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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Marine & Wildlife Remediation Sign in to save

Metals and marine microplastics: Adsorption from the environment versus addition during manufacture, exemplified with lead

Water Research 2020 180 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Luke Holmes, Luke Holmes, Luke Holmes, Luke Holmes, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Luke Holmes, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Luke Holmes, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Luke Holmes, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Luke Holmes, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Fisher, Andrew Fisher, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Fisher, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Andrew Turner, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson

Summary

Researchers examined how lead associates with marine microplastics, comparing metal adsorbed from the environment versus lead added during manufacturing. The study found that lead present as a manufacturing additive in plastics reached concentrations up to 40,000 micrograms per gram, far exceeding the roughly 0.1 micrograms per gram from environmental adsorption. The findings suggest that ingestion exposure to lead from historical plastic additives and recyclate residues poses a greater concern than metals adsorbed from seawater.

Polymers
PE PVC

There are two means by which metals associate with microplastics in the aquatic environment. Firstly, they may be adsorbed to the plastic surface or hydrogenous-biogenic accumulations thereon, and secondly, they may be present in the polymeric matrix as functional additives or as reaction or recyclate residues. In this study, the relative significance of these associations is evaluated with respect to Pb in beached marine microplastics. Thus, adsorbed Pb was determined in <5 mm, neutrally-coloured polyethylene pellets that contained no detectable Pb added during manufacture by digestion in dilute aqua regia, while the bioaccessibility of this association was evaluated using an avian physiologically-based extraction test (PBET). Here, up to about 0.1 μg g of Pb was adsorbed to the plastic and between about 60 and 70% of the metal was accessible. Lead present as additive or residue was determined by x-ray fluorescence analysis of a wider range of beached plastics (polyolefins and polyvinyl chloride), with a selection of positive samples grated to mm-dimensions and subjected to the PBET. Here, total Pb concentrations up to 40,000 μg g and bioaccessibilities up to 16% were observed, with bioaccessible concentrations exceeding equivalent values for adsorbed Pb by several orders of magnitude. Ingestive exposure to Pb, and potentially other toxic metals, is more important through the presence of additives in historical plastics and recyclate residues in contemporary plastics than from adsorption, and it is recommended that future studies focus more on the environmental impacts and fate of metals bound in this form.

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