GoKawiilColumbia study finds microplastics generate reactive oxygen species in water
A Nature study led by Columbia chemist Wei Min found that polystyrene microplastics are not chemically inert when placed in water, instead generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) at their water-contact surface. In lab tests, polystyrene powder stirred into a water-based dye solution broke down nearly 90 percent of the dye over 10 days, an effect that did not occur in non-water solvents like ethanol.