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Impact of polyamide microplastics on riparian sediment structures and Cd(II) adsorption: A comparison of natural exposure, dry-wet cycles, and freeze-thaw cycles
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This study looked at how polyamide microplastics affect riverbank sediments and their ability to absorb cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, under different weather conditions like freeze-thaw and dry-wet cycles. Microplastics destabilized the sediment structure and changed how organic matter behaved, which in turn altered how cadmium moved through the environment. These findings suggest microplastics in waterways could change how toxic metals travel and potentially reach drinking water sources.
Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in sediments has posed a huge threat to freshwater ecosystems. However, it is still unclear the effect of MPs on riparian sediment structures and contaminant adsorption under different hydrological processes. In this study, three concentrations of polyamide (PA) MPs-treated sediments (0.1%, 1%, and 10%, w/w) were subjected to natural (NA) exposure, dry-wet (DW) cycles, and freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. The results indicated that PA MPs-added sediment increased the micro-aggregates by 10.1%-18.6% after FT cycles, leading to a decrease in aggregate stability. The pH, OM, and DOC of sediments were significantly increased in DW and FT treatments. In addition, the increasing concentration of PA MPs showed an obvious decrease in aromaticity, humification, and molecular weight of sediment DOM in FT treatments. Also, high level of MPs was more likely to inhibit the formation of humic-like substances and tryptophan-like proteins. For DW and FT cycles, 0.1% and 1% PA MPs-treated sediments slightly increased the adsorption capacity of Cd(II), which may be ascribed to the aging of MPs. Further correlation analysis found that DW and FT altered the link between DOM indicators, and aggregate stability was directly related to the changes in sediment organic carbon. Our findings revealed the ecological risk of MPs accumulating in riparian sediments under typical hydrological processes.
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Six types of microplastics were found to change how cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) binds to and moves through river sediments. The presence of microplastics altered cadmium adsorption behavior, suggesting that plastics in river sediments can affect the mobility and bioavailability of co-occurring heavy metal pollutants.
[Effects of Aging on the Cd Adsorption by Microplastics and the Relevant Mechanisms].
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This study examined how aging affects the ability of microplastics — including polyethylene and polystyrene — to adsorb the heavy metal cadmium. Weathered microplastics showed different adsorption behavior than virgin particles, which has implications for how microplastics transport toxic metals through aquatic environments.
Study on the Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environment before and after the Aging of Typical Microplastics
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Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of heavy metals by typical microplastics before and after environmental aging, finding that aging significantly alters microplastics' surface properties and capacity to bind metals such as cadmium and lead in aquatic systems.
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A 60-day sediment incubation study showed that biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PHA) lowered sediment pH and organic matter content, shifting cadmium into more mobile acid-soluble chemical forms and increasing its bioavailability—with smaller particle sizes and higher concentrations having the greatest effect. The finding challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safe, revealing that even these alternatives can amplify heavy metal toxicity in contaminated sediments and pose compounded risks to aquatic life and food safety.
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