Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Modulatory Role of Microplastics in the Release of Chlorinated Organophosphorus Flame Retardants from Landfill Soils

Microplastics and toxic flame retardants (Cl-OPFRs) often co-exist in landfill soils, and this study reveals that the plastics actually slow down how quickly the chemicals are released into the surrounding environment. The type of plastic matters: polar plastics like PVC and nylon hold onto flame retardants through electrostatic attraction, while non-polar plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene rely on hydrophobic interactions. This finding is important for understanding whether microplastics in landfills are reducing or delaying chemical risks — and whether they might eventually release concentrated bursts of toxic compounds.

2026 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants and polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Biochemical and molecular insights

Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics, chlorinated flame retardants, and their combinations to assess combined toxicity effects. They found that the most toxic flame retardant (TDCPP) had its effects reduced when combined with microplastics, likely because the plastics absorbed the chemical and lowered its bioavailability. In contrast, microplastics enhanced the toxicity of another flame retardant (TCPP), demonstrating that microplastics can act as both carriers and modulators of co-contaminant toxicity in soil ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into Bioaccumulation of Decabromodiphenyl Ethane in Eisenia fetida Increased by Microplastics

Researchers found that microplastics made from electronics casings significantly increased the accumulation of a brominated flame retardant chemical in earthworms over time. While the microplastics initially slowed absorption of the chemical, after 28 days they promoted greater bioaccumulation by altering the soil environment and the earthworms' gut bacteria. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of electronic waste microplastics and flame retardants in soil may amplify chemical exposure in soil organisms.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Insights into the Dermal Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardant Additives in Microplastics

This study tested how flame retardant chemicals embedded in microplastics can be absorbed through human skin using a lab-based simulation. The researchers found that these toxic additives can leach out of microplastic particles and pass through the skin barrier, with absorption rates varying by plastic type. This reveals a previously underappreciated route of human exposure to harmful chemicals carried by microplastics, especially through skin contact with contaminated dust or surfaces.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene-microplastic on environmental behaviors of metals in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the adsorption, desorption, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil. They found that adding microplastics altered how metals bind to soil particles and increased the mobility of certain metals like cadmium and lead. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may change the environmental behavior of heavy metals, potentially increasing their availability to plants and soil organisms.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as a Vector for HOC Bioaccumulation in Earthworm Eisenia fetida in Soil: Importance of Chemical Diffusion and Particle Size

Researchers investigated whether microplastics act as vectors for hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) bioaccumulation in earthworms, testing two scenarios with polyethylene particles of different sizes and polychlorinated biphenyls in soil. Results showed that clean microplastics in contaminated soil reduced HOC bioaccumulation, while smaller precontaminated microplastics enhanced transfer of PCBs to earthworms, demonstrating that particle size and prior contamination status are critical factors.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 90 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on the adsorption of 2,4,6-tribromophenol in soils: Competitive adsorption

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect the adsorption of the brominated organic contaminant 2,4,6-tribromophenol, finding competitive adsorption between soil particles and MPs that altered the contaminant's mobility and bioavailability.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Measuring the Effect of Dietary Microplastic on Biomagnification Potential of Environmental Contaminants and Plastic Additives

Researchers measured the effect of dietary microplastic ingestion on the biomagnification potential of hydrophobic organic contaminants and plastic additives in the gastrointestinal tract, testing competing hypotheses about whether microplastics increase, decrease, or negligibly affect contaminant uptake.

2024 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: A potential booster for PFAS in biosolids

Researchers investigated whether microplastics in biosolids could enhance the mobility and persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil, finding that microplastics may act as co-carriers that amplify PFAS contamination risks. The study highlights an understudied interaction between two major emerging contaminants.

2024 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastic Types on the In Vivo Bioavailability of Polychlorinated Biphenyls

Researchers used a mouse model to measure how different types of microplastics affect the bioavailability of PCBs, a group of harmful industrial chemicals. When microplastics were added to contaminated soil, they significantly reduced PCB absorption in the digestive system, acting as a kind of sponge that traps the chemicals. However, when PCBs were already loaded onto the microplastics, some types like polyethylene released nearly all of the chemicals during digestion, showing that microplastics can also serve as carriers of pollutants.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastic contamination on the dissipation of endocrine disrupting chemicals in soil environment

Researchers studied how the presence of microplastics in soil affects the breakdown of endocrine disrupting chemicals, finding that microplastic contamination can alter the dissipation rates of these harmful compounds. The study tested different types and concentrations of microplastics in alluvial soil environments. Evidence indicates that microplastics may slow the natural degradation of endocrine disruptors, potentially prolonging their presence and ecological impact in contaminated soils.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of nonylphenol on coastal saline soil: Will microplastics play a great role?

Researchers examined how polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics affect the adsorption of the endocrine-disrupting compound nonylphenol onto coastal saline soil, finding that smaller PVC microplastics (0.11 mm) at 10% addition enhanced soil adsorption capacity by 117%, indicating microplastics significantly alter contaminant behavior in coastal soils.

2022 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviors and bioavailability of tetrabromobisphenol A in the presence of polystyrene microplastic in soil: Effect of microplastics aging

Researchers studied how aging changes the ability of polystyrene microplastics to absorb and release a flame retardant chemical called TBBPA in soil. They found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to adsorb the chemical but also released it more readily, increasing the bioavailability of this toxic compound to soil organisms. The study reveals that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may actually become more effective carriers of harmful chemicals into the food chain.

2023 Environmental Pollution 73 citations
Review Tier 2

Research advances on microplastics contamination in terrestrial geoenvironment: A review

This review summarizes a decade of research on microplastic contamination in terrestrial environments, including soils, landfills, and groundwater. Microplastics alter soil properties like density, porosity, and water retention, and their chemical additives can cause secondary contamination as they leach out. The review highlights that microplastics in soil can enter groundwater and be carried by wind, creating pathways for these pollutants to reach humans through food crops and drinking water.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Size effects of microplastics on accumulation and elimination of phenanthrene in earthworms

Researchers examined how microplastic particle size affects the accumulation and elimination of the pollutant phenanthrene in earthworms. They found that smaller microplastics enhanced phenanthrene uptake in earthworm tissues, while larger particles had a less pronounced effect. The study demonstrates that microplastic size influences how organic pollutants interact with soil organisms, with finer particles potentially increasing contaminant bioavailability.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 138 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the impact of microplastics on triphenyl phosphate adsorption in soil: Insights into environmental factors and soil properties

This study examined how microplastics in soil affect the behavior of triphenyl phosphate, a common flame retardant chemical. Environmental conditions like UV light and soil acidity changed how much of the chemical stuck to the microplastics, altering its movement through soil. The findings matter because microplastics can act as carriers for toxic chemicals in agricultural soil, potentially moving them into groundwater or crops that people consume.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent vector effects of microplastics on bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworm: A dual-dosing study

Researchers developed a dual-dosing method to directly measure how microplastics act as carriers for hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworms. The study found that smaller microplastic particles had greater vector effects, increasing bioaccumulation of pollutants, and that dermal uptake played a significant role in contaminant transfer from microplastics to organisms.

2024 Environment International 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption process and mechanism of benzo[a]pyrene in agricultural soil mediated by microplastics

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics affect the adsorption of the carcinogenic pollutant benzo[a]pyrene in agricultural soil. They found that PVC microplastics had the strongest capacity to adsorb this pollutant, increasing soil adsorption by nearly four times compared to soil alone. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soils may concentrate harmful organic pollutants, potentially altering their environmental fate and bioavailability.

2024 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in landfill soil: Emerging threats the environmental and public health

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in soil at a landfill near residential areas in Indonesia and found extremely high levels of over 60,000 particles per kilogram. The most common types were fragments of polyethylene, PVC, polystyrene, and polypropylene. The study raises public health concerns because landfills near populated areas can release microplastics into surrounding soil and water, creating exposure pathways for nearby communities.

2024 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polyethylene microplastics on bioavailability and toxicity of metals in soil

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the bioavailability and toxicity of copper and nickel in soil using earthworms as test organisms. They found that adding microplastics to contaminated soil increased the bioavailability of the metals and enhanced their toxic effects on the earthworms. The study suggests that microplastics in soil can worsen heavy metal pollution by making metals more accessible and harmful to soil-dwelling organisms.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 184 citations