We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Interactions of microplastics, dissolved organic matter, and coexisting pollutants: Mechanisms, environmental implications, and knowledge gaps
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the three-way interactions between microplastics, dissolved organic matter, and coexisting pollutants, synthesizing how microplastic-DOM adsorption influences contaminant behavior and fate in the environment. The authors identify the dual roles of environmental DOM and microplastic-derived DOM in regulating pollutant adsorption, mobility, and toxicity as a critical knowledge gap.
Microplastics (MPs) are an important type of emerging pollutants, which can affect the behavior and effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and other pollutants. However, a comprehensive review of the effects of MP-DOM interactions on coexisting pollutants is lacking, in particular for the dual roles of environmental DOM and MPs-derived DOM in regulating the pollutant behavior. This would significantly limit understanding of the behavior, fate, and risk of environmental pollutants. Therefore, this paper summarizes the adsorption behaviors of DOM on MPs, the influence of DOM on the interactions between MPs and coexisting pollutants, as well as the characteristics and effects of MPs-derived DOM (MPs-DOM). On one hand, DOM can be adsorbed by MPs through several mechanisms, such as hydrophobic partitioning, π-π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. This can be enhanced by the aging of MPs, which changes the surface properties of MPs. The influence of surrounding DOM on the interactions between MPs and coexisting pollutants is determined by the net effect of competitive adsorption/surface coverage (inhibition) and bridging effect (promotion). On the other hand, MPs can leach organic compounds into the DOM pool. The MPs-DOM is mainly composed of the CHO molecules (containing C, H, and O) and the unsaturated lignin-like compounds, along with protein-like and phenol-like fluorescent components. MPs-DOM has higher bioavailability (9.5 %-85 %) than natural organic matter, which can result in more greenhouse gas emissions. MPs-DOM can also affect the speciation, behavior, and fate of environmental pollutants by either complexing with them or affecting their degradation. However, several knowledge gaps remain unclear, and future research is required to reveal the different roles of biodegradable and conventional MPs in changing the DOM cycle, especially to identify the MPs-absorbed molecules, the biologically labile molecules of MPs-DOM, and the molecular-level coupling between photochemical and microbial degradation of MPs-DOM.
More Papers Like This
Coupling between Increased Amounts of Microplastics and Dissolved Organic Compounds in Water
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Interactions between Microplastics and Dissolved Organic Matter in the Fresh Water Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This review explores how microplastics interact with dissolved organic matter (DOM) — the complex mixture of carbon compounds found in rivers and lakes — and what that means for freshwater ecosystems. Microplastics readily bind to DOM, altering its distribution in sediments and affecting the microbial communities that depend on it for food and energy. DOM can also change how far microplastics travel and how available they are to aquatic organisms. The interplay between these two classes of contaminant complicates efforts to predict microplastic behavior in the environment.
Research progress on environmental occurrence of microplastics and their interaction mechanism with organic pollutants
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes how microplastics in the environment interact with organic pollutants—adsorbing, carrying, and releasing them. Microplastics act as mobile carriers for persistent organic chemicals, altering their distribution and toxicity in ecosystems and the organisms, including humans, that consume them.
Interaction of Dissolved Organic Matter with Particulate Plastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This book chapter examines how dissolved organic matter interacts with plastic particles in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The author discusses how organic coatings on microplastics affect their surface properties, transport behavior, and interactions with microorganisms.
Interactions Between Microplastics and Organic Pollutants in Aquatic Systems: Impacts on Environmental Fate, Transport, and Risk Assessment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics interact with organic pollutants in aquatic environments, finding that sorption is highly context-dependent and influenced by polymer type, pollutant chemistry, and weathering, while detection of MPs in human tissues raises ongoing concerns about inflammation, immune disruption, and endocrine effects that current analytical methods cannot fully resolve.
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.