Pristine and Aged Microplastics Can Nucleate Ice Through Immersion Freezing

Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous in the environment; their atmospheric relevance is increasingly recognized. Because of their atmospheric concentrations, a question exists as to whether MP can act as ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere. This study investigates the immersion freezing activity of lab-prepared MP of four different compositions—low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—using droplet freezing assays. The MP are also exposed to ultraviolet light, ozone, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfate to mimic environmental aging of the plastics to elucidate the role that these processes play in the ice nucleating activity of MP. Results show that all studied MP act as immersion nuclei and aging processes can modify this ice nucleating activity, leading, primarily, to decreases in ice nucleating activity for LDPE, PP, and PET. The ice nucleating activity of PVC generally increased following aging which we attribute to a cleaning of chemical defects present on the surface of the stock material. Chemical changes were monitored with infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and the growth of a peak at 1650-1800 cm-1 was associated with a decrease in ice nucleating activity while loss of an existing peak in that region was associated with an increase in ice nucleating activity. The studied MP have ice nucleating activities sufficient to be a non-negligible source of ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere if present in sufficiently high concentrations.

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Work Title Pristine and Aged Microplastics Can Nucleate Ice Through Immersion Freezing
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Heidi L. Busse
  2. Devaka Dharmapriya Ariyasena
  3. Jessica Orris
  4. Miriam Arak Freedman
Keyword
  1. Microplastics
  2. Ice nucleation
  3. Ozone
  4. Photooxidation
  5. Sulfuric acid
  6. Ammonium sulfate
  7. Immersion freezing
  8. Atmosphere
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. ACS ES&T Air
Publication Date November 7, 2024
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.4c00146
Deposited March 31, 2025

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Version 1
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  • Created

    March 31, 2025 16:53 by maf43

  • Updated

    March 31, 2025 16:53 by [unknown user]

  • Updated

    March 31, 2025 16:53 by maf43

  • Updated Publisher, Publisher Identifier (DOI), Description, and 1 more Show Changes

    March 31, 2025 16:54 by maf43

    Publisher
    • Environmental Science and Technology: Air
    Publisher Identifier (DOI)
    • 10.1021/acsestair.4c00146
    Description
    • Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous in the environment; their atmospheric relevance is increasingly recognized. Because of their atmospheric concentrations, a question exists as to whether MP can act as ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere. This study investigates the immersion freezing activity of lab-prepared MP of four different compositions—low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—using droplet freezing assays. The MP are also exposed to ultraviolet light, ozone, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfate to mimic environmental aging of the plastics to elucidate the role that these processes play in the ice nucleating activity of MP. Results show that all studied MP act as immersion nuclei and aging processes can modify this ice nucleating activity, leading, primarily, to decreases in ice nucleating activity for LDPE, PP, and PET. The ice nucleating activity of PVC generally increased following aging which we attribute to a cleaning of chemical defects present on the surface of the stock material. Chemical changes were monitored with infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and the growth of a peak at 1650-1800 cm-1 was associated with a decrease in ice nucleating activity while loss of an existing peak in that region was associated with an increase in ice nucleating activity. The studied MP have ice nucleating activities sufficient to be a non-negligible source of ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere if present in sufficiently high concentrations.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-11-07
  • Added Creator Heidi Busse

    March 31, 2025 16:55 by maf43

  • Added Creator Devaka Dharmapriya Ariyasena

    March 31, 2025 16:55 by maf43

  • Added Creator Jessica Orris

    March 31, 2025 16:55 by maf43

  • Added Creator Miriam Freedman

    March 31, 2025 16:55 by maf43

  • Added Paper draft 14_formatting edits.docx

    March 31, 2025 16:56 by maf43

  • Added SI revised draft MP IN.pdf

    March 31, 2025 16:56 by maf43

  • Updated License Show Changes

    March 31, 2025 16:56 by maf43

    License
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
  • Published

    March 31, 2025 16:56 by maf43

  • Updated

    March 31, 2025 22:05 by [unknown user]

  • Updated Keyword, Publisher, Publisher Identifier (DOI) Show Changes

    April 17, 2025 12:20 by avs5190

    Keyword
    • Microplastics, Ice nucleation, Ozone , Photooxidation, Sulfuric acid, Ammonium sulfate, Immersion freezing, Atmosphere
    Publisher
    • Environmental Science and Technology: Air
    • ACS ES&T Air
    Publisher Identifier (DOI)
    • 10.1021/acsestair.4c00146
    • https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.4c00146
  • Renamed Creator Heidi L. Busse Show Changes

    April 17, 2025 12:21 by avs5190

    • Heidi Busse
    • Heidi L. Busse
  • Renamed Creator Miriam Arak Freedman Show Changes

    April 17, 2025 12:21 by avs5190

    • Miriam Freedman
    • Miriam Arak Freedman