Reconstructing the Environmental Degradation of Polystyrene by Accelerated Weathering.

The fragmentation of macro- into microplastics (MP) is the main source of MP in the environment. Nevertheless, knowledge about degradation mechanisms, changes in chemical composition, morphology, and residence times is still limited. Here, we present a long-term accelerated weathering study on polystyrene (PS) tensile bars and MP particles using simulated solar radiation and mechanical stress.