Ageing characteristics and microplastic release behavior from rainwater facilities under ROS oxidation.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are ubiquitous in the natural environment that are generated by chemical or biochemical processes. Plastic rainwater facilities, as an important part of modern rainwater systems, are inevitably deteriorated by ROS. As a consequence, microplastics will be released. However, information on how ROS affect the ageing characteristics of plastic rainwater facilities and the subsequent microplastic release behavior is still insufficient. To address this knowledge gap, Fenton reagents were used to simulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced ageing process of three typical plastic rainwater components (rainwater pipe, made of polyvinyl chloride; modular storage tank, made of polypropylene; inspection well, made of high-density polyethylene) and the subsequent microplastic release behavior. After 6 days of Fenton ageing, an increase in sharpness, holes, and fractures on the rainwater facilities' surface was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The functional group changes on the rainwater facilities' surface were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) and compared with the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). During the ageing process, oxygen-containing functional groups were generated and the carbon chains were broken, which promoted peeling and the release of microplastics. The amount of released microplastics (ranging from 158 to 6617 items/g facility) varied with the type of rainwater facilities, and the order was modular storage tank > inspection well > rainwater pipe. The release amount increased with ageing time, and a significant linear relationship was observed (r2 > 0.91). The particle size of the released microplastics ranged from 2 to 1362 µm, among which 10-30 µm particles accounted for the largest proportion (62.7 %). The release amount increased exponentially with decreasing particle size (r2 > 0.71). This study indicates that large amounts of microplastics could be released from plastic rainwater components during ROS-induced ageing.

Release of microplastics from typical rainwater facilities during aging process.

As the demand for urban flood prevention and drainage increases, a large number of plastic rainwater facilities are in use. Microplastics will be released inevitably into stormwater systems during aging and hydraulic scouring processes, which could cause potential pollution risk. This study simulated the release behavior of microplastics from three typical plastic rainwater facilities including a rainwater inspection well, rainwater storage module, and rainwater pipe (mainly composed of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride, respectively) under the effects of aging and hydraulic scouring. After 15-45 days of UV aging and 72 h of hydraulic scouring, the surfaces of the three facilities were found to exhibit increases in roughness, cracks, folds, and cavities, with the most pronounced changes occurring in the rainwater storage module. As the aging time increased, oxygen-containing functional groups formed and led to carbon chain scission. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of facility surfaces showed that the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups was an important factor affecting the release of microplastics. The amount of microplastics released from the three facilities ranged from 160 to 1905 items/g (microplastics/facilities), following in the order of rainwater inspection well > rainwater storage module > rainwater pipe. The particle size of the released microplastics ranged from 3 to 1363 µm, with 10-30 µm accounting for the greatest proportion of particles, 50.10%. The size of microplastics released from the rainwater inspection well and rainwater storage module increased with the aging degree, while the release from the rainwater pipe decreased. The release behavior depends mainly on the composition of the materials and the aging time. Thus, microplastics can be released from plastic rainwater facilities under suitable conditions. The results can be used to further evaluate microplastic pollution caused by urban rainwater facilities.