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Coupling between Increased Amounts of Microplastics and Dissolved Organic Compounds in Water
Summary
This review synthesizes current knowledge on how microplastics in freshwater interact with dissolved organic compounds (DOC), acting as both absorbers and releasers of organic chemicals through hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, and pi-pi stacking. The authors identify a critical gap: while much is known about how MPs adsorb specific pollutants, almost nothing is known about how growing MP concentrations alter the natural dissolved organic matter cycle in lakes and rivers — a potentially major but overlooked ecological impact.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is a rapidly spreading global problem, threatening the use and sustainability of freshwater resources. MPs in water can act as both a source and sink of dissolved organic compounds. This review summarizes the current knowledge of interactions between MPs and dissolved organic compounds, including the adsorption and release of dissolved organic compounds by MPs and the impacts of MPs on the source and sink of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic ecosystems. The key mechanisms for the adsorption of dissolved organic compounds on MPs are hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, and π–π interactions. Particle size, morphological characteristics, density, and environmental factors (pH, ionic strength, and UV radiation) have a great influence on the adsorption of dissolved organic compounds on MPs. Although research on the interactions between dissolved organic compounds and MPs has progressed rapidly, to date, research on the impacts of increasing amounts of MPs on natural DOM cycles (production, transformation, and fate) in aquatic ecosystems has been very limited. Knowledge gaps and future research directions are outlined at the end of this review.