Article
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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Environmental Sources
Remediation
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Adsorption of heavy metals on biodegradable and conventional microplastics in the Pearl River Estuary, China
Environmental Pollution2023
74 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 65
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Zhen Yuan,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Zhen Yuan,
Qun Xie,
Qun Xie,
Min Shi,
Qun Xie,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Zhen Yuan,
Zhen Yuan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Min Shi,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Qun Xie,
Zhen Yuan,
Zhenliang Li,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Yun-Feng Pan,
Min Shi,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Min Shi,
Zhen Yuan,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Heng-Xiang Li,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Lang Lin,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Yun-Feng Pan,
Lang Lin,
Zhenliang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Zhenliang Li,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Qun Xie,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Yun-Feng Pan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Zhen Yuan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Zhen Yuan,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Zhen Yuan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Zhen Yuan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Heng-Xiang Li,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Lang Lin,
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Heng-Xiang Li,
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Xiang‐Rong Xu
Summary
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics absorb heavy metals in an estuary environment over 12 months. Biodegradable microplastics absorbed more copper, lead, and arsenic than conventional plastics, suggesting they may actually pose greater risks as carriers of toxic metals. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment, since they can concentrate dangerous heavy metals and potentially transfer them into the food chain.
Study Type
Environmental
In recent years, microplastics (MPs) as emerging carriers for environmental pollutants have attracted increasing worldwide attention. However, the adsorption of heavy metals on MPs, especially for biodegradable MPs, has been still poorly understood in estuarine environments. In this study, we investigated the aging of biodegradable and conventional MPs in the Pearl River Estuary after long-term exposure and their impacts on the adsorption of heavy metals from seawater. The results showed that the changes in surface characteristics were more prominent on biodegradable MPs than on conventional MPs after aging. Both biodegradable and conventional MPs could adsorb heavy metals, and their adsorption capacities fluctuated greatly on different MPs and different exposure times. The adsorption capacities of Cu, Pb, and As on biodegradable MPs were higher than those on conventional MPs, whereas Mn, Cr, and Co had lower adsorption on biodegradable MPs after 9-12 months by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The aging characteristics (CI, O/C, and X) of MPs accounted for a contribution of 51.0% on heavy metal adsorption, while the environmental factors (temperature, salinity, pH, and heavy metal concentration) only contributed to 13.2%. Therefore, the present study can provide important evidence on the environmental behaviors and ecological risks of biodegradable and conventional MPs in estuarine systems.