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Interactions between Nanoplastics and Heavy Metals in Freshwater Ecosystems: A Systematic Review of Adsorption Mechanisms, Combined Toxicity, and Ecological Risk
Summary
Tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can act like magnets for toxic heavy metals in rivers and lakes, potentially carrying them into fish and other wildlife more easily than either pollutant would manage alone. This review pulls together existing research to show that whether this combo becomes more or less dangerous depends on factors like water chemistry and plastic type, but it means we may be underestimating pollution risks by studying plastics and metals separately. Since these contaminants can move up the food chain, this matters for anyone eating freshwater fish or relying on freshwater sources, though more real-world research is needed to know the actual risk
This systematic review critically synthesizes experimental and observational evidence on nanoplastic–heavy metal interactions in freshwater ecosystems, focusing on adsorption, speciation, transport, bioavailability, combined toxicity, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and ecological effects across multiple levels of biological organisation. It considers key modifying factors, including nanoplastic properties (polymer type, size, surface functionalisation, concentration), metal identity, exposure duration, concentration ratios, and environmental variables such as pH, dissolved organic matter, and ionic strength. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, literature from Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science will be screened and assessed for methodological quality. The synthesis evaluates whether combined exposure yields synergistic, antagonistic, additive, null, or context-dependent outcomes, and critically examines underlying mechanisms. By assessing the extrapolability of laboratory findings to environmentally realistic conditions, the review identifies principal physicochemical and experimental drivers of interaction patterns, highlights major evidence gaps and methodological limitations, and proposes priorities for future research and ecological risk assessment of co-occurring nanoplastic and heavy-metal contamination in freshwaters.