were shown by the algal-biofilm PE and PVC than virgin and river microbial biofilm MPs. This study discloses that, biofouling and aging of MPs by microalgae through their bioactive components would engender more incidences on MP properties, organic micropollutants adsorption with associated environmental and health hazards.

Keywords: Adsorption; Aging; Algal biofilm; MPs; Organic micropollutants.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Microalgae*
Microplastics
Parabens
Plastics
Polyethylene / pharmacology
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / pharmacology

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics
Parabens
Polyethylene
Water Pollutants, Chemical