Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Enhancement of Pb(II) adsorption by aged polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in the presence of microalgae: kinetic and mechanistic

UV, permanganate, and alkaline aging treatments all increased PET microplastic adsorption capacity for lead, and Microcystis aeruginosa microalgae further enhanced Pb(II) adsorption by coating PET surfaces with organic matter, demonstrating how environmental aging and biofouling amplify MP-metal interactions.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour of accelerated UV aged PET and PP microplastics towards Pb(II) under varying pH, temperature, and salinity conditions

UV aging causes PET and PP microplastics to adsorb significantly more lead (Pb) from water, with the extent varying by pH, temperature, and salinity. This means weathered microplastics in the environment may carry greater toxic metal loads than virgin plastic, amplifying their hazard to ecosystems and human health.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Induced aging, structural change, and adsorption behavior modifications of microplastics by microalgae

Researchers found that microalgal biofouling caused more significant aging and surface degradation of microplastics compared to river microbial biofouling over a 30-day period. The study suggests that algae-induced aging substantially enhances the ability of polyethylene and PVC microplastics to adsorb organic pollutants like bisphenol analogues, increasing their potential to transport contaminants in the environment.

2022 Environment International 46 citations
Article Tier 2

The interfacial interaction between typical microplastics and Pb2+ and their combined toxicity to Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers found that microplastics in freshwater can absorb lead (a toxic heavy metal) onto their surfaces, especially after being weathered by UV light. When combined, the microplastics and lead were more toxic to freshwater algae than either pollutant alone, with PET plastic showing the highest capacity to bind lead. This means microplastics in rivers and lakes may concentrate heavy metals and deliver higher doses of toxins to aquatic life and potentially to people through the water supply.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of light irradiation on heavy metal adsorption onto microplastics

Researchers investigated how UV light irradiation of polypropylene microplastics affected their adsorption of lead (Pb) from water, finding that photo-weathering increased surface oxidation and significantly enhanced heavy metal adsorption capacity.

2021 Chemosphere 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanism analysis of heavy metal lead captured by natural-aged microplastics

The mechanism by which naturally aged microplastics capture lead (Pb(II)) from aqueous solution was investigated by comparing pristine and aged particles. Aged microplastics adsorbed more Pb(II) than pristine ones, with weathering-induced surface oxidation and increased oxygen-containing functional groups driving the enhanced metal capture capacity.

2020 Chemosphere 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of UV aged microplastics on the heavy metals Pb(II) and Cu(II) in aqueous solutions

Researchers examined how UV aging affects the adsorption of lead and copper onto polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene microplastics, finding that aging creates new oxidation functional groups that enhance heavy metal adsorption capacity.

2022 Chemosphere 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environment before and after the Aging of Typical Microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of heavy metals by typical microplastics before and after environmental aging, finding that aging significantly alters microplastics' surface properties and capacity to bind metals such as cadmium and lead in aquatic systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Pb(II) by UV-aged microplastics and cotransport in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media

Researchers found that microplastics aged by UV sunlight are better at absorbing and carrying lead (a toxic heavy metal) through soil and water than fresh microplastics. The aging process changes the microplastic surface in ways that make it grab onto more lead, potentially spreading this toxic metal further through the environment. This is relevant to human health because aged microplastics in the real world may be transporting more heavy metals into water supplies and food-growing soil than previously thought.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of UV exposure on conventional and degradable microplastics adsorption for Pb (II) in sediment

Researchers studied how UV aging affects the ability of conventional polyethylene and degradable polylactic acid microplastics to adsorb lead ions from aquatic sediment. They found that UV aging increased the surface area and oxygen content of both plastic types, enhancing their capacity to adsorb heavy metals. The study suggests that weathered microplastics in the environment may be more effective carriers of heavy metal contamination than pristine particles.

2021 Chemosphere 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aged in various environmental media exhibited strong sorption to heavy metals in seawater

Researchers aged six types of microplastics — including polyamide and PET — in different environments and then measured their adsorption of heavy metals in seawater, finding that aging consistently increased metal sorption capacity and that environmental medium during aging strongly influenced the degree of surface modification.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 178 citations
Article Tier 2

Increased Cu(II) Adsorption Onto UV-Aged Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Particles in Seawater

Researchers found that UV aging significantly increased copper(II) adsorption onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater by up to 2.92 times after 12 months, with oxidation-induced surface changes and smaller particle sizes amplifying this effect for PP and PET.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of Cu(II) on UV-aged polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers studied how UV aging changes the ability of PET and polypropylene microplastics to adsorb copper ions from water. UV exposure altered the surface properties of both plastics, increasing their capacity to bind heavy metals compared to pristine particles. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in the environment may be more effective at concentrating toxic metals, potentially increasing ecological risks in contaminated waterways.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption behavior of metals in aqueous solution by microplastics effected by UV radiation

Virgin and UV-aged PET microplastics were compared for their sorption capacity of copper and zinc ions, with aged microplastics showing higher adsorption due to increased surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups formed during photoaging. The study demonstrates that environmental weathering enhances the metal-carrying potential of microplastics over time.

2019 Journal of Environmental Sciences 465 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of kinetics and mechanisms for Pb(II) sorption onto three kinds of microplastics

The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of lead (Pb(II)) onto three types of microplastics were compared to understand how plastic debris concentrates heavy metals in aquatic environments. The study found polymer-specific differences in sorption capacity and mechanism, with implications for how microplastics alter the distribution and bioavailability of lead in contaminated water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) onto natural-aged microplastics as affected by salt ions

Researchers found that naturally aged microplastics adsorb significantly more lead than virgin microplastics, and that calcium chloride in solution strongly inhibits lead adsorption, indicating that environmental weathering and water chemistry alter contaminant transport.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Pb(II) uptake onto nylon microplastics: Interaction mechanism and adsorption performance

Researchers investigated how aged nylon microplastics adsorb lead(II) ions from water, finding that surface weathering increased adsorption capacity and that the process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The study clarifies the mechanism by which microplastics can act as vectors for heavy metal contamination in aquatic environments.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 427 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights Into the Adsorption Behavior of Polyethylene Microplastics Towards Lead(II) Ions

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior of lead(II) ions onto polyethylene microplastics in freshwater environments by systematically varying initial Pb(II) concentration, pH, and residence time, using scanning electron microscopy and other characterization methods to elucidate the interaction dynamics and sorption mechanisms between this common metal contaminant and microplastic surfaces.

2024 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Carrier effects of face mask-derived microplastics on metal ions: Enhanced adsorption by photoaging combined with biofilms, exemplified with Pb(Ⅱ)

Researchers investigated how photoaging and biofilm formation on face mask-derived microplastics enhance their ability to adsorb heavy metals like lead. They found that the combination of UV weathering and microbial biofilm growth significantly increased the metal-binding capacity of both polypropylene and polyurethane mask particles. The study highlights that discarded face masks in the environment may pose compounding pollution risks by concentrating toxic metals on their surfaces.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Features of Heavy Metals Sorption by Microplastics in Environmentally Relevant Conditions

Experiments using aged PET microplastics in natural lake water showed that the particles sorb heavy metals (cobalt, nickel, copper, cadmium, lead) in environmentally relevant concentrations, but the sorption isotherms differed from those measured in synthetic laboratory solutions. This matters because microplastics acting as vectors for heavy metals in real freshwater conditions could increase metal bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic life and potentially to humans who drink the water.

2023 Water Resources 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of metals on aged microplastics in intensive mariculture areas: Aggravating the potential ecological risks to marine organisms

Researchers used passive samplers in a subtropical mariculture area in China to measure how aged microplastics adsorb metals like iron, manganese, copper, and lead from seawater. They found that PVC microplastics had the highest metal adsorption capacity, and that aging increased the plastics' ability to accumulate metals on their surfaces. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in aquaculture zones may concentrate toxic metals and pose elevated ecological risks to marine organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on Adsorption of Heavy Metals Cu and Zn by Microplastics Under Different Aged Factors

Researchers examined how aging of polyethylene microplastics under different conditions -- varying pH, dissolved organic matter, and hydrogen peroxide -- affects their adsorption of Cu and Zn, finding that H2O2-induced aging most strongly enhanced heavy metal sorption capacity.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of lead adsorption on the aged conventional microplastics, biodegradable microplastics and environmentally-relevant tire wear particles

Researchers compared how different types of aged microplastics, including tire wear particles and biodegradable polylactic acid, adsorb the heavy metal lead from water. The study found that aging significantly increased adsorption capacity across all types, with tire wear particles showing the highest lead uptake, and that environmental factors like humic acid concentration had complex effects on the adsorption process.

2023 Chemical Engineering Journal 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Change in adsorption behavior of aquatic humic substances on microplastic through biotic and abiotic aging processes

Researchers found that both UV irradiation and microbial aging of polyethylene microplastics significantly altered their surface chemistry, changing how aquatic humic substances adsorb onto the plastic surface and highlighting the importance of weathering state in assessing microplastic-contaminant interactions.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations