We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Comparative Interaction of Pesticides with Microplastics and Soil Organic Matter: A Molecular Simulation Study
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists used computer simulations to study how microplastics in soil interact with common pesticides, and found that certain plastics (like the kind used in food packaging and plastic mulch) can actually bind to pesticides and help carry them through soil. This matters because it suggests microplastics might act as "delivery vehicles" that spread pesticide contamination further into farmland and, potentially, our food and water supply than previously thought.
Microplastics (MPs), a type of emerging persistent pollutant, are attracting increasing attention from both scholars and governments. Agricultural soil is considered an important sink for MPs due to the use of plastic mulches and the application of sewage sludge to fields. Widely used pesticides often coexist with MPs in soils, potentially causing co-contamination that threatens the ecosystem. The interaction between pesticides and soil organic matter (SOM) influences the behavior and toxicity of pesticides in the soil environment, and MPs may participate in this interaction. Preliminary theoretical studies using a combination of molecular mechanics (MM), molecular dynamics (MD), and quantum mechanics (QM) simulations revealed that model MPs and fragments of humic substances (HS) exhibited different adsorption affinities for chlorpyrifos (CPF), a model organophosphorus pesticide, in both vacuum and water. Polypropylene (PP) MPs showed significantly higher adsorption capacity than HS in vacuum, while HS outperformed polyethylene (PE) MPs in water significantly. Furthermore, PP consistently exhibited a significantly higher adsorption capacity than PE regardless of the medium. The adsorption between HS and CPF, as well as between MPs and CPF, was attributed to physical interaction. Furthermore, van der Waals interactions contributed to the mechanism underlying the interactions of MPs/HS with CPF. These findings theoretically demonstrate that MPs can serve as important vectors for the migration of pesticides through the soil system. This work offers a new perspective on the role of MPs in the environmental behavior and toxic effects of pesticides under field-relevant conditions.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics as pesticide vectors in soil: bridging aqueous insights to terrestrial co-contamination risks and ecosystem impacts
AI summary Read the abstract
This review of existing research finds that tiny plastic particles in soil can act like sponges, grabbing onto pesticides and helping them stick around longer, especially plastics that have started breaking down outdoors. That combo may stress soil organisms more than either pollutant alone, raising concerns about impacts on crops and, potentially, the food we eat, though more research is needed to confirm long-term risks.
Interactions of Microplastics with Pesticides in Soils and Their Ecotoxicological Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics interact with pesticides in soil environments, finding that microplastics can sorb and transport pesticides, potentially altering their bioavailability and toxicity to soil organisms and ecosystems.
Theoretical Studies in Molecular Dynamics and DFT of the Interaction between Imidacloprid in Polyethylene and Polypropylene Surfaces
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used computational chemistry to model how the pesticide imidacloprid interacts with polyethylene and polypropylene microplastic surfaces. They found that the pesticide can adsorb onto both types of plastic, with polypropylene showing stronger binding in certain conditions. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soils could act as carriers for pesticides, potentially altering how these chemicals spread through the environment.
Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics as environmental carriers of 2,4-D, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin: a DFT, QTAIM, and NCI study of interaction mechanisms and binding energetics
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists used computer simulations to study how common plastic pollution (from bags and pipes) sticks to widely used pesticides and weed killers, to understand whether microplastics could act as tiny "rafts" that carry these chemicals through the environment. The study found the plastics and pesticides do bind together weakly, mainly through gentle chemical attractions, but this pairing doesn't happen easily on its own under normal conditions. This matters because if microplastics can pick up and transport pesticides, they could potentially carry these chemicals into water, soil, food, and eventually our bodies, though this early-stage computer modeling is just a
Micro- and Nanoplastics–Pesticide Interactions in Agricultural Systems: Environmental Fate and Food Safety: A Critical Review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review of existing research finds that tiny plastic particles in soil can change how pesticides behave, sometimes making them more persistent or harmful. Scientists still don't know enough about how this combo of plastics and pesticides ends up in the food we eat, so more research is needed before we can fully judge the risk to human health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.