PVC Archives - One Earth - One Ocean e. V.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions

guenther — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:44:13 +0000

Hui Zhou, Chunfei Wu, Jude A. Onwudili, Aihong Meng, Yanguo Zhang, Paul
T. Williams, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the
pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions, Waste
Management, Available online 11 October 2014, ISSN 0956-053X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.09.014.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X1400436X)
Abstract: The formation of 2?4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) from the pyrolysis of nine different municipal solid waste
fractions (xylan, cellulose, lignin, pectin, starch, polyethylene (PE),
polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene
terephthalate (PET)) were investigated in a fixed bed furnace at 800 °C.
The mass distribution of pyrolysis was also reported. The results showed
that PS generated the most total PAH, followed by PVC, PET, and lignin.
More PAH were detected from the pyrolysis of plastics than the pyrolysis
of biomass. In the biomass group, lignin generated more PAH than others.
Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, and the amount of
1-methynaphthalene and 2-methynaphthalene was also notable. Phenanthrene
and fluorene were the most abundant 3-ring PAH, while benzo[a]anthracene
and chrysene were notable in the tar of PS, PVC, and PET. 2-ring PAH
dominated all tar samples, and varied from 40 wt.% to 70 wt.%. For PS,
PET and lignin, PAH may be generated directly from the aromatic
structure of the feedstock.
Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); Waste; Plastics;
Biomass; Pyrolysis

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The partition behavior of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA) on microplastics

guenther — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:50:02 +0000

Fei Wang, Kai Min Shih, Xiao Yan Li, The partition behavior of
perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA) on
microplastics, Chemosphere, Volume 119, January 2015, Pages 841-847,
ISSN 0045-6535, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.08.047.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653514010200)
Abstract: Microplastics have been recognized as transport vectors for
heavy metals and organic pollutants to marine animals. Thus, the
sorption behavior of contaminant on microplastic is crucial to their
transport in marine system. In this study, the sorption behavior of PFOS
and FOSA (two perfluorochemicals) on three kinds of microplastics (PE,
PS, and PVC) are reported. The isotherm study showed that the sorption
of PFOS and FOSA on microplastics is highly linear, and it indicated
that partition by hydrophobic interaction is the predominant sorption
mechanism. The Kd values of FOSA on three kinds of microplastics are all
higher than those of PFOS, and the reason is attributed to their
different functional groups. The Kd value of FOSA on three types of
microplastics followed the order as: PE > PVC > PS. Such finding may
indicate that the molecule composition and structure of microplastics
play important roles in their sorption processes of organic pollutants.
The PFOS sorption levels on PE and PS particles were increased with the
increase of NaCl and CaCl2 concentrations, while the ion concentrations
have no effect on FOSA sorption. The study on the pH effects on PFOS and
FOSA sorption indicated FOSA could partition under various pH conditions
on three types of microplastics while PFOS sorption on PE and PS were
favored with lower pH.
Keywords: PFOS; FOSA; Sorption; Partition; Electrostatic interaction

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Live plastic packaging Q&A

guenther — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 20:45:08 +0000

http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/live-plastic-packaging-qa.html

Live plastic packaging Q&A

This live Q&A took place on Thursday 10th April 2014 12:00 pm.

Scare stories about bisphenol A (BPA), PVC and phthalates are still
circulating, they regularly come across journalists? desks and we get
calls about them. Professor Alan Boobis from Imperial College London and
Katherine Fleet, Environment and Sustainbility Manager at RPC
(representing the British Plastic Federation's Packaging Group) answered
your questions below.

If you still have questions email enquiries@senseaboutscience.org.

Read our Storify of the event.

https://storify.com/senseaboutsci/plastic-packaging-q-and-a

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Polystyrene Plastic: A Source and Sink for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Marine Environment

guenther — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 19:45:19 +0000

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es403605f

Chelsea M. Rochman, Carlos Manzano, Brian T. Hentschel, Staci L. Massey
Simonich, and Eunha Hoh
Polystyrene Plastic: A Source and Sink for Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons in the Marine Environment
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2013, 47 (24), pp 13976?13984
DOI: 10.1021/es403605f

Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on virgin polystyrene (PS) and
PS marine debris led us to examine PS as a source and sink for PAHs in
the marine environment. At two locations in San Diego Bay, we measured
sorption of PAHs to PS pellets, sampling at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12
months. We detected 25 PAHs using a new analytical method with
comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to
time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Several congeners were detected on
samples before deployment. After deployment, some concentrations
decreased (1,3-dimethylnaphthalene and 2,6-methylnaphthalene), while
most increased [2-methylanthracene and all parent PAHs (PPAHs), except
fluorene and fluoranthene], suggesting that PS debris is a source and
sink for PAHs. When sorbed concentrations of PPAHs on PS are compared to
the five most common polymers [polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP)], PS sorbed greater
concentrations than PP, PET, and PVC, similar to HDPE and LDPE. Most
strikingly, at 0 months, PPAHs on PS ranged from 8 to 200 times greater
than on PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, and PP. The combination of greater PAHs in
virgin pellets and large sorption suggests that PS may pose a greater
risk of exposure to PAHs upon ingestion.

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Transport of persistent organic pollutants by microplastics in estuarine conditions

guenther — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:44:00 +0000

Adil Bakir, Steven J. Rowland, Richard C. Thompson, Transport of
persistent organic pollutants by microplastics in estuarine conditions,
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 140, 1 March 2014, Pages
14-21, ISSN 0272-7714, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2014.01.004.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771414000110)
Abstract: Microplastics represent an increasing source of anthropogenic
contamination in aquatic environments, where they may also act as
scavengers and transporters of persistent organic pollutants. As
estuaries are amongst the most productive aquatic systems, it is
important to understand sorption behaviour and transport of persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) by microplastics along estuarine gradients.
The effects of salinity sorption equilibrium kinetics on the
distribution coefficients (Kd) of phenanthrene (Phe) and 4,4′-DDT, onto
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and onto polyethylene (PE) were therefore
investigated. A salinity gradient representing freshwater, estuarine and
marine conditions, with salinities corresponding to 0 (MilliQ water, 690
μS/cm), 8.8, 17.5, 26.3 and 35 was used. Salinity had no significant
effect on the time required to reach equilibrium onto PVC or PE and
neither did it affect desorption rates of contaminants from plastics.
Although salinity had no effect on sorption capacity of Phe onto
plastics, a slight decrease in sorption capacity was observed for DDT
with salinity. Salinity had little effect on sorption behaviour and
POP/plastic combination was shown to be a more important factor.
Transport of Phe and DDT from riverine to brackish and marine waters by
plastic is therefore likely to be much more dependent on the aqueous POP
concentration than on salinity. The physical characteristics of the
polymer and local environmental conditions (e.g. plastic density,
particle residence time in estuaries) will affect the physical transport
of contaminated plastics. A transport model of POPs by microplastics
under estuarine conditions is proposed. Transport of Phe and DDT by PVC
and PE from fresh and brackish water toward fully marine conditions was
the most likely net direction for contaminant transport and followed the
order: Phe-PE >> DDT-PVC = DDT-PE >> Phe-PVC.
Keywords: Marine Strategy Framework Directive; sorption; hydrophobic
organic compounds; brackish waters; plastic particles

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Long-Term Sorption of Metals Is Similar among Plastic Types: Implications for Plastic Debris in Aquatic Environments.

guenther — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 21:59:30 +0000

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085433

Rochman CM, Hentschel BT, Teh SJ (2014) Long-Term Sorption of Metals Is 
Similar among Plastic Types: Implications for Plastic Debris in Aquatic 
Environments. PLoS ONE 9(1): e85433. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085433

Abstract
Concerns regarding plastic debris and its ability to accumulate large 
concentrations of priority pollutants in the aquatic environment led us 
to quantify relationships between different types of mass-produced 
plastic and metals in seawater. At three locations in San Diego Bay, we 
measured the accumulation of nine targeted metals (aluminum, chromium, 
manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, cadmium and lead) sampling at 1, 
3, 6, 9 and 12 months, to five plastic types: polyethylene terephthalate 
(PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 
low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Accumulation 
patterns were not consistent over space and time, and in general all 
types of plastic tended to accumulate similar concentrations of metals. 
When we did observe significant differences among concentrations of 
metals at a single sampling period or location in San Diego Bay, we 
found that HDPE typically accumulated lesser concentrations of metals 
than the other four polymers. Furthermore, over the 12-month study 
period, concentrations of all metals increased over time, and chromium, 
manganese, cobalt, nickel, zinc and lead did not reach saturation on at 
least one plastic type during the entire 12-month exposure. This 
suggests that plastic debris may accumulate greater concentrations of 
metals the longer it remains at sea. Overall, our work shows that a 
complex mixture of metals, including those listed as priority pollutants 
by the US EPA (Cd, Ni, Zn and Pb), can be found on plastic debris 
composed of various plastic types.

http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085433&representation=PDF

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Plastic litter can pass on pollutants and chemical additives to marine wildlife

guenther — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:42:44 +0000

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/newsalert.htm

Science for Environment Policy
Issue 363, 27 February 2014

Plastic litter can pass on pollutants and chemical additives to marine
wildlife

New research has provided the first conclusive evidence that
microplastics ingested by marine wildlife can transfer toxic pollutants
to their tissues. The researchers studied lugworms fed on PVC particles
contaminated with either widespread marine pollutants or plastic
additives and found that these 'earthworms of the sea' absorbed the
chemicals into their gut tissue, which reduced their ability to perform
essential functions.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/363na6.pdf

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Microplastic Moves Pollutants and Additives to Worms, Reducing Functions Linked to Health and Biodiversity

guenther — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 17:55:11 +0000

Mark Anthony Browne, Stewart J. Niven, Tamara S. Galloway, Steve J. 
Rowland, Richard C. Thompson, Microplastic Moves Pollutants and 
Additives to Worms, Reducing Functions Linked to Health and 
Biodiversity, Current Biology, Volume 23, Issue 23, 2 December 2013, 
Pages 2388-2392, ISSN 0960-9822, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.012.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213012530)
Abstract: Summary
Inadequate products, waste management, and policy are struggling to 
prevent plastic waste from infiltrating ecosystems [1 and 2]. 
Disintegration into smaller pieces means that the abundance of 
micrometer-sized plastic (microplastic) in habitats has increased [3] 
and outnumbers larger debris [2 and 4]. When ingested by animals, 
plastic provides a feasible pathway to transfer attached pollutants and 
additive chemicals into their tissues [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 
and 15]. Despite positive correlations between concentrations of 
ingested plastic and pollutants in tissues of animals, few, if any, 
controlled experiments have examined whether ingested plastic transfers 
pollutants and additives to animals. We exposed lugworms (Arenicola 
marina) to sand with 5% microplastic that was presorbed with pollutants 
(nonylphenol and phenanthrene) and additive chemicals (Triclosan and 
PBDE-47). Microplastic transferred pollutants and additive chemicals 
into gut tissues of lugworms, causing some biological effects, although 
clean sand transferred larger concentrations of pollutants into their 
tissues. Uptake of nonylphenol from PVC or sand reduced the ability of 
coelomocytes to remove pathogenic bacteria by >60%. Uptake of Triclosan 
from PVC diminished the ability of worms to engineer sediments and 
caused mortality, each by >55%, while PVC alone made worms >30% more 
susceptible to oxidative stress. As global microplastic contamination 
accelerates, our findings indicate that large concentrations of 
microplastic and additives can harm ecophysiological functions performed 
by organisms.

http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS0960982213012530.

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