Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption Behaviors of Cadmium Regulated by Microplastics Properties in a Forest Soil

Microplastics and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) frequently pollute forest soils together, and this study examined how different types, sizes, and concentrations of microplastics affect cadmium's behavior in soil. Biodegradable plastics like PBS and PBA adsorbed and released more cadmium than conventional polyethylene, and microplastics altered the soil's organic matter in ways that influenced how cadmium moved and became available to organisms. These findings matter because co-contamination by microplastics and heavy metals in soils may compound environmental and food-chain risks beyond what either pollutant causes alone.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soils with contrasting texture, organic carbon and mineralogy: changes in cadmium adsorption forms and their mobility in soil columns

This study investigated how high-density polyethylene microplastics alter the behavior of cadmium — a toxic heavy metal — in soils with different textures, organic carbon contents, and mineral compositions. Using soil column experiments, researchers found that microplastics changed how cadmium binds to soil particles and how easily it leaches downward, with effects varying depending on the soil type and microplastic particle size. Since cadmium is a known carcinogen and agricultural soils commonly contain both microplastics and heavy metals, understanding their interactions is critical for food safety.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence the adsorption and desorption characteristics of Cd in an agricultural soil

Batch experiments showed that polyethylene microplastics reduced cadmium adsorption but increased desorption in farmland soil, with effects varying by MP dose, particle size, and pH. The findings indicate microplastics could increase cadmium mobility in agricultural soils, potentially raising risks of crop uptake.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 374 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Adsorption and Desorption Properties of Cadmium in Soil

Polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics were found to reduce soil's capacity to adsorb cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, raising concerns that microplastic contamination in farmland soils could increase the mobility and risk of heavy metal pollutants.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter cadmium accumulation in different soil-plant systems: Revealing the crucial roles of soil bacteria and metabolism

A study found that microplastics in soil can change how much cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is absorbed by food crops, with the effects varying depending on soil type and the amount of plastic present. By altering soil chemistry and bacterial communities, microplastics reshape how pollutants move through farmland and into the food we eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)-based biodegradable microplastics modulate the bioavailability and speciation of Cd and As in soil: Insights into transformation mechanisms

Biodegradable PBAT and conventional polyethylene microplastics added to soil were both found to alter soil physicochemical properties and change the speciation and bioavailability of heavy metals including lead and cadmium. The study highlights that both conventional and so-called biodegradable microplastics can exacerbate heavy metal risks in contaminated agricultural soils.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics affect the distribution and bioavailability of cadmium by changing soil components during soil aging

A 180-day soil aging experiment with polypropylene microplastics at 2-10% concentration showed that microplastics altered the distribution of cadmium between soil particle-associated organic matter, organo-mineral complexes, and mineral fractions. Higher microplastic concentrations shifted cadmium toward more stable organo-mineral associations, reducing its bioavailability over time.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics can affect soil properties and chemical speciation of metals in yellow-brown soil

Researchers added five polymer types (LLDPE, PA, PU, PS, LDPE) at various concentrations to yellow-brown soil and measured their effects on soil physicochemical properties and the speciation of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. MPs shifted heavy metal distribution toward more bioavailable fractions, suggesting that microplastic contamination can increase the extractability and potential toxicity of co-occurring metals in soil.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 79 citations
Article Tier 2

How do controlled-release fertilizer coated microplastics dynamically affect Cd availability by regulating Fe species and DOC content in soil?

Researchers tracked how polyurethane microplastics from controlled-release fertilizer coatings dynamically changed cadmium availability in soil over time by altering iron species and dissolved organic carbon content. Smaller MP particles at higher concentrations most strongly increased bioavailable cadmium, suggesting fertilizer-derived MPs could amplify heavy metal exposure risks in agricultural soils.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of occurrence in microplastics and its adsorped cadmium capacity to simulated agricultural environmental scenarios in sludge-amended soil

Researchers found that UV irradiation of microplastics in sludge-amended soil most significantly increased their capacity to adsorb cadmium, due to surface changes including increased surface area, new crystal formation, and altered functional groups, raising concerns about heavy metal mobilization in agricultural soils.

2023 Environmental Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics reduce Cd(II) adsorption and enhance desorption with soil-dependent mechanisms

The study investigated how polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics affect cadmium adsorption and desorption in two different soil types. Researchers found that PVC reduced cadmium adsorption and promoted its release back into the soil, potentially increasing its bioavailability and environmental risk.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the interactions between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soil solution: adsorption performance influenced by microplastic types

Environmental-simulating microplastics (aged under environmental conditions) showed higher cadmium and chromium adsorption capacity than commercial microplastics in agricultural soil solutions, with surface oxidation increasing adsorption—suggesting that aged microplastics are more effective co-transporters of heavy metals in contaminated agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influences of microplastics types and size on soil properties and cadmium adsorption in paddy soil after one rice season

Researchers grew rice in paddy soil amended with polyethylene, polyacrylonitrile, and PET microplastics of varying sizes and found that microplastic type and particle size significantly altered soil properties and cadmium adsorption capacity, with smaller particles generally having greater effects.

2022 Resources Environment and Sustainability 30 citations
Article Tier 2

[Characteristics and Mechanism of Cd Release and Transport in Soil Contaminated with PE-Cd].

Researchers investigated how polyethylene (PE) microplastics affect the sorption and transport of cadmium (Cd) in soil, examining the characteristics and mechanisms of Cd release under PE contamination. Their findings reveal that microplastics alter soil physicochemical properties and sorption capacity, influencing heavy metal mobility and distribution in terrestrial ecosystems.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Typical microplastics in field and facility agriculture dynamically affect available cadmium in different soil types through physicochemical dynamics of carbon, iron and microbes

Researchers found that polyurethane and polypropylene microplastics dynamically affect cadmium availability in different soil types through changes in soil carbon chemistry, iron mineral forms, and microbial community composition, with effects varying between field and greenhouse agricultural conditions.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 37 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the decrease in Cd2+ bioavailability in sediments by microplastics: Role of geochemical properties

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics alter the geochemical properties of sediments in ways that reduce the bioavailability of cadmium. PET microplastics shifted cadmium from the readily exchangeable fraction to the organically bound fraction, and the associated changes in microbial activity and organic carbon explained much of the reduction in cadmium bioavailability.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics in soil on the regulation of cadmium bioavailability by biochar

Researchers investigated how biochar amendments affect cadmium bioavailability in soils co-contaminated with microplastics, finding that the presence of microplastics altered cadmium mobility and complicated biochar's remediation effectiveness in ways that depend on the specific MP type present.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene-microplastic on environmental behaviors of metals in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the adsorption, desorption, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil. They found that adding microplastics altered how metals bind to soil particles and increased the mobility of certain metals like cadmium and lead. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may change the environmental behavior of heavy metals, potentially increasing their availability to plants and soil organisms.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

UV aging and soil organic matter co-regulate the adsorption of organophosphate flame retardants on PVC and PS: Kinetics and mechanisms

This study examined how UV aging and soil dissolved organic matter affect the adsorption of six organophosphate flame retardants onto PVC and polystyrene microplastics, finding that hydrophobic interactions dominate uptake and that UV aging increases adsorption capacity while organic matter can either suppress or enhance it depending on concentration.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soil heavy metal forms and bioavailability to the application of microplastics across five years in different soil types

Researchers conducted a five-year experiment examining how microplastics affect the chemical forms and bioavailability of heavy metals across five different soil types. They found that microplastics generally reduced the readily available forms of heavy metals while increasing the mineral- and organic-bound forms, and that the bioconcentration of chromium and lead decreased substantially. The study suggests that soil type and exposure duration both play important roles in how microplastics influence heavy metal behavior in soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations