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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Climate warming will alter the impact of microplastics on the bioavailability of arsenic in a subtropical estuary
ClearRegulatory mechanism of microplastics on arsenic bioavailability in a subtropical estuary, China
Researchers investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which microplastics influence arsenic bioavailability in sediments of the Min River estuary, a subtropical estuary in China, finding that microplastic pollution alters the dynamics of bioavailable arsenic through interactions with sediment geochemistry and microbial communities.
The role of microplastics in altering arsenic fractionation and microbial community structures in arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments
The addition of microplastics to arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments altered arsenic fractionation and shifted microbial community structures, with biodegradable plastics producing different effects compared to conventional polymers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the environmental behavior of co-existing toxic metals in sediment ecosystems.
Conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected arsenic mobility and methylation in paddy soils through distinct chemical-microbial pathways
A 98-day paddy soil experiment found that conventional microplastics reduced arsenic in porewater but increased methylated arsenic fractions, while biodegradable microplastics increased both porewater arsenic and methylation, suggesting distinct chemical-microbial pathways affecting arsenic mobility and toxicity.
Water-dependent effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic fractionation in soil: Insights from enzyme degradation and synchrotron-based X-ray analysis
This study examined water-dependent effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic fractionation in soil, finding that moisture regime significantly modifies how biodegradable plastic additions alter arsenic mobility and bioavailability.
Marine microplastics enhance release of arsenic in coastal aquifer during seawater intrusion process
Researchers found that marine microplastics carried by seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers enhanced arsenic release from sediments, with negatively charged microplastics competing with arsenate for adsorption sites on iron minerals. The study identifies a new environmental risk from the interaction of two major coastal contaminants.
Interface adsorption characteristics of microplastics on multiple morphological arsenic compounds
Researchers studied how polystyrene and PET microplastics adsorb different forms of arsenic, a toxic element commonly found in contaminated water. They found that polystyrene had a much higher capacity to bind arsenic compounds than PET, and that the arsenic-loaded microplastics were more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The study highlights that microplastics can act as carriers for toxic heavy metals, amplifying their environmental harm.
Polystyrene and low-density polyethylene pellets are less effective in arsenic adsorption than uncontaminated river sediment
Researchers found that polystyrene and low-density polyethylene microplastic pellets adsorb significantly less arsenic than natural river sediment, suggesting microplastics may actually reduce arsenic mobility when mixed with contaminated sediments.
Microplastic mediated arsenic toxicity involves differential bioavailability of arsenic and modulated uptake in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddies. They found that at low arsenic levels, microplastics actually reduced arsenic uptake by rice plants, but at high arsenic concentrations the combination produced synergistic toxic effects. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils is more complex than previously thought and depends heavily on contaminant concentration levels.
Quantification of the redox properties of microplastics and their effect on arsenite oxidation
Researchers quantified the redox properties of weathered microplastics and found that environmentally aged phenol-formaldehyde microplastics can influence arsenite oxidation, revealing a previously unknown role for microplastics in biogeochemical redox processes.
[Adsorption Characteristics of Arsenic on UV-aged Polypropylene Microplastics in Aqueous Solution].
This study examined how UV weathering (aging) changes the ability of polypropylene microplastics to adsorb arsenic from water, finding that aged plastic had rougher surfaces and more oxygen-containing groups, which enhanced arsenic adsorption. Environmental factors like pH and dissolved organic matter also influenced how much arsenic stuck to the plastic. Because aged microplastics bind more arsenic, they could carry this toxic heavy metal into aquatic food webs more effectively than pristine plastic particles.
Impact of Microplastics on the Fate and Behaviour of Arsenic in the Environment and Their Significance for Drinking Water Supply
This review highlights a largely overlooked problem: microplastics in the environment can adsorb arsenic — one of the world's most dangerous water contaminants — onto their surfaces and potentially transport it to new locations or make it harder to remove during drinking water treatment. The authors call for urgent research into how the presence of microplastics affects the performance of arsenic removal technologies, since both pollutants now co-occur in water sources globally.
Mechanistic insight into interactive effect of microplastics and arsenic on growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and soil health indicators
Researchers tested how different types of microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddy soil, finding that biodegradable PLA microplastics actually increased arsenic uptake by rice plants by up to 39%. In contrast, conventional polyethylene microplastics slightly reduced arsenic absorption. This is an important finding because as agriculture shifts toward biodegradable plastics, they may inadvertently increase the transfer of toxic heavy metals from soil into food crops.
Combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic to earthworm (Eisenia fetida): a comparison of polyethylene, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate
Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PBAT) interact with arsenic in soil using earthworms as a model organism over 28 days. The study found that all microplastic types reduced arsenic bioaccumulation in earthworm tissues, with biodegradable plastics showing stronger reductions, though co-exposure still caused physiological and oxidative stress effects.
The effects of ageing process on the release of arsenic into soil pore water and related phytotoxicity assessed based on seed germination
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper investigates how arsenic contamination in soil changes over time and its toxic effects on plant seed germination.
The adsorption of arsenic on micro- and nano-plastics intensifies the toxic effect on submerged macrophytes
Researchers investigated how arsenic adsorbs onto microplastics of varying types and sizes, and how those particles affect underwater plants. They found that nanoplastics increased arsenic absorption in aquatic macrophytes by 36-47%, causing more severe leaf damage and oxidative stress than either contaminant alone.
Effects of arsenic on the transport and attachment of microplastics in porous media
Researchers studied how arsenic, a common groundwater contaminant, affects the movement of microplastics through soil. They found that arsenic in water generally reduced how far microplastics traveled by promoting their attachment to soil particles, though this effect depended on arsenic concentration, water flow speed, and soil moisture levels. The findings help predict how microplastics and heavy metals may interact and spread together in underground water systems.
Arsenic adsorption by carboxylate and amino modified polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics: kinetics and mechanisms
Researchers found that functionalized polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics can adsorb arsenic from water, with carboxylate-modified particles showing higher capacity than amino-modified ones, and that salinity and humic acids inhibit adsorption, confirming microplastics can alter arsenic behavior in ecosystems.
Co-transport of arsenic and micro/nano-plastics in saturated soil
Column experiments found that 100 nm nanoplastic particles reduced arsenic transport in saturated sand by adsorbing arsenic ions, while 5 micron microplastics enhanced arsenic transport through electrostatic adsorption and pore plugging, demonstrating size-dependent and opposing effects of micro- and nanoplastics on co-contaminant mobility.
Microplastics Amplify Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Freshwater Sediments through Synergistic Interactions
A large-scale aquatic microcosm experiment with 1264 containers found that greater microplastic chemical diversity — more types of polymers together — significantly amplified greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater sediments, with warming temperature further compounding the effect.
The mechanism of polystyrene microplastics to affect arsenic volatilization in arsenic-contaminated paddy soils
Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and sizes affect arsenic volatilization in contaminated paddy soils, finding that microplastic addition increased As volatilization by up to 21.8% in highly contaminated soils. The mechanism involved microplastic-driven shifts in bacterial community composition (particularly Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes) and arsM gene expression, alongside changes in arsenic fractionation.