Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging vector of Cr(VI) in water: Correlation of aging properties and adsorption behavior

Researchers studied the correlation between aging properties and adsorption of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) onto polyethylene microplastics under accelerated UV aging conditions, finding that aging-induced changes in surface chemistry increased the adsorption capacity. Aged microplastics may act as more effective vectors for toxic heavy metals in aquatic environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour of microplastics on the heavy metal Cr(VI) before and after ageing

Researchers studied how UV aging affects the adsorption of hexavalent chromium onto PE, PS, and PA microplastics, finding that aged microplastics had significantly enhanced adsorption capacity due to increased surface area and functional group changes from weathering.

2022 Chemosphere 188 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption Behavior, Speciation, and Toxicity of Microplastic-Bound Chromium in Multisolute Systems

Researchers investigated how UV filters affect chromium sorption and toxicity on polystyrene microplastics, finding that UV irradiation and co-contaminants alter metal speciation and increase the ecological risk of microplastic-bound heavy metals.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging amplifies synergistic adsorption and reduction of Cr(VI) by polyamide microplastics

Researchers found that UV and chemical aging of polyamide microplastics amplified their adsorption and reduction of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), increasing oxygen-containing functional groups while reducing amide bonds, with Cr(VI) binding driven by electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonds and the aged microplastics able to reduce Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III) even under UV light and oxygen-depleted conditions.

2025
Article Tier 2

Polyamide microplastics as better environmental vectors of Cr(VI) in comparison to polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics

Researchers found that polyamide microplastics adsorb more hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) than polyethylene or polystyrene microplastics, with UV aging increasing adsorption capacity, making polyamide particles potentially more dangerous environmental vectors for this toxic heavy metal.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 36 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

Aging mechanism of microplastics with UV irradiation and its effects on the adsorption of heavy metals

Researchers aged polystyrene microplastics using UV irradiation under three conditions (air, pure water, seawater) and found that aging changed surface chemistry and increased the microplastics' capacity to adsorb heavy metals, with seawater aging producing the most pronounced surface oxidation.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 852 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium on electron beam-irradiated aged microplastics: Novel aging processes and environmental factors

Researchers used electron beam irradiation as a novel method to age polypropylene microplastics and then studied how these aged particles adsorb hexavalent chromium from water. They found that aging dramatically increased the microplastics' ability to bind chromium by generating oxygen-containing functional groups on their surfaces. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may have a significantly greater capacity to concentrate heavy metal pollutants than fresh plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption properties and mechanism of Cu(II) on virgin and aged microplastics in the aquatic environment

Researchers examined how UV aging changes the surface properties of polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics and affects their ability to adsorb copper ions in water. The study found that UV irradiation altered the physical and chemical characteristics of both plastic types, increasing their capacity to bind heavy metals. Evidence indicates that weathered microplastics may act as more effective carriers of heavy metal contaminants in aquatic environments compared to virgin plastics.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Hexavalent Chromium Adsorption Behavior on Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics

Researchers compared hexavalent chromium adsorption behavior on conventional versus biodegradable microplastics, finding that polymer chemistry and surface aging significantly affect chromium binding capacity and the risk of co-transport in contaminated environments.

2024 Water 9 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

Aged Polystyrene Microplastics Accelerate the Photo-Reduction of Chromium(VI)

Researchers investigated how aged polystyrene microplastics interact with hexavalent chromium, a toxic heavy metal, in water under light conditions. They found that microplastics accelerate the conversion of toxic chromium(VI) to less harmful chromium(III), while the chromium in turn speeds up the aging of the microplastics. The study reveals a complex interplay between microplastics and heavy metals in aquatic environments that could influence the environmental fate of both pollutants.

2025 Water 1 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

Influence of aging on the affinity between microplastics and organic contaminants

Researchers investigated how UV and UV+H2O2 aging affects the capacity of polystyrene microplastics to adsorb and release pesticides and other organic contaminants, finding that aging-induced surface changes significantly altered adsorption affinity and desorption behavior compared to unaged controls.

2025 SHAREOK (University of Oklahoma; Oklahoma State University; Central Oklahoma University)
Article Tier 2

Aging properties of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics and their adsorption behavior of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) in aquatic environments

Researchers compared how polyethylene and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics age in the environment and how that aging affects their ability to absorb heavy metals like cadmium and chromium from water. They found that aging changed the surface chemistry of both plastic types, increasing their capacity to pick up these toxic metals. The findings matter because aged microplastics in the environment may concentrate and transport more pollutants than fresh plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Cu2+ by UV aged polystyrene in aqueous solution

UV-aged polystyrene microplastics showed altered surface chemistry and enhanced adsorption of copper ions compared to virgin particles, with the degree of adsorption increasing with aging duration. The findings indicate that environmental weathering transforms microplastics into more potent heavy metal carriers, intensifying their role as pollutant vectors.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 73 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

The Effect of Different Aging Methods on the Heavy Metal Adsorption Capacity of Microplastics

Polystyrene and polylactic acid microplastics were aged under UV and high-temperature conditions, and aged microplastics showed altered surface properties that affected their adsorption capacity for heavy metals cadmium, copper, and zinc.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 9 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

Comparing the influence of humic/fulvic acid and tannic acid on Cr(VI) adsorption onto polystyrene microplastics: Evidence for the formation of Cr(OH)3 colloids

Researchers compared how humic/fulvic acid and tannic acid affect chromium(VI) adsorption onto polystyrene microplastics, finding that dissolved organic matter promotes the formation of Cr(OH)3 colloids, complicating the role of microplastics as heavy metal vectors.

2022 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Sulfide- and UV-induced aging differentially affect contaminant-binding properties of microplastics derived from commercial plastic products

Researchers found that sulfide- and UV-induced aging of microplastics differentially alter their ability to bind environmental contaminants, with sulfide treatment particularly enhancing chromium adsorption through thiol group formation and both processes increasing PET adsorption capacity through particle flattening.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the adsorption behavior of Zn(II) on UV-aged PET and PP microplastics: kinetic and isotherm analyses

This study examined how UV aging changes the ability of PET and polypropylene microplastics to adsorb zinc from water. Researchers found that UV exposure over 30 days increased surface roughness and oxygen-containing functional groups on the plastics, significantly enhancing their capacity to bind zinc ions, which suggests that weathered microplastics in the environment may carry higher concentrations of heavy metals.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging of microplastics increases their adsorption affinity towards organic contaminants

Researchers found that microplastics that have been weathered by sunlight and environmental exposure absorb significantly more chemical pollutants than fresh microplastics, with up to a 4.7-fold increase in adsorption. Ultraviolet exposure changes the surface chemistry of the plastics, making them stickier for contaminants. This matters because most microplastics in nature are weathered, meaning they may be carrying more toxic chemicals into the food chain than laboratory studies using new plastics would suggest.

2022 Chemosphere 290 citations
Article Tier 2

[Sorption of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers by Virgin and Aged Microplastics].

This study examined how environmental aging under UV light changes the ability of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics to adsorb polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), common flame retardant chemicals. Aged microplastics showed altered sorption capacity compared to virgin particles, affecting how these toxic chemicals are transported in aquatic environments.

2020 PubMed 12 citations