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A comprehensive review on microplastics as vectors of chemical and biological pollutants
Summary
Tiny plastic bits (microplastics) found in water, soil, and food don't just pollute on their own—this review of existing research shows they can act like sponges, soaking up harmful chemicals and germs and carrying them into animals and ecosystems. Studies suggest plastics loaded with these pollutants can be more toxic than the pollutants alone, raising concerns about how much of this contaminated plastic might build up in the food chain—and potentially in us. More real-world research is needed to fully understand the risk, but this is a good reason to keep reducing plastic exposure where you can.
The increase in microplastics has the potential to cause harm to ecosystems and can also create a hazard through their role as a ‘transport vector’. This review offers a novel contribution by systematically mapping evidence from multiple studies. We present a synthesis of various pollutant categories and polymer types across both aquatic and terrestrial environments, providing a broader understanding of MPs’ role in pollutant transport. This study emphasizes the importance of real-world environmental factors, such as surface properties, pollutant characteristics, environmental conditions, and biofilms, that influence the adsorption and desorption of pollutants on MPs. By integrating the effects of biofilm formation and aging into a unified framework and comparing MPs with natural particles, we offer a nuanced perspective on how these factors jointly affect pollutant dynamics. Our findings highlight the complex, context-dependent nature of MPs as vectors and link it to raising concerns about pollutant bioavailability and ecological risks. Our evidence suggests that pollutant-loaded MPs are more toxic than unbound pollutants and contribute to bioaccumulation in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This review extends previous models, which focused on general adsorption principles derived from laboratory studies, by incorporating real-world dynamics and critically assessing the limitations of existing research. We emphasize the need for further studies in environmentally relevant conditions to better understand the ecological risks posed by MPs, which is essential for the development of effective mitigation strategies and informed policy decisions.