Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Behavior and mechanism of atrazine adsorption on pristine and aged microplastics in the aquatic environment: Kinetic and thermodynamic studies

Researchers systematically explored how the pesticide atrazine adsorbs onto both pristine and aged microplastics in aquatic environments. The study found that aged microplastics had higher adsorption capacities than pristine ones, with the aging process and pH significantly affecting surface charge and adsorption behavior, suggesting that weathered microplastics may carry greater loads of chemical contaminants.

2021 Chemosphere 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging of polyethylene microplastic and its effect on the chlorpyrifos adsorption

This study examined how UV-B radiation ages polyethylene microplastics over time and how that aging changes their ability to adsorb the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Photoaging modified the surface chemistry and structure of the plastic, altering its interaction with the pesticide, suggesting that weathered microplastics in aquatic environments may carry different — and potentially higher — loads of toxic chemicals than fresh particles. This "Trojan horse" effect is important for understanding how microplastics contribute to broader chemical contamination of waterways.

2023 Institutional Repository of the Federal Technological University of Paraná (RIUT) (Federal University of Technology – Paraná)
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastic aging on chlorpyrifos adsorption-desorption and microplastic bioconcentration

Researchers investigated how microplastic aging affects chlorpyrifos adsorption-desorption behavior, finding that aged microplastics had higher pesticide sorption capacity and bioconcentration potential, suggesting weathered MPs pose greater risks as pollutant carriers.

2023 Environmental Pollution 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of five pesticides on microplastics from agricultural polyethylene films

Researchers studied how five common pesticides adsorb onto polyethylene microplastics derived from agricultural soil films. They found that all five pesticides bind to microplastic surfaces, with the process driven by both physical and chemical interactions. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soils could act as carriers for pesticide contamination, with adsorption capacity varying depending on the pesticide's chemical properties.

2019 Chemosphere 322 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradable Microplastics as Vector of Emergent Contaminants in Wastewater: Interactions and Mechanisms of Adsorption

Degradable microplastics in wastewater can act as carriers for pesticides and other contaminants, adsorbing them from the surrounding water and potentially releasing them again in different environmental conditions such as aeration tanks. This 'Trojan horse' behavior is concerning because microplastics may transport pollutants through wastewater treatment systems that were not designed to capture these combined threats.

2023 Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation
Article Tier 2

Sorption of pesticides onto polyethylene microplastics in different aqueous matrices

This thesis examined how pesticides adsorb onto polyethylene microplastics in different aqueous matrices, finding that water chemistry significantly affects the binding behavior and potential for microplastics to carry agricultural chemicals.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic interpretation of the sorption of terbuthylazine pesticide onto aged microplastics

Scientists studied how environmental aging changes the ability of polyethylene microplastics to absorb a common pesticide called terbuthylazine. Aged microplastics absorbed less pesticide than fresh ones because weathering made their surfaces less water-repellent and more negatively charged. This matters for understanding real-world risks because it suggests that the ability of microplastics to carry pesticides and other chemicals may change over time as the particles weather in the environment.

2024 Environmental Pollution 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviors of chlorpyrifos on UV aged microplastics

Researchers investigated how UV aging affects the adsorption of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on biodegradable and non-degradable microplastics, finding that UV irradiation significantly modified plastic surfaces and enhanced their capacity to carry organic pollutants.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption Behavior of Microplastics as a Carrier of Various Contaminants and Their Ecotoxicity in Aquatic Environment

This review examines how microplastics in aquatic environments act as "Trojan horse" carriers, adsorbing other pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) onto their surfaces through hydrophobic, electrostatic, and hydrogen-bond interactions. Co-exposure of microplastics plus adsorbed contaminants has been shown to amplify oxidative stress, reduce reproduction rates, and impair photosynthesis in aquatic organisms — suggesting the combined risk of microplastics plus hitchhiking chemicals is greater than either alone.

2023 Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative study on the adsorption behavior of pesticides by pristine and aged microplastics from agricultural polyethylene soil films

Researchers compared how pristine and aged agricultural polyethylene film microplastics adsorb pesticides. They found that aged films, which develop rougher surfaces, more cracks, and oxygen-containing chemical groups, adsorb pesticides more readily than pristine ones. The study suggests that weathered agricultural microplastics in soil may act as carriers for pesticide contamination, potentially increasing environmental and human health risks.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of triazine pesticides on polystyrene microplastics aging with different processes in natural environment

Researchers found that microplastics that have aged in the environment absorb pesticides more effectively and quickly than fresh microplastics, and the pesticide-loaded particles are more toxic to bacteria. This means that as microplastics weather outdoors, they become better carriers for agricultural chemicals, potentially increasing the combined health risks when these contaminated particles enter food or water supplies.

2024 Environmental Pollution 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Review and analysis of atrazine adsorption on different microplastics in aqueous solution.

This review analyzed atrazine adsorption onto different microplastic types in aqueous solution, examining how varying environmental conditions and physicochemical properties of PE and other MP matrices govern the sorption and transport of this ubiquitous herbicide when MPs serve as contaminant vectors in aquatic systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic interpretation of the sorption of terbuthylazine pesticide onto aged microplastics

Researchers investigated how accelerated weathering — using UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide, and ultrasonic treatment — alters the surface properties of polyethylene microplastics and affects their sorption of the herbicide terbuthylazine. Aged polyethylene particles showed measurably different sorption kinetics and capacities compared to pristine particles, providing mechanistic insight into how environmental aging changes microplastic interactions with organic pollutants like pesticides.

2024 Universitätsbibliothek Gießen
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanism of two pesticides on polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics: DFT calculations and particle size effects

Researchers studied how two common pesticides, carbofuran and carbendazim, adsorb onto polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics using both experiments and computational chemistry. They found that the type and size of microplastic particles significantly influenced how much pesticide was absorbed, with smaller particles binding more chemicals per unit weight. The study reveals that microplastics in agricultural environments can act as carriers for pesticides, potentially increasing their transport into waterways.

2021 Environmental Pollution 151 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring sorption of pesticides and PAHs in microplastics derived from plastic mulch films used in modern agriculture

Researchers investigated how microplastics derived from agricultural mulch films sorb pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding significant uptake that could facilitate transfer of these contaminants through farming environments.

2023 Chemosphere 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and dissipation of current-use pesticides and personal-care products on high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater

Researchers characterized how three pesticides and three personal care products sorb onto high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater. They found that more hydrophobic compounds accumulated more readily on the plastic, and that significant desorption (over 30%) occurred within 24 hours, especially at higher contaminant concentrations. The study confirms that microplastics can act as both carriers and releasers of chemical pollutants in marine environments.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of some hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons by various pristine and heat-activated aged microplastics as potential pollutant carriers in aquatic environment

Researchers examined how pristine and heat-aged microplastics of four polymer types adsorb hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that aging significantly altered adsorption capacity. The results demonstrate that weathered microplastics may act as more effective pollutant vectors than pristine particles in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics – A review

This review analyzed the adsorption behavior of organic micropollutants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals — onto nano- and microplastics, finding that adsorption is governed by pollutant hydrophobicity, particle surface area, and aging state, and that microplastics can act as vectors delivering co-contaminants to aquatic organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of organochlorine pesticides on polyethylene microplastics in soil suspension

Polyethylene microplastics sorbed organochlorine pesticide residues including hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in soil suspension experiments, with sorption capacity influenced by microplastic surface weathering and soil organic matter content, demonstrating that microplastics can act as secondary carriers for legacy pesticide contamination in agricultural soils.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction of Microplastics with Emerging Organic Pollutants: A Study on Atrazine Adsorption and Phytotoxicity

Researchers studied how aged and pristine polyethylene microplastics adsorb the herbicide atrazine and whether this combination affects plant seed germination. Aged microplastics absorbed significantly more atrazine than new ones due to surface changes from UV exposure, and the atrazine-loaded aged particles inhibited lettuce germination by up to 34%. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in agricultural environments may amplify the harmful effects of pesticide contamination.

2025 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics as adsorbent of diazinon in aqueous environments: optimization, and modeling, isotherm, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies

This study found that polyethylene microplastics readily absorb diazinon, a common pesticide, from water -- removing up to 92% of the pesticide from clean water by binding it to their surface. While this might seem like removal, it means microplastics in the environment can concentrate pesticides and carry them into organisms, potentially increasing human exposure to harmful chemicals through contaminated water and food.

2024 Applied Water Science 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Trojan horse effects of microplastics: A mini-review about their role as a vector of organic and inorganic compounds in several matrices

This review examines the 'Trojan horse' role of microplastics as vectors for organic and inorganic pollutants, finding that adsorption follows Freundlich models and that contaminant transfer to organisms is species-specific, with some species showing increased and others decreased toxicant bioavailability.

2023 AIMS environmental science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of persistent organic pollutants: Another effect of microplastic pollution?

This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments, covering the physical and chemical factors governing pollutant adsorption and desorption. The authors discuss how interactions between microplastics and POPs vary with polymer type, particle properties, and environmental conditions, and when these interactions may result in toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of acetamiprid, chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide on different type of microplastics present in alluvial soil

Researchers investigated the adsorption of three pesticides (acetamiprid, chlorantraniliprole, and flubendiamide) onto different types of microplastics in alluvial agricultural soil, finding that microplastics act as vectors for these organic pesticide compounds and affect soil microorganism activity.

2020 Chemosphere 78 citations