Microplastics (MPs) have gained significant attention in society due to their harmful effects on the environment and human health. MPs are considered plastic particles with the size below 5 mm. Mostly (69 – 81 %) they are created via fragmentation from large plastics due to physical, mechanical, biological or chemical degradation (Anik et al. 2021). The main accelerators for the formation of MPs are abrasion, UV radiation, heat, as well as different biological factors. These are the conditions to which construction materials are exposed on regular basis during the service. Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are one of these materials that have to deal with harsh environmental conditions. Based on the current knowledge, it is believed that WPCs are environmentally friendly materials, however, they have not been evaluated from the perspective of MPs. Considering that WPCs partly (30 – 70 %) consist of plastic and they are mainly used outdoors, it is very likely that they can be a source of MPs. These aspects have had minor attention in the literature. The goal of the study is to evaluate the risk of MPs formation from WPCs during weathering by analysing the changes on the surface.
Keywords: wood plastic composites, microplastics, weathering
Authors
Edgars Kuka
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
Dace Cirule
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
Lotars Olivers Vasiljevs
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
Errj Sansonetti
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
Ingeborga Andersone
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
Bruno Andersons
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Latvia
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