Researchers at Columbia University found that microplastics are chemically active in water, producing reactive oxygen species that damage biological molecules.
Scientists have long assumed plastics are chemically inert, but a new study published in Nature challenges this assumption. Researchers led by Wei Min at Columbia University discovered that microplastics generate reactive oxygen species, or ROS, harmful oxygen-containing molecules, when they contact water. The team tested six common plastics and found all of them produced radicals at their water interfaces.
In laboratory tests, polystyrene powder mixed with water containing a yellow dye caused the dye to fade nearly 90 percent over 10 days. Using multiple detection methods, the researchers identified hydroxyl radicals forming on plastic surfaces. Water-repellent plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene generated the most radicals, while PET and acrylic produced fewer.
