Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Metal adsorption by naturally aged polymers in the river ganga: An environmental assessment

Researchers measured the adsorption of metals onto naturally aged microplastic polymers collected from the Ganga River, examining how plastics weathered under real environmental conditions accumulate heavy metals. Aged microplastics from the river showed significant metal adsorption capacity, suggesting they act as vectors transferring metals to aquatic organisms through the food chain.

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

Evaluating the role of microplastics as a vector in metal cycling within the River Thames

Researchers characterized how microplastics in River Thames water adsorb toxic heavy metals, comparing adsorption capacity across different plastic types and water chemistry conditions. Microplastics consistently adsorbed metals including lead, cadmium, and copper, providing the first data on metal-binding capacity for Thames microplastics and supporting their role as carriers of inorganic pollutants in urban rivers.

2025 UCL Discovery (University College London)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics meet micropollutants in a central european river stream: Adsorption of pollutants to microplastics under environmentally relevant conditions

Researchers investigated how microplastics adsorb organic micropollutants in a Central European river under real-world conditions. They found that aged microplastics showed higher adsorption capacity for contaminants compared to pristine ones, and that the type of plastic material influenced which pollutants were absorbed. The findings suggest that microplastics in rivers can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially spreading contamination through aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 15 citations
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

Microplastics in river water: occurrence, weathering, and adsorption behaviour

Researchers examined microplastics in river water, characterizing their occurrence, degree of weathering, and capacity to adsorb co-contaminants. The study highlights microplastics as vectors that can transport and re-release other pollutants in freshwater systems.

2025 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology
Article Tier 2

Micro-nanoplastics and metals : Development of material models and sorption properties in natural environments

This dissertation examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with heavy metals in natural environments, developing material models to understand their sorption properties. Since plastics can act as carriers for toxic metals — concentrating and transporting them through ecosystems — the research has important implications for understanding combined pollution risks.

2023 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

Speciation and release risk of heavy metals bonded on simulated naturally-aged microplastics prepared from artificially broken macroplastics

Researchers investigated heavy metal speciation and release risk from naturally aged microplastics in simulated saltwater and gastrointestinal solutions, finding that different metals varied in adsorption capacity and release behavior, posing potential risks to both ecosystems and human health.

2021 Environmental Pollution 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of metals associated with virgin pre-production and freshwater microplastics collected by an Italian river

Researchers assessed the metals associated with virgin pre-production microplastics and freshwater microplastics collected from an Italian river, comparing metal content and sorption behavior between pristine pellets and environmentally weathered particles. The study found that environmental exposure altered the metal-binding capacity of microplastics, underscoring their role as vectors for metal contaminants in freshwater systems.

2022 NanoImpact 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 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

Microplastic in upper Himalayan Ganga river: Occurrence, seasonal dynamics and ecological risk

Researchers quantified microplastics at 19 sites across the upper Himalayan Ganga River over six months, finding concentrations of 100–1,550 particles per liter in water and rising contamination levels downstream toward densely populated cities, with fibers, polyethylene, and post-monsoon conditions dominating the pollution profile.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polymer Aging on Uptake/Release Kinetics of Metal Ions and Organic Molecules by Micro- and Nanoplastics: Implications for the Bioavailability of the Associated Compounds

Researchers developed a theoretical framework to describe how aging and degradation of plastic particles in the environment changes their ability to absorb and release metals and organic contaminants. They found that as plastics weather and break down, their capacity to pick up and later release pollutants increases significantly. The study suggests that the age and condition of microplastics are important factors in determining how much contamination they carry and deliver to living organisms.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 16 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, fate and removal of microplastics as heavy metal vector in natural wastewater treatment wetland system

Researchers studied microplastic contamination in a natural wastewater treatment wetland system in Eastern India, finding high concentrations in both water and sediments along with toxic heavy metals adsorbed onto the plastic particles. The study found that microplastics acted as vectors for heavy metal contamination in fish and that the treatment ponds removed approximately 53% of surface water microplastics, highlighting the need to account for microplastic pollution in natural wastewater treatment systems.

2021 Water Research 262 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of virgin microplastics on the transport of Cd (II) in Xiangjiang River sediment

Six types of microplastics were found to change how cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) binds to and moves through river sediments. The presence of microplastics altered cadmium adsorption behavior, suggesting that plastics in river sediments can affect the mobility and bioavailability of co-occurring heavy metal pollutants.

2021 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanism of trace heavy metals on microplastics and simulating their effect on microalgae in river

Researchers investigated how three common types of microplastics adsorb trace heavy metals under varying temperature and salinity conditions in freshwater. They found that microplastics adsorb metals primarily through electrostatic forces in a single-layer pattern, with warmer temperatures and lower salinity increasing adsorption capacity. The study also showed that heavy metals carried by microplastics can inhibit the growth of freshwater microalgae, demonstrating how plastics act as vectors for metal contamination in rivers.

2022 Environmental Research 177 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging characteristics of polylatic acid microplastics and their adsorption on hydrophilic organic pollutants: mechanistic investigations and theoretical calculations

Researchers characterized how polylactic acid microplastics undergo UV and thermal aging in aquatic environments, finding that aging altered surface chemistry, increased hydrophilicity, and enhanced adsorption of heavy metal pollutants—raising concerns about aged biodegradable plastics as carriers of co-contaminants.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Partitioning of heavy metals in sediments and microplastics from stormwater runoff

Researchers studied how heavy metals distribute between sediment particles and microplastics in stormwater runoff. UV-weathered microplastics absorbed significantly more heavy metals than new plastic, competing with sediments for metal uptake. This matters because microplastics in stormwater can transport concentrated heavy metals from urban areas into rivers and lakes, creating a combined pollution problem.

2023 Chemosphere 30 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive assessment of macro and microplastics from Rivers Ganga and Yamuna: Unveiling the seasonal, spatial and risk factors

This study provides the first comprehensive look at plastic pollution in India's Ganga and Yamuna rivers, finding microplastics in surface water, deeper water, and sediments at all sampling locations. Contamination was higher during the wet season, and some of the polymers found are classified as hazardous. The millions of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain may be at risk from both direct water contact and indirect exposure through the food chain.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
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

Interaction of microplastics with metal(oid)s in aquatic environments: What is done so far?

This review assembled the mechanisms by which microplastics sorb hazardous metals and metalloids in aquatic environments, examining how weathering, biofilm formation, and environmental conditions influence the transport and bioavailability of these contaminants.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 36 citations
Article Tier 2

The seasonal variation and ecological risk of microplastics in the Lower Ganges River, Bangladesh

Researchers characterized seasonal variation in microplastic abundance and polymer composition in the lower Ganges River, finding that monsoon flows dramatically increase microplastic loads and that dry season concentrations reflect local urban pollution.

2024 Water Environment Research 7 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of microplastics in the environment: Sampling, separation, characterization and coexistence mechanisms with pollutants

Massive microplastic pollution was documented across Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America, and Europe, with MPs acting as carriers of heavy metals that enter organisms and cause harm. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto microplastics correlated with hydrophobicity, surface area, and functional group characteristics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 71 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