Surface Acidity of Hydrous Ultrafine Plastics Particles in Simple Electrolyte

The widespread use of plastics in modern society has brought about emerging plastic pollution because of high persistency and low biodegradability. Several environmental stresses ultimately render plastic debris to ultrafine plastics particles (UFP, d < 1 µm), thereby threating the eco-environment because of large specific surface area, increasing affinity toward contaminants thus elevated nanotoxicity. Surface chemistry, specifically surface acidity, governs the transport, biotic and abiotic transformation of UFP in the environment, by mechanisms such as interactions with natural colloids, adsorption of contaminants, and adhesion of microbes. Nevertheless, the origin of surface acidity of UFP and its role in pollutant transport in the aquatic environment has not been explored fully.