Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of microplastic additive release in aquatic environments

Effect of aging on the release of additives and the toxicity of microplastics

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Researchers found that environmental aging of PVC microplastics increases their toxicity to intestinal cells, with aged particles causing greater oxidative stress, reduced tight junction integrity, and elevated paracellular permeability compared to non-aged particles. Aging also depleted plasticizer additives like DEHP while generating the toxic metabolite MEHP, indicating that weathered microplastics pose greater gut health risks than fresh ones.

Les additifs issus des microplastiques : caractérisation, lixiviation et impacts

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This review characterizes plastic additives leaching from microplastics into the environment, examining their physicochemical properties, leaching behavior, and biological impacts, and surveying the growing evidence that many plastic additives are toxic to organisms including marine wildlife and humans.

Molecular mechanisms of microplastics toxicity

Ecological Effects of Chemical Contaminants Adsorbed to Microplastics

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Microplastics act as vectors for adsorbed chemical contaminants including pesticides, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants, amplifying their transport and bioavailability in aquatic and soil ecosystems. The combined exposure to plastic particles and their chemical cargo poses greater ecotoxicological risks than either contaminant class alone.

Ecological Effects of Chemical Contaminants Adsorbed to Microplastics

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Researchers reviewed how chemical contaminants that bind to microplastics — including pesticides and heavy metals — affect aquatic and soil organisms, finding that microplastics can both concentrate toxins and amplify their biological impact. This so-called Trojan horse effect may make microplastic pollution more ecologically harmful than the plastic alone would suggest.