Bahe River Basin Branch of Beijing Beipai Water Environment Co., Ltd.
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-EnvironmentalSciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
University ofChinese Academy of Sciences

水环境中的微塑料污染问题已引起了广泛关注。除了自身的毒性和生态风险,微塑料还可以作为多种污染物的载体。在水消毒过程中,消毒剂的作用会导致微塑料的理化性质改变,并释放添加剂等有毒物质。此外,微塑料理化性质的变化也会影响其对有机污染物的吸附,进而影响有机污染物的归趋转化。综述了微塑料在典型水消毒(如氯、臭氧和紫外消毒)过程中表面官能团、亲疏水性、形貌、粒径等性质的变化,并探讨了消毒后微塑料吸附有机污染物的演变机制。臭氧消毒增加了微塑料的含氧官能团,从而减弱了其表面疏水性。相反,氯化消毒增加了含氯官能团,增强了微塑料的疏水性。消毒过程可以增加微塑料的表面粗糙度,并提高其与有机污染物的作用位点。微塑料对有机污染物的吸附机制包括疏水作用、氢键作用、静电引力和π—π键堆积等。在此基础上,对未来的研究方向进行了展望。

Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments has drawn widespread attention. In additionto the toxicity and ecological risks, microplastics can act as carriers of various pollutants. In waterdisinfection processes, disinfectants can induce changes in the physicochemical characteristics ofmicroplastics and cause the release of toxic additives. The characteristic changes can affect theadsorption of organic pollutants by microplastics, thereby altering the fate and transformation of theseEnergy Environmental Protectionpollutants. This review summarizes variations in the functional groups, hydrophobicity, morphology,and particle size of microplastics during representative water disinfection processes (e.g., chlorination,ozonation, and UV). The adsorption of organic pollutants onto microplastics, after disinfection, isdiscussed. Chlorine is reactive towards microplastics with aromatic ring, amide, and ester groups. Theoxygen transfer and electrophilic substitution pathways lead to the formation of oxygen rich groups(e.g., CO and C—O) and chlorine-containing groups (e.g., C—Cl). The formation of oxygen-enriched groups with high polarity decreases the hydrophobicity of microplastics, whereas theformation of chlorine-containing groups increases the surface hydrophobic. In the ozonation process,microplastics could be oxidized directly by molecular ozone or the secondarily formed OH radical. Dueto the strong oxidation capacity of ozone, abundant oxygen-enriched groups, such as CO, can beobserved in ozonated microplastics, resulting in decreased hydrophobicity. The reaction betweenmicroplastics and OH radicals leads to the formation of hydroxylated groups. UV damages thefunctional groups of microplastics via direct photolysis or radical formation. UV can induce chainscission on chromophore-containing microplastics (e.g., polystyrene), while microplastics withoutchromophore (e.g., polyethylene) can be degraded by radical-induced oxidation. In the presence of lowdoses of ozone and UV irradiation, the surface roughness of microplastics decreases. However, poresand cracks could be formed with increasing doses of disinfectants, increasing surface roughness anddecreasing particle size of microplastics. Adsorption mechanisms of organic pollutants ontomicroplastics include hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and π—πstacking. Reduced hydrophobicity weakens organic pollutant adsorption by microplastics, whereasincreased surface roughness enhances interaction sites between microplastics and organic pollutants. Inaddition, the damage to aromatic rings of microplastics reduces π—π stacking forces, weakening theiradsorption capacity for aromatic organic compounds. Due to the predominant role of hydrophobicity inhydrophobic organic adsorption, disinfection may lead to their release. Finally, this review alsoidentifies several knowledge gaps to highlight future research topics of interest.

国家重点研发计划资助项目(2022YFC3203702);国家自然科学基金资助项目(52370019,52300019);环境模拟与污染控制国家重点联合实验室(中国科学院生态环境研究中心分室)专项经费(24Z02ESPCR)

张硕,张显,刘航,等.水消毒过程中微塑料理化性质演变的研究进展[J].能源环境保护,2025,39(1):87−98.

ZHANG Shuo, ZHANG Xian, LIU Hang, et al. Changes of Physicochemical Characteristics of MicroplasticsDuring Water Disinfection Processes: A Review[J]. Energy Environmental Protection, 2025, 39(1): 87−98.