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Migration and Transformation of Microplastics
Summary
This review traces the full journey of microplastics through the environment, from their origins to how they move through water, soil, and air. Researchers examined how properties like particle size, shape, density, and surface chemistry influence where microplastics end up and how far they travel. The study highlights that during transport, microplastics can release toxic additives and carry other pollutants, posing risks to both ecosystems and human health.
Microplastics have been widely detected in various environmental media, including water, soil, and the atmosphere. During their migration and transformation processes in the environment, they may release toxic additives and carry other pollutants, posing significant hazards to global ecosystems. While there have been numerous studies on the transport of microplastics, there is a limited summary of the influencing factors, particularly those related to the inherent characteristics of microplastics. Therefore, we present a comprehensive review of the entire journey of microplastics, from their sources of production to their migration and transport, encompassing the following aspects: (1) the sources and distribution characteristics of microplastics in water, soil, and atmosphere; (2) the biotic and abiotic transport of microplastics in water, soil, and atmosphere, along with the influencing factors during the transport process. These factors include the properties of microplastics themselves, such as shape, particle size, surface physicochemical properties, and density, as well as environmental conditions such as seawater salinity, hydrodynamics, soil texture, ion strength, precipitation, and UV radiation; and (3) the threats posed by microplastics to human health and ecological risks during the transport process.
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