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Microplastics interaction with bisphenol A: Adsorption, desorption, and in vitro biological effects
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Researchers studied how microplastics interact with bisphenol A (BPA), a known hormone disruptor, and found that weathered microplastics absorb and release more BPA than fresh ones. When BPA-loaded microplastics were tested on fat cells, liver cells, brain cells, and blood vessel cells, they triggered harmful effects including fat accumulation and inflammation. This shows that microplastics can act as delivery vehicles for harmful chemicals into the body, amplifying health risks beyond the plastic itself.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is an increasing environmental concern due to its persistence and potential risks to both ecosystems and human health. Additionally, MPs can adsorb and become vehicle of other pollutants and hazardous chemicals. Among these, Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine disruptor. This study investigates the effects of MPs exposure in multiple cell types (preadipocytes, hepatocytes, hypothalamic neurons, and endothelial cells), the adsorption/desorption dynamics of BPA on MPs and the biological effects of BPA-sorbed MPs. We employed 5 μm commercial polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), both in their pristine form and with carboxyl (-COOH) functionalization, mimicking surface oxidation resulting from environmental weathering. While exposure to a wide range of pristine PS-MPs concentrations did not affect cell viability, COOH-functionalized PS-MPs induced significant toxicity in neurons and endothelial cells at high concentrations (>100 μg/mL). Furthermore, COOH-functionalized MPs altered lipid accumulation during preadipocyte to adipocyte differentiation. Using an optimized HPLC-MS/MS method with online SPE, we quantified the adsorption of BPA onto PS-MPs in water and its subsequent desorption under physiological conditions, achieving detection and quantification limits (3 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL, respectively) that enabled accurate BPA measurements, particularly in desorption studies. COOH-functionalized PS-MPs exhibited higher BPA adsorption efficiency and an increased desorption in cell culture media (29 % adsorption; 45 % desorption) compared to pristine PS-MPs (23 % adsorption; 13 % desorption), suggesting that oxidized MPs may act as more effective carriers for toxic chemicals. However, when cells were exposed to BPA-sorbed PS-MPs, no synergistic effects between the two pollutants were observed. These findings underscore the pivotal role of MP surface chemistry in governing pollutant interactions and shaping biological responses. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of assessing pollutant adsorption onto MPs; this approach, rather than using simple co-exposure methods, is essential for studying the role of MPs as carriers of environmental pollutants in biological systems.
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A Comparison of the Adsorption Behavior of Bisphenol A by Microplastics From Different Sources
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Lab experiments showed that UV weathering of four common microplastic types — PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyolefin resin — consistently increased their ability to adsorb the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) by up to 19%, and in some cases changed the fundamental mechanism of adsorption. Acidic conditions and warmer temperatures amplified uptake, while higher plastic doses diluted it. Since weathered microplastics are what actually exist in the environment, these results suggest that aged particles are more potent BPA carriers than fresh plastic, worsening hormonal disruption risks in aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastics as potential bisphenol carriers: role of adsorbents, adsorbates, and environmental factors
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Laboratory experiments showed that four common microplastic types — polystyrene, polypropylene, polyamide, and PVC — all readily adsorb bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS), with polyamide showing the highest capacity. Adsorption was strongly influenced by polymer surface chemistry, bisphenol hydrophobicity, temperature, and salinity. Because bisphenols are potent endocrine disruptors, microplastics acting as their environmental carriers could amplify human and wildlife exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.
Desorption of bisphenol A from microplastics under simulated gastrointestinal conditions
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Researchers investigated bisphenol A desorption from three types of microplastics under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, finding that ingested microplastics can release adsorbed BPA during digestion, posing potential health risks.
Determination of Bisphenol Compounds and the Bioaccumulation after Co-Exposure with Polyethylene Microplastics in Zebrafish
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Researchers developed a method to measure how bisphenol A and bisphenol S accumulate in zebrafish tissues when microplastics are also present. They found that microplastics increased the accumulation of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in fish tissues, with BPA building up more than BPS. The evidence indicates that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the uptake of harmful chemicals by aquatic organisms.
Is bisphenol A sorbed onto microplastics less bioavailable than freely dissolved bisphenol A? Implications for the gut health in a murine model
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Using an in vivo rat model, researchers tested whether bisphenol A adsorbed onto microplastics is less bioavailable in the gastrointestinal tract than freely dissolved BPA, finding that plastic-bound BPA showed altered absorption kinetics and different hormonal effects than dissolved BPA.
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