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The Sorption of a Polar Pollutant onto Micron-Sized Solids of Different Origins Under Environmentally Relevant Conditions and Assessment of Associated Toxicity Risks
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Tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can act like sponges, soaking up harmful chemicals from their environment—and this study found that plastics with more surface aging and structural changes absorb even more of these pollutants. When researchers exposed human cells to plastic particles carrying an absorbed toxic dye, cell survival dropped sharply, while the plain plastic particles alone caused no harm—suggesting it's not the microplastics themselves but the pollutants they carry that may pose the bigger health risk.
The scientific literature lacks sufficient data on the transport of various toxic pollutants by polymer particles. Investigating how the structure of microplastic particles formed during the degradation of polymeric materials affects pollutant sorption processes will improve our ability to predict environmental behavior. General-purpose polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, ABS plastic (acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene) and crosslinked polystyrene are produced on an industrial scale. Copolymers of styrene with divinylbenzene are used on a large scale as sorbents for gel permeation chromatography (Styragel brand sorbents), in the production of catalysts on a polymer substrate or ion-exchange resins. In this study, non-spherical, crosslinked polystyrene microparticles with varying polystyrene chain packing densities were used as model microplastic particles representative of crosslinked polystyrene. It was shown that the adsorption of a hazardous chemical rhodamine B was influenced by both the packing density of the polystyrene chains and the presence of ionic functional groups, i.e., the “degree of aging” of the microplastic particles. The sorption capacities of these model microparticles were compared with those of natural origin (silicon dioxide, quartz powder, and microcrystalline cellulose). A viability assay using HEK293 and HeLa cell lines exposed to leachates from both pristine and rhodamine B-loaded microparticles revealed that all unmodified microparticles, regardless of their nature, exhibited no cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 1000 μg/mL. In contrast, microparticles with adsorbed rhodamine B significantly reduced cell viability to 20–40% at concentrations of 100 μg/mL.
More Papers Like This
Aging of microplastics increases their adsorption affinity towards organic contaminants
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Researchers found that microplastics that have been weathered by sunlight and environmental exposure absorb significantly more chemical pollutants than fresh microplastics, with up to a 4.7-fold increase in adsorption. Ultraviolet exposure changes the surface chemistry of the plastics, making them stickier for contaminants. This matters because most microplastics in nature are weathered, meaning they may be carrying more toxic chemicals into the food chain than laboratory studies using new plastics would suggest.
Different Weathering Strategies Result in Different Surface Properties and Adsorption Behavior in Aged Microplastics
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Scientists found that when microplastics break down in the environment, *how* they weather (from sunlight, ozone, or other chemical exposure) changes their surface in different ways—and this affects how well they absorb other pollutants, like a compound related to fuel and pesticide breakdown. This matters because microplastics don't just pollute on their own; depending on how they've aged, they can act like sponges that pick up and carry additional harmful chemicals into our bodies and environment, meaning "aged" plastic isn't a single, predictable risk.
Microplastics as carriers of environmental contaminants: Implications for human exposure, toxicokinetics, and health risk.
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Tiny plastic particles found in our air, water, and food aren't just a problem on their own, this review pulls together existing research showing they can act like sponges, soaking up toxic chemicals like heavy metals, industrial pollutants, and even medications, then potentially carrying them into our bodies. Scientists have already found microplastics in human tissue, and this combination of plastic plus hitchhiking chemicals may pose greater health risks than either would alone, though more research is needed to fully understand the danger.
Influence of microplastic (LDPE, PET and uPVC) aging on the sorption of ten organic contaminants in water
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Researchers tested how environmental aging changes the ability of three types of microplastics (LDPE, PET, and uPVC) to absorb ten different organic contaminants from water, including pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Aged microplastics showed different sorption behavior compared to new plastics, which has important implications for how weathered plastic particles in wastewater or the environment carry and transport toxic chemicals.
Characteristics and adsorption behavior of typical microplastics in long-term accelerated weathering simulation
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Researchers tested how weathering from sunlight changes the ability of common microplastics to absorb pollutants like dyes and antibiotics. They found that weathered microplastics absorbed significantly more contaminants than fresh ones, and that biodegradable plastic (PBAT) absorbed up to 10 times more pollutants than traditional polyethylene after aging. This means microplastics in the environment, especially degradable types, may be carrying higher loads of harmful chemicals than expected, increasing the risk when they enter the food chain or water supply.
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