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Caffeine has low affinity for polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments (and vice versa)
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Researchers investigated sorption interactions between polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and caffeine under environmentally relevant concentrations and neutral pH conditions. They found minimal sorption of caffeine onto polystyrene particles and negligible changes to particle surface properties, suggesting these two common aquatic pollutants have limited physicochemical interaction under typical environmental conditions.
Despite the increasing occurrence of microplastics (MPs), nanoplastics (NPs), and pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) in the environment, the understanding of their physicochemical interactions in aquatic systems remains limited. We studied the interactions of polystyrene MPs and NPs (PSMP/NPs) with caffeine (CAF) in neutral pH conditions. Namely, the sorption of CAF onto PSMP/NPs was quantified for solutions at low (10 μg/L) and high (100 μg/L) environmentally relevant CAF concentrations. Additionally, we conducted physicochemical characterization of the PSMP/NPs, examining size, charge, and functional groups to evaluate changes occurring before and after interaction with CAF. We determined minimal sorption of CAF and negligible changes to the surface properties of PSMP/NPs under neutral conditions. This study contributes to the understanding of how mixtures of major emergent pollutants (microplastics, nanoplastics, and caffeine) may interact in aquatic ecosystems.
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Researchers tested untreated coffee grounds as a low-cost biosorbent for removing nanoplastics from water, finding up to 74% removal efficiency across a wide pH range within 40 minutes, with electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding between coffee ground surface groups and the polystyrene particles driving adsorption.
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics and wastewater micropollutants had antagonistic toxic effects when combined, because the nanoplastics sorbed positively charged pollutants through electrostatic interactions, reducing their bioavailability to aquatic organisms.
A preliminary study of the interactions between microplastics and citrate-coated silver nanoparticles in aquatic environments
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Researchers investigated interactions between citrate-coated silver nanoparticles and three types of microplastics, finding that polystyrene efficiently removed silver nanoparticles from solution via π-π interactions, while polyethylene and polypropylene showed no significant interaction. The study provides first evidence that plastic type governs the co-transport of nanoparticles with microplastics in aquatic environments.
Effects of size and surface charge on the sedimentation of nanoplastics in freshwater
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Researchers investigated how size and surface charge of polystyrene nanoplastics affect their sedimentation behavior in freshwater, finding that both properties significantly influence aggregation dynamics and settling rates, with implications for predicting nanoplastic fate in aquatic environments.
Interfacial interaction between micro/nanoplastics and typical PPCPs and nanoplastics removal via electrosorption from an aqueous solution
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Researchers synthesized nanoscale polystyrene particles and investigated how they adsorb common pharmaceuticals and personal care products, specifically ciprofloxacin and bisphenol A. The study also explored electrosorption as a method for removing nanoplastics from water, providing insights into both the environmental behavior of nanoplastics and potential remediation strategies.
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.