Papers

20 results
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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

[Effects of Aging on the Cd Adsorption by Microplastics and the Relevant Mechanisms].

This study examined how aging affects the ability of microplastics — including polyethylene and polystyrene — to adsorb the heavy metal cadmium. Weathered microplastics showed different adsorption behavior than virgin particles, which has implications for how microplastics transport toxic metals through aquatic environments.

2022 PubMed 5 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

How aging microplastics influence heavy metal environmental fate and bioavailability: A systematic review

This systematic review found that environmental aging (UV, weathering) degrades microplastics into smaller particles with higher surface reactivity, increasing their capacity to adsorb heavy metals. These aged microplastic-heavy metal complexes bioaccumulate through the food chain, posing greater ecological and human health risks than either pollutant alone.

2025 Environmental Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into adsorption behavior and mechanism of Cu(II) onto biodegradable and conventional microplastics: Effect of aging process and environmental factors

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics adsorb copper ions from water, examining how aging processes and environmental factors influence this interaction. The study found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to bind copper than fresh ones, suggesting that weathered plastic debris in the environment may serve as carriers for heavy metal contaminants.

2023 Environmental Pollution 39 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

Kinetics and Size Effects on Adsorption of Cu(II), Cr(III), and Pb(II) Onto Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Particles

Researchers investigated how copper, chromium, and lead ions adsorb onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET microplastic particles of different sizes. The study found that smaller microplastic particles had greater adsorption capacity for heavy metals, with lead showing the highest adsorption levels, particularly on PET particles, suggesting increased environmental risk when tiny microplastics and heavy metals coexist.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced copper adsorption by polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics: The role of biofilm development and chemical aging

Researchers studied how chemical aging and biofilm growth on polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics changed their ability to absorb copper from water. Both processes significantly increased the surface area and chemical reactivity of the plastics, making them absorb substantially more copper than fresh microplastics. The study suggests that as microplastics age and develop biofilms in natural waterways, they become increasingly effective at concentrating heavy metals, potentially altering how these contaminants move through aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Research 11 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

Investigate the influence of microplastics weathering on their heavy metals uptake in stormwater

Researchers examined how weathering of polyethylene and PET microplastics affects their ability to absorb heavy metals like lead and zinc from stormwater. They found that weathered microplastics had significantly rougher surfaces and altered chemistry, which increased their uptake of heavy metals compared to pristine particles. The study suggests that aged microplastics in urban stormwater systems may accumulate and transport higher concentrations of toxic metals into waterways.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 131 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

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

Adsorption Characteristics of Heavy Metals onto Functionalized Microplastics

This study tested how three types of functionalized microplastics—polyacrylate, biobased polyurethane, and petroleum-based polyurethane—absorb toxic heavy metals including lead, copper, and cadmium. Smaller particles and UV-weathered plastic showed higher adsorption, meaning aged microplastics in the environment can act as concentrated carriers of heavy metal contamination, amplifying ecological risk.

2026 ACS Omega
Article Tier 2

Mechanism of dynamic interaction between aging microplastics and heavy metal ions under different hydrodynamic environments

This study investigated how weathered microplastics interact with lead in water under different flow conditions and found that aged microplastics absorb 34% more lead than fresh ones. The aging process creates rough surfaces and new chemical groups on the plastic that help capture heavy metals, but fast-moving water can knock the metals loose again. These findings matter because they show that weathered microplastics in rivers and oceans can act as carriers for toxic heavy metals, potentially bringing them into the food chain.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of copper by naturally and artificially aged polystyrene microplastics and subsequent release in simulated gastrointestinal fluid

Researchers compared how naturally and artificially aged polystyrene microplastics adsorb copper and then release it in simulated digestive fluids. They found that naturally aged microplastics from a lake adsorbed the most copper, largely due to metallic oxide deposits on their surfaces. The study suggests that aged microplastics may act as vectors for transporting metals into organisms through ingestion, with the aging method significantly affecting how much metal is carried and released.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 16 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This study examined how UV aging of polyamide (PA) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics affects their ability to adsorb copper (Cu II) from water. UV aging increased surface area and altered surface chemistry, making aged microplastics better carriers of copper contamination — raising concerns that weathered plastics in the environment may concentrate and transport heavy metals more effectively than fresh plastics.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Copper by Naturally and Artificially Aged Microplastics and Subsequent Release in Simulated Gastrointestinal Fluid

This study found that both naturally and artificially aged polystyrene microplastics adsorb copper more effectively than virgin plastic, and that the bound copper is released in simulated digestive fluids. This means aged microplastics ingested by organisms could release toxic heavy metals inside their bodies, increasing the health risk beyond the plastic itself.

2023 2 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

Metal adsorption by microplastics in aquatic environments under controlled conditions: exposure time, pH and salinity

Scientists systematically varied pH, salinity, and exposure time during metal adsorption experiments on different microplastic types, finding that pH had the greatest influence on metal uptake, with higher pH favoring adsorption of copper, lead, and cadmium onto most tested polymers.

2020 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 62 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

Interactions between microplastics and contaminants: A review focusing on the effect of aging process

This review explains how aging and weathering change microplastics in ways that make them interact differently with environmental pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides. Aged microplastics tend to absorb more contaminants than fresh ones, and they can also release those pollutants under certain conditions. This is important for human health because the microplastics we encounter in food and water are typically weathered, meaning they may carry higher loads of toxic substances than laboratory studies suggest.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations