Micro and nano-particles of expanded polystyrene exposed to sunlight

Abstract

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) was used to sunlight exposure because it is one of most common litter items and highly susceptible to UV as well as mechanical weathering. The EPS cube was placed in borosilicate petri-dish and covered with quartz chamber to transmit sunlight and naturally weathered on the roof of our laboratory located at Goeje Island, South Korea. The produced particles by sunlight exposure was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy. Approximately 3-70 million micro sized particles and 20-900 million nano sized particles per square centimeter were produced after 3, 6, 7, 9 and 24-month exposure. The number of particles increased according to the exposure duration. The average size of fragmented particles was comparable by increasing exposure time. By the weight loss of EPS cube, the fragmentation rate was calculated.