Insight into chemical features of migrated additives from plastics and associated risks to estuarine ecosystem

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2023-04, Vol.448, p.130861-130861, Article 130861
• Main Authors: Chen, Qiqing, Gao, Zhuo, Wu, Yan, Li, Haifeng, Jiang, Jing, Yang, Yan, Xu, Li, Shi, Huahong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; cardiovascular system; Danio rerio; Ecosystem; ecosystems; estuaries; Estuarine environment; foams; hydrodynamics; Migrated plastic additives; octylphenols; OPEOn; Plastic pollution; Plastics - toxicity; pollution; toxicity; turbulent flow; ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Zebrafish
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130861

Distinct hydrodynamic conditions created a hotspot of plastic and associated additive pollution within estuaries, which is of considerable scientific interest. However, the effects of specific estuarine weathering (severe mechanical wear, constant turbulence, and strong ultraviolet radiation) on migration of additives remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the release of migrated plastic additives (MPAs) from three representative plastics, namely floating foam, fishing nets, and packaging bags, under simulated estuarine conditions. Sixty-seven MPAs leached out under the wave scenario, greater than those under the ultraviolet radiation (62) and shoal (40) scenarios. We detected forty MPAs in the plastic bag leachates, whereas fewer MPAs were released from the foam and nets. Several MPAs were peculiar to specific plastics, e.g., antistatic and curing agents in the bag and foam leachates, respectively. Particularly, a suite of nonionic surfactants, octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEOn), exhibited outstanding responses in the packaging bag leachates and had elevated toxic potential. OPEOn significantly inhibited the hatching of zebrafish and caused cardiovascular system disorder and morphological distortions even at environmentally relevant concentrations as in estuaries. Collectively, the leaching of MPAs was significantly enhanced by wave actions, and the plastic leachates, particularly those of plastic bags, can cause detrimental risks to the estuarine ecosystem. [Display omitted] •Yangtze Estuary is proved to be a plastic debris pollution hotspot.•Plastics weathered under wave forces leach greater abundance of additives.•More additives migrate from plastic bags than from fishing nets and floating foams.•OPEOn deserve our special attention because of its high response and toxicity.