Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation
The global outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an extreme increase in the use of disposable masks. If the used disposable masks are not appropriately disposed of, they will enter the natural environment and lead to environmental pollution. In order to understand the impacts o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/2/170 |
| _version_ | 1797478987186831360 |
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| author | Xinhao Liu Wei Cao Linqing Xie Chengjun Sun Fenghua Jiang |
| author_facet | Xinhao Liu Wei Cao Linqing Xie Chengjun Sun Fenghua Jiang |
| author_sort | Xinhao Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The global outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an extreme increase in the use of disposable masks. If the used disposable masks are not appropriately disposed of, they will enter the natural environment and lead to environmental pollution. In order to understand the impacts of disposable masks after being disposed of into the natural environment, aging experiments with simulated natural conditions were performed on the outer, inner, and middle layers of the masks to verify the aging characteristics of disposable masks. We analyzed the mechanical behavior, surface morphology, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra of disposable masks treated with different levels of UV irradiation to understand the possible changes in the masks under UV. Results showed that the elongation at break, tensile strength, and maximum force of all three polypropylene (PP) mask layers decreased after UV irradiation, indicating chemical bond breakage. In the process of photoaging, each layer of the disposable masks showed a different degree of microscopic surface changes after UV irradiation, and these changes gradually intensified with the extension of UV exposure time. FT-IR results showed that functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carbonyl groups increased in each layer after UV irradiation. The results of this study support that, although the different layers of the disposable masks are all made of PP, they age differently in the environment. With the ever-increasing number of disposable masks in the environment, we need to further study the aging and degradation of disposable masks to better understand their potential impacts on the environment in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:39:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa421757fb154a2e80105600e3f78250 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:39:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa421757fb154a2e80105600e3f782502023-11-23T20:34:39ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122022-01-0110217010.3390/jmse10020170Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV IrradiationXinhao Liu0Wei Cao1Linqing Xie2Chengjun Sun3Fenghua Jiang4Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao 266061, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao 266061, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao 266061, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao 266061, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao 266061, ChinaThe global outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an extreme increase in the use of disposable masks. If the used disposable masks are not appropriately disposed of, they will enter the natural environment and lead to environmental pollution. In order to understand the impacts of disposable masks after being disposed of into the natural environment, aging experiments with simulated natural conditions were performed on the outer, inner, and middle layers of the masks to verify the aging characteristics of disposable masks. We analyzed the mechanical behavior, surface morphology, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra of disposable masks treated with different levels of UV irradiation to understand the possible changes in the masks under UV. Results showed that the elongation at break, tensile strength, and maximum force of all three polypropylene (PP) mask layers decreased after UV irradiation, indicating chemical bond breakage. In the process of photoaging, each layer of the disposable masks showed a different degree of microscopic surface changes after UV irradiation, and these changes gradually intensified with the extension of UV exposure time. FT-IR results showed that functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carbonyl groups increased in each layer after UV irradiation. The results of this study support that, although the different layers of the disposable masks are all made of PP, they age differently in the environment. With the ever-increasing number of disposable masks in the environment, we need to further study the aging and degradation of disposable masks to better understand their potential impacts on the environment in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/2/170photoagingdisposable maskspolypropylenemechanical performancescanning electron microscopeFT-IR spectra |
| spellingShingle | Xinhao Liu Wei Cao Linqing Xie Chengjun Sun Fenghua Jiang Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation Journal of Marine Science and Engineering photoaging disposable masks polypropylene mechanical performance scanning electron microscope FT-IR spectra |
| title | Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation |
| title_full | Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation |
| title_fullStr | Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation |
| title_short | Photoaging Characteristics of Disposable Masks under UV Irradiation |
| title_sort | photoaging characteristics of disposable masks under uv irradiation |
| topic | photoaging disposable masks polypropylene mechanical performance scanning electron microscope FT-IR spectra |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/2/170 |
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