Abstract:
The detrimental effects of plastic and microplastic accumulation on ecosystems are widely recognized and indisputable. The emergence of biodegradable plastics (BPs) offers a practical solution to plastic pollution. Problematically, however, not all BPs can be fully degraded in the environment. On the contrary, the scientific community has demonstrated that BPs are more likely than conventional plastics (CPs) to degrade into micro/nanoplastics and release additives, which can have similar or even worse effects than microplastics. However, there is very limited information available on the environmental toxicity assessment of BMPs. The absence of a toxicity evaluation system and the uncertainty regarding combined toxicity with other pollutants also impede the environmental toxicity assessment of BMPs. Currently, research is focused on thoroughly exploring the toxic effects of biodegradable microplastics (BMPs). This paper reviews the pollution status of BMPs in the environment, the degradation behavior of BPs and the influencing factors. This paper comprehensively summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of BPs on ecosystems, considering animals, plants, and microorganisms in various environments such as water bodies, soil, and sediment. The focus is on distinguishing between BMPs and conventional microplastics (CMPs). In addition, the combined toxic effects of BMPs and other pollutants are also being investigated. The findings suggest that BMPs may have different or more severe impacts on ecosystems. The rougher and more intricate surface of BMPs increases the likelihood of causing mechanical damage to organisms and breaking down into smaller plastic particles, releasing additives that lead to a series of cascading negative effects on related organisms and ecosystems. In the case of knowledge gaps, future research is also proposed and anticipated to investigate the toxic effects of BMPs and their evaluation.
摘要:
塑料和微塑料积累对生态系统的有害影响是公认和无可争议的。生物降解塑料(BPs)的出现为塑料污染提供了切实可行的解决方案。有问题的,然而,并非所有BP都可以在环境中完全降解。相反,科学界已经证明,BP比传统塑料(CP)更有可能降解为微米/纳米塑料并释放添加剂,可能会产生与微塑料相似甚至更差的效果。然而,关于BMP的环境毒性评估的信息非常有限。缺乏毒性评估系统以及与其他污染物的联合毒性的不确定性也阻碍了BMP的环境毒性评估。目前,研究的重点是彻底探索可生物降解的微塑料(BMP)的毒性作用。本文综述了BMPs在环境中的污染状况,BPs的降解行为及其影响因素。本文全面总结了BP对生态系统的生态毒理效应,考虑到动物,植物,和各种环境中的微生物,如水体,土壤,和沉积物。重点是区分BMP和常规微塑料(CMP)。此外,还在研究BMP和其他污染物的综合毒性作用。研究结果表明,BMP可能对生态系统产生不同或更严重的影响。BMP的更粗糙和更复杂的表面增加了对生物体造成机械损伤并分解成更小的塑料颗粒的可能性,释放添加剂,导致对相关生物和生态系统的一系列级联负面影响。在知识差距的情况下,还提出并预期未来的研究来调查BMP的毒性作用及其评估。