Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The mechanism for adsorption of Cr(VI) ions by PE microplastics in ternary system of natural water environment

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics adsorb hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from water in the presence of the surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), finding that SDBS enhanced Cr(VI) adsorption at pH below 6 but competed with chromate ions for adsorption sites at pH above 6. Increasing PE microplastic dosage raised Cr(VI) adsorption capacity substantially, providing mechanistic insight into pollutant co-transport on microplastics in natural water systems.

2019 Environmental Pollution 119 citations
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

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

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

Co-transport of degradable microplastics with Cd(Ⅱ) in saturated porous media: Synergistic effects of strong adsorption affinity and high mobility

Researchers investigated the co-transport of degradable microplastics with cadmium in saturated porous media, finding that these plastics' strong adsorption affinity and high mobility create synergistic effects that enhance heavy metal migration in soil.

2023 Environmental Pollution 47 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

Effect of background ions and physicochemical factors on the cotransport of microplastics with Cu2+ in saturated porous media

Researchers used column experiments to study how polystyrene microplastics transport copper ions through saturated porous media under different ionic conditions. They found that microplastics effectively act as carriers for copper, with UV-aged and oxygen-aged particles showing even stronger transport capacity than pristine ones. The study demonstrates that microplastics in groundwater systems can facilitate the spread of heavy metal contamination by carrying pollutants through soil.

2024 Scientific Reports 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption Behavior of Cr(VI) on Two Typical UV-Aged Microplastics in Aqueous Solution

Researchers examined how UV weathering changes the ability of two common microplastic types (polyethylene and polystyrene) to adsorb and release chromium(VI) from contaminated water. UV aging altered surface chemistry and significantly increased adsorption capacity for the toxic heavy metal.

2024 Langmuir 9 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

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

Facilitated transport of microplastics and nonylphenol in porous media with variations in physicochemical heterogeneity

Researchers found that when microplastics and the endocrine disruptor nonylphenol coexist, their mobility through soil is enhanced due to mutual association and competition for retention sites, increasing potential groundwater contamination risk.

2022 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Behaviour and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils

Researchers investigated the behavior and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils, examining how physical and chemical properties of microplastic particles influence their mobility through porous geological media. The study addressed knowledge gaps in understanding subsurface microplastic transport relevant to groundwater contamination and the fate of microplastics deposited in terrestrial environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Transport and deposition of microplastic particles in saturated porous media: Co-effects of clay particles and natural organic matter

Researchers performed column experiments to study how clay particles and natural organic matter affect microplastic transport through saturated porous media, finding that both colloids reduced MP mobility through heteroaggregation and that their combined presence produced the greatest reduction in transport.

2021 Environmental Pollution 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics affect the migration of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) in acidic clay soil via distinct mechanisms

This study found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics in agricultural soil reduce the soil's ability to hold chromium, causing more of the toxic heavy metal to move through the soil profile — with aged microplastics being more disruptive than pristine ones. The two chromium forms (Cr(VI) and Cr(III)) behaved differently, with microplastics primarily inhibiting migration of the more dangerous Cr(VI). These findings matter because they show microplastic contamination in farmland can worsen the spread of heavy metals, compounding risks to groundwater and food crops.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Transport and retention of polyethylene microplastics in saturated porous media: Effect of physicochemical properties

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics move through water-saturated sand and gravel, testing the effects of particle size, water chemistry, and flow speed. They found that smaller microplastics traveled farther through the porous material, while higher salt concentrations and lower flow rates increased particle retention. The findings help explain how microplastics may spread through groundwater systems under real-world conditions.

2025 Environmental Pollution and Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of ionic strength, cation type and pH on the cotransport of microplastics with PFOA in saturated porous media

Researchers investigated how microplastics and the chemical contaminant PFOA interact when traveling together through saturated soil. The study found that microplastics generally inhibited PFOA transport through adsorption, while PFOA accelerated microplastic movement through electrostatic effects, demonstrating that co-contamination can alter the environmental fate of both pollutants.

2024 Chemosphere 14 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

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

Cotransport of different electrically charged microplastics with PFOA in saturated porous media

Researchers examined how differently charged microplastics co-transport with PFOA through saturated porous media, finding that surface charge significantly influences both MP mobility and PFOA transport behavior, with implications for groundwater contamination.

2023 Environmental Pollution 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorptive behaviour of chromium on polyethylene microbeads in artificial seawater

This laboratory study examined how chromium — a toxic heavy metal — adsorbs onto polyethylene microbeads in artificial seawater, finding that microplastics can accumulate chromium at concentrations far above those in surrounding water. The results support the concern that microplastics act as vectors concentrating heavy metal pollutants in marine environments.

2018 MATEC Web of Conferences 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of solution chemistry and humic acid on the transport of polystyrene microplastics in manganese oxides coated sand

Column experiments showed that polystyrene microplastics had significantly lower mobility through manganese oxide-coated sand than bare sand due to electrostatic attraction and surface roughness, with humic acid increasing transport and co-transport with cadmium reducing it.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Particulate flow in porous media: experimental study and numerical modelling of microplastic transport in geomaterials

This study combined laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to examine how microplastic particles migrate through porous geomaterials, finding that transport behavior is similar to fine soil particles moving through hydrogeological environments. The results have implications for predicting microplastic contamination of groundwater.

2024
Article Tier 2

The potential of microplastics as adsorbents of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and chromium in an aqueous environment

Researchers found that both PET and polystyrene microplastics can adsorb the surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and the heavy metal chromium (Cr(VI)) from water, with adsorption capacity influenced by pH, particle size, and MP dose, highlighting their role as co-pollutant vectors in aquatic environments.

2021 Environmental Research 37 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential of microplastics as carriers of metals

Five types of microplastics were tested for their ability to adsorb heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in different water matrices, finding significant adsorption of lead, chromium, and zinc—especially on polyethylene and PVC—with surface area and porosity as key drivers. The study identifies microplastics as potential vectors for heavy metal transport and transfer through aquatic food chains.

2019 Environmental Pollution 642 citations