Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
12-10-2016
Abstract
Synthetic polymers (plastics) enter marine environments from terrestrial and marine-based sources. The manner of release, the plastic’s composition/properties and ambient marine conditions determine debris fate and its impacts on living resources. It was long assumed that all plastics were persistent and inert, possessing negligible potential for chemical impacts. However, in reality, commercial polymers exhibit a range of potentials for interactions. Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals are lipophilic and may concentrate from ambient waters by orders of magnitude on polymer surfaces (Teuten et al., 2007). The type of polymer affects the degree of PBT sorption. Indeed, plastics have been found useful as passive samplers for measuring ambient concentrations of PBTs. Polymers also may be affected chemically or physically by weathering, e.g. exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation (Andrady, 2011), or fragmentation by abrasion, such as on a beach. While additives can leach from plastics into the water, migration studies pertinent to the marine environment are rare. The picture is complicated further as weathering itself may alter the extent of PBT leaching and sorption. More ....
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25773/xpxq-xx83
Keywords
plastics, marine pollution, PBT sorption
Publication Statement
Marine Debris Program Final Report. NA13NOS4630062
Recommended Citation
Hale, R. C., & Chen, D. (2016) Influence of a suite of environmentally relevant conditions on PBT leaching from, and sorption to, marine microplastic debris. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. https://doi.org/10.25773/xpxq-xx83
