University of Bayreuth, Press Release Nr. 058/2022 - 25 April 2022
Nanoplastic particles love company: researchers in Bayreuth analyze polyethylene degradation in the environment
Polyethylene, a plastic that is both cheap and easy to process, accounts for nearly one-third of the world’s plastic waste. An interdisciplinary team from the University of Bayreuth has investigated the progressive degradation of polyethylene in the environment for the first time. Although the degradation process leads to fragmentation into ever smaller particles, isolated nanoplastic particles are rarely found in the environment. The reason is that such decay products do not like to remain on their own, but rather attach rapidly to larger colloidal systems that occur naturally in the environment. The researchers have now presented their findings in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
Process of the three-stage degradation of polyethylene particles. Within the environment, aggregation preferably occurs with natural colloidal systems.
N. Meides, T. Menzel, A. Mauel.
Bayreuth doctoral students and first authors Teresa Menzel (Polymer Engineering) and Nora Meides (Macromolecular Chemistry) at a microscope used in the analysis of polyethylene degradation.
UBT / Chr. Wißler.
Bayreuth doctoral student and first author Anika Mauel (Inorganic Chemistry) changing a plastic sample in the NMR spectrometer.
UBT / Chr. Wißler.