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A tale of two emerging contaminants: Interfacial interactions, co-transport behaviors and ecotoxicological implications between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and micro(nano)plastics.
Summary
This review examined how PFAS and micro/nanoplastics co-occur in the environment, form interfacial adsorption complexes, and interact synergistically within organisms. The authors found that the two contaminant classes amplify each other's toxicity in co-exposure scenarios and that their shared transport pathways complicate standard risk assessment.
Co-contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) has emerged as an environmental challenge of global concern. These contaminants co-exist broadly and form interfacial adsorption complexes that dictate their transport and exposure pathways; within organisms, such co-exposure synergistically amplifies systemic toxicity. In this review, the interaction mechanisms, co-transport behaviors, and ecotoxicological effects between PFAS-MNPs are systematically summarized, with emphasis on the inherent relationship and mechanism of their "adsorption-transport-toxicity" pathway. Initially, the principal and potential interfacial interaction mechanisms between PFAS and MNPs are synthesized, with attention to the coupled influence of multiple regulating factors. Subsequently, by integrating laboratory and field evidence, their co-transport behaviors and cross-medium fates across diverse environmental matrices are outlined, and an ecotoxicological evidence chain spanning cellular, organ, and individual levels is compiled. Hydrophobic interactions predominantly govern adsorption in most cases, whereas electrostatic interactions, pore-filling effects play important roles under specific conditions. The adsorption process is jointly regulated by the solution chemistry, contaminant structures, and surface functional groups of MNPs, resulting in pronounced complexity and uncertainty. Laboratory and field studies have demonstrated that MNPs act as vectors for PFAS, substantially enhancing their environmental mobility and reshaping their exposure patterns. Such co-exposure not only results in additive effects but also amplifies systemic toxicity through barrier disruption, immune dysregulation, and microbiota imbalance. Collectively, this review highlights the "adsorption-transport-toxicity" continuum, revealing the multi-scale linkage of PFAS-MNPs interactions from molecular interfaces to ecological effects, and establishing a unified mechanistic framework for understanding their cross-medium behavior and ecological risks.
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