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Source, transport, and toxicity of emerging contaminants in aquatic environments: A review on recent studies
Summary
This review examines emerging contaminants in water, with a focus on how microplastics act as carriers for other pollutants due to their strong ability to absorb chemicals. When microplastics carry these hitchhiking pollutants, the combined effect on aquatic organisms can be amplified thousands of times as they move up the food chain. The findings highlight how microplastic pollution does not just add plastic to the environment but also concentrates and transports other harmful chemicals toward humans.
Emerging contaminants (ECs) are gaining global attention owing to their widespread presence and adverse effects on human health. ECs comprise numerous composite types and pose a potential threat to the growth and functional traits of species and ecosystems. Although the occurrence and fate of ECs has been extensively studied, little is known about their long-term biological effects. This review attempts to gain insights into the unhindered connections and overlaps in aquatic ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs), one of the most representative ECs, are carriers of other pollutants because of their strong adsorption capacity. They form a complex of pollutants that can be transmitted to aquatic organisms and humans through the extended food chain, increasing the concentration of pollutants by tens of thousands of times. Adsorption, interaction and transport effects of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment are also discussed. Furthermore, the current state of knowledge on the ecotoxicity of single- and two-pollutant models is presented. Herein, we discuss how aquatic organisms within complex food networks may be particularly vulnerable to harm from ECs in the presence of perturbations. This review provides an advanced understanding of the interactions and potential toxic effects of ECs on aquatic organisms.
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