Current advances in interactions between microplastics and dissolved organic matters in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Interaction of Microplastics and Organic Pollutants: Quantification, Environmental Fates, and Ecological Consequences

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Microplastics act as vectors for organic pollutants such as pesticides and industrial chemicals, concentrating and transporting these toxins to organisms that ingest the particles, amplifying exposure beyond what either contaminant would cause alone. This combined pollution effect complicates environmental risk assessments and underscores why microplastic contamination is more dangerous than particle counts alone suggest.

Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter: Release Pattern, Chemical Properties, Environmental Risk, and Impact on Carbon Cycling

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This review examines microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter (MPs-DOM), which plastic debris releases at an estimated 23,600 tons annually into surface waters, covering its chemical properties, release patterns, and interactions with metals, microorganisms, and the carbon cycle. MPs-DOM represents a largely overlooked secondary pollution pathway through which microplastics extend their environmental impact well beyond the particles themselves.

Yields and characterization of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter from different polymers under varying leaching conditions

Occurrence and Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems

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Researchers reviewed how microplastics — now present in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe — accumulate in and harm both aquatic and land-based ecosystems, highlighting the broad reach of plastic pollution as a threat to wildlife and potentially to human health.

Influence of microplastic on the aquatic ecosystem