We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Spectroscopic evidence for adsorption of natural organic matter on microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used Raman spectroscopy to directly detect natural organic matter (NOM) binding to low-density polyethylene microplastics, providing clearer evidence of this interaction than previous solution-based measurements. This matters because when microplastics become coated with organic matter in rivers and lakes, their surface properties change — affecting how they transport pollutants, interact with organisms, and move through aquatic ecosystems.
Abstract The interaction of microcroplastics (MP) with dissolved organic matter, especially humic substances, is of great importance in understanding the behavior of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. Surface modification by humic substances plays an essential role in transport and interaction of MP with abiotic and biotic components. Previous studies on the interaction between MP and humic substances were largely based on a model compound, humic acid (Sigma‐Aldrich). In our work, we therefore investigated the interaction of natural organic matter (NOM) sampled from a German surface water with low‐density polyethylene particles (LDPE). High‐pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and UV/vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the incubation solutions after modifications due to the presence of LDPE, and Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the incubated microplastics. While the studies of the solutions generally showed only very small effects, Raman spectroscopic studies allowed clear evidence of the binding of humic fractions to MP. The comparison of the incubation of NOM and a lignite fulvic acid which also was tested further showed that specific signatures of the humic substances used could be detected by Raman spectroscopy. This provides an elegant opportunity to conduct broader studies on this issue in the future.
More Papers Like This
A Raman imaging study of the ecocorona surrounding microplastics in aquatic environments
AI summary Read the abstract
This Raman imaging study characterized the eco-corona that forms around microplastics in natural water, identifying the organic molecules and biomolecules that coat plastic particles when they enter aquatic environments. Understanding the eco-corona is important because it alters the surface properties of microplastics and can influence how organisms interact with and ingest them.
Interplay between microplastics and natural organic matter in association with environmental processes
AI summary Read the abstract
This review explores how microplastics interact with natural organic matter—the dissolved and particulate carbon that permeates soils and waterways—and how these interactions alter microplastic transport, surface chemistry, and biological availability. Because natural organic matter coats microplastics and changes their behavior, ignoring this interplay leads to underestimates of how far and how dangerously microplastics spread through ecosystems.
Mountains of Plastic: Mismanaged Plastic Waste Along the Carpathian Watercourses
AI summary
This research investigated the interaction between microplastics and dissolved organic matter in freshwater systems, finding that natural organic coatings substantially altered particle surface properties and biological uptake rates. Organic matter conditioning of microplastic surfaces enhanced aggregation and sedimentation, affecting particle residence time and bioavailability in lake and river environments.
Exploring different effects of biofilm formation and natural organic matter adsorption on the properties of three typical microplastics in the freshwater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared how natural biofilm growth versus dissolved organic matter adsorption changes the surface properties of three common microplastics in freshwater. Biofilm formation deposited more material and reduced surface area, while organic matter adsorption created pores and cracks that actually increased surface area, indicating early-stage plastic degradation. Both processes reduced the water-repelling properties of the plastics, which affects how microplastics behave and move through aquatic environments.
Microplastics and organic contaminants: Investigation of the sorption process on different polymer types
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated sorption of organic contaminants onto microplastics collected from environmental samples, finding that real-world MPs had different sorption capacities than laboratory-prepared particles due to surface aging, biofouling, and co-sorption of natural organic matter.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.