Adsorption of selected estrogen hormones on LPPE, PET, and PA microplastics

Abstract

Mass use of plastics in the consumer lifestyle has caused a problem that the inventors of these polymers could not anticipate. Over the last 50 years, world plastic production has doubled. Plastic particles larger than 2.5 cm in diameter are called macroplastics. The types of degradation that affect the decay of macroplastics are photodegradation, microbiological and thermo-oxidative degradation. Macroplastics that are exposed to mentioned external factors break into smaller pieces that scientists today call microplastics. Microplastics (MPs) are defined as any piece of plastic with a diameter of 100 nm to 5 mm; particles smaller than 100 nm are called nanoplastics. MPs are all around us, there are in cosmetic products, the fibers of our clothes, the water we drink, and the food we eat. The recent understanding of MPs as pollutants present in the environment has become a global concern and has resulted in intensive research in this area. Knowledge of MPs is limited, but researchers are increasingly examining their properties and environmental impact. Recent studies have shown that various water pollutants can be adsorbed on MPs, therefore MPs may also play a role as vectors for harmful substances. In this paper, the adsorption of the selected hormones – estrone, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinyl estradiol on low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyamide (PA) microplastics are presented. Selected hormones are among the most frequently detected endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment. It is shown that among selected estrogens, 17β-estradiol has the highest affinity for binding to MPs.