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Microplastics as an emerging threat to ecosystems: a comprehensive review of their interactions with contaminants, toxicological implications, monitoring and remediation strategies
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This review pulls together over 200 studies to show that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) found everywhere, from oceans to the air we breathe, don't just pollute on their own, but act like tiny magnets that pick up and carry other harmful substances, including toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and even radioactive material. This matters because it means microplastics could be sneaking these extra toxins into our bodies and food chains in ways we don't fully understand yet, and the researchers stress we urgently need better tools to detect and clean up this combined contamination.
Microplastics have emerged as pervasive and persistent pollutants across marine, freshwater, terrestrial and atmospheric environments. Their small size and environmental persistence facilitate wide dispersal and long-term accumulation, posing significant ecological and human health risks. Beyond their intrinsic effects, microplastics act as carriers for environmental contaminants, including hydrophobic organic compounds, heavy metals and radionuclides, thereby influencing their transport, bioavailability and trophic transfer. This review synthesizes findings from approximately 235 studies (2004-2025) to provide an integrated understanding of microplastics-contaminant interactions, associated toxicological implications and the effectiveness of current monitoring, detection and remediation strategies. Interactions of microplastics with organic pollutants and heavy metals are first comprehensively discussed to establish a broad and unified framework of contaminant dynamics. Against this background, the review presents a focused and in-depth evaluation of microplastics-radionuclide interactions, an area that remains comparatively underexplored. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of aqueous speciation, oxidation state and competitive ions in governing radionuclide sorption mechanisms. This review critically evaluates the outcomes of existing studies to synthesize current limitations and advancements in microplastics research. By identifying key knowledge gaps and highlighting emerging research directions, it aims to support the development of informed mitigation strategies.
More Papers Like This
A comprehensive review on microplastics as vectors of chemical and biological pollutants
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This review pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) don't just pollute on their own — they can act like sponges, soaking up other harmful chemicals and even microbes from their surroundings and carrying them into the environment and food chain. This matters because plastic-bound pollutants appear to be more toxic and more likely to build up in living organisms than those same pollutants floating freely, raising concerns about how much these "hitchhiking" toxins could affect human health through contaminated food and water. The authors call for more real-world testing to better understand these risks and guide future safety regulations.
Microplastics–Pollutant Interactions in Environmental Systems: Mechanisms, Ecological Effects, and Implications for Sustainable Management
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Tiny plastic bits called microplastics don't just pollute on their own—they can act like sponges, soaking up other harmful chemicals from water, soil, and air, then carrying and releasing them in ways that make those toxins more likely to build up in animals and move up the food chain. This review pulls together existing research to explain how that process works and why it matters, since these plastic-chemical combos may increase human exposure to pollutants through our food and environment. The authors also point to practical fixes—like better wastewater treatment and monitoring—that could help reduce this compounded risk.
A review on the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and their attached pollutants
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals — and how these combinations produce toxic effects in organisms that are more severe than either contaminant alone. The findings highlight a complex, layered toxicity problem that affects microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates across marine and terrestrial environments.
Microplastics and environmental pollutants: Key interaction and toxicology in aquatic and soil environments
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This review tracks how microplastics move through soil, water, and air ecosystems, acting as carriers for other pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals. When microplastics absorb these toxins, the combined effect on organisms can be worse than either pollutant alone. The paper highlights the need for better understanding of how these pollutant combinations affect ecosystems and ultimately human health through contaminated food and water.
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.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.