The impacts of plastic products on air pollution - A simulation study for advanced life cycle inventories of plastics covering secondary microplastic production

Abstract

A framework, SecμPlast, to include secondary microplastic (MP) formation due to photooxidation into current Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) from cradle-to-grave of products. The framework details how to incorporate secondary MP formation into the plastic's life cycle as related to the plastic's use phase, and location specific waste treatment and how to connect the impacts with current life cycle impact assessment methodologies (LCIA). Plastics, now ubiquitous in the environment are a potential source of emerging pollution and have been shown to have negative effects of various species. Thus, the framework consist of 1) a degradation module, which accounts for micro-and nano-plastic formation with dynamic degradation of microparticles, 2) an emissions module accounts for the potential of the plastic particles to be emitted to air, and 3) an impacts module which connects the various emissions to existing LCIA methods. The framework allows for quantification of secondary microplastic in an LCA context and for further characterization of the impacts at endpoints in terms of human health, and allows for a high level of regionalization, both in terms of input data and characterization of impact damages. Secμ-Plast was tested on a case study of mulch film which showed that the per kg contribution to particulate matter (PM) and other impacts is low. The impacts vary largely depending on the degradation rate and ranged from 9.24 ×10 −6 to 0.0 0 043 kg PM equivalents per kg of mulch film, depending on either a slow or fast degradation rate, respectively. The impact came mostly from the littered fraction, which was estimated to be 10% of the products weight after the use phase, in Europe. The degradation rates due to UV degradation were low, 0.034 μg/year for a slow degradation rate, compared to values derived from the literature, 0.345 μg/year for a fast degradation rate during littering, that included other sources of degradation, such as abrasion. However, when these impacts are scaled up to the European consumption of plastics and monetized, it is evident that even small increases of PM are costly for society and could potentially amount to millions of dollars per year in human health damages. Further research efforts should focus on filling data gaps, such as microplastic losses during production, recycling and potentially incineration, as well as degradation kinetics including other degradation factors such as freeze/thawing, wet/drying in combination with UV degradation.

Effects of Weathering on Microplastic Dispersibility and Pollutant Uptake Capacity

“…Adsorption of toxic chemicals could magnify the negative consequences of microplastics accumulation and introduction into the food chain. Finally, increases in sunlight irradiance associated with factors such as ozone depletion and climate change render these findings more relevant to the formation and update of lifecycle assessments …”

Temporal Archive of Atmospheric Microplastic Deposition Presented in Ombrotrophic Peat

“…The overall prevalence of ≤30 μm MP suggests atmospheric deposition to primarily be smaller MP particles, reflective of the remote location. The proportion of MP less than 20 μm shows a slightly increasing trend since 1980 (SI), potentially due to an increase in creation/emission of smaller MP directly into the atmosphere from human activities (e.g., laundry (dryer) emissions, ineffective incineration, agricultural practices − ) or/and an increase in macroplastic waste loss to the environment that has degraded over time (in situ or in transport) resulting in increased MP and an increase in atmospheric transport.…”

Toward Sustainable Wearable Electronic Textiles

“…However, it should be noted that the terephthalate chain sections, which provide the material’s high stability and mechanical properties, do not degrade in marine and fresh water. In addition, while some plastics (fossil-fuel-based and non-biodegradable) may be recyclable to some extent, after a finite number of cycles they eventually end up in the landfill as trash. , Therefore, the selection of the “best” sustainable fibrous materials, as listed in Figure b, provides an opportunity to establish a long-term strategy for the design of sustainable and multifunctional wearable e-textiles but also for the betterment of the environment, society, and the global economy. Thus, plastic polymers can be classified into four groups and the global production data, shown in Figure c, highlights the significant production of PBAT in 2021.…”