20.500.12556/DKUM-90530-88ffe37c-c59b-8530-c4a0-d3c3e2432d56 Decomposition and fragmentation of conventional and biobased plastic wastes in simulated and real aquatic systems Plastics play a crucial role in our daily lives. The challenge, however, is that they become waste and contribute to a global environmental problem, increasing concerns about pollution and the urgent need to protect the environment. The accumulation and fragmentation of plastic waste, especially micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic systems, poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health. In this study, the decomposition and fragmentation processes of conventional and biobased plastic waste in simulated water bodies (waters with different pH values) and in real water systems (tap water and seawater) are investigated over a period of one and six months. Three types of plastic were examined: thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate and thermoset melamine etherified resin in the form of nonwovens and biobased polylactic acid (PLA) in the form of foils. Such a comprehensive study involving these three types of plastics and the methodology for tracking degradation in water bodies has not been conducted before, which underlines the novelty of the present work. After aging of the plastics, both the solid fraction and the leachate in the liquid phase were carefully examined. The parameters studied include mass loss, structural changes and alterations in functional groups observed in the aged plastics. Post-exposure assessment of the fragmented pieces includes quantification of the microplastic, microscopic observations and confirmation of composition by in situ Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The leachate analysis includes pH, conductivity, turbidity, total carbon and microplastic size distribution. The results highlight the importance of plastic waste morphology and the minor degradation of biobased PLA and show that microfibers contribute to increased fragmentation in all aquatic systems and leave a significant ecological footprint. This study underlines the crucial importance of post-consumer plastic waste management and provides valuable insights into strategies for environmental protection. It also addresses the pressing issue of plastic pollution and provides evidence-based measures to mitigate its environmental impact. polylactic acid polyethylene terephthalate fabric melamine etherifed resin fabric aquatic environment fragmentation waste disposal polimlečna kislina tkanina iz polietilen tereftalata tkanina iz melaminske eterificirane smole vodno okolje fragmentacija odlaganje odpadkov true false true Springer Nature Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik https://link.springer.com/journal/10098 © The Author(s) 2024 Članek v reviji 2024-09-07 03:43:08 2024-09-09 12:25:16 2026-02-13 11:54:02 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 16 str. Vol. 26 2024 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2024-01-30 2024-07-16 2024-08-12 677.017:502/504 206618115 10.1007/s10098-024-02972-2 1618-9558 s10098-024-02972-2.pdf s10098-024-02972-2.pdf 1 191E9D53181B8E11C6C4C62B6A59751C 45a3fae3ac3a52933b3b62093b0c937a9f7b25f2c93ea64a384119d4b1362953 96209641-6e95-11ef-a573-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=184696 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098-024-02972-2 0 aa9d3d42-6e95-11ef-a573-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=184697 Fakulteta za strojništvo Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo 0 0 0