Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Copper adsorption on microplastics: Investigating toxicity in an in vitro digestive environment

Researchers investigated how the presence of naturally weathered microplastics affects the bioaccessibility and toxicity of adsorbed copper during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Results showed that microplastics altered the release and uptake of copper in the gut, potentially increasing or decreasing its bioavailable fraction depending on conditions.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Pollutant adsorption on microplastic and its release during digestion processes

Researchers investigated the adsorption of copper and PFAS onto polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene microplastics and examined the subsequent release of these contaminants during simulated digestion processes. The study aimed to clarify the role of microplastics as vectors that increase contaminant bioavailability in marine biota.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

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

Pollutant adsorption on microplastic and its release during digestion processes

Researchers investigated how microplastics act as contaminant vectors for copper and PFAS by adsorbing these substances onto polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene particles and then evaluating their release under simulated gastrointestinal conditions using the Infogest static digestion protocol. They compared adsorption and release across polymer types and particle morphologies (spherical microbeads vs. post-consumer irregular microplastics) to assess how pH, enzymes, and bile affect desorption of these contaminants.

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

Bioaccessibility of microplastic-associated heavy metals using an in vitro digestion model and its implications for human health risk assessment

Researchers evaluated the bioaccessibility of heavy metals associated with microplastics using an in vitro digestion model to assess human health risks. The study found significant adsorption of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and lead onto polyvinyl chloride microplastics, with varying bioaccessibility across different digestive phases. The findings suggest that incorporating bioaccessibility data into risk assessments may provide more accurate estimates of health risks from ingesting microplastic-associated heavy metals.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Copper Adsorption to Microplastics and Natural Particles in Seawater: A Comparison of Kinetics, Isotherms, and Bioavailability

Researchers compared copper adsorption onto pristine and aged microplastics versus natural particles like algae and sediments in seawater, finding that natural particles generally had higher metal-sequestering capacity, challenging the emphasis on microplastics as dominant metal-transport vectors.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 132 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and their adsorption behavior on Cu2+ and Fe3+ in environmental matrices

Researchers characterized polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and measured their ability to adsorb heavy metals, finding that both types can bind copper and iron ions from water — raising concern that microplastics may act as carriers that transport toxic metals deeper into aquatic ecosystems and food chains.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption Behavior of Microplastics on Copper Ions in Aqueous Solution

This study investigated how microplastics of different types and surface chemistry adsorb and release copper ions in water. The findings show that microplastics can pick up and later release heavy metals depending on environmental conditions, acting as vectors that transport toxic metals through aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential of polyethylene microplastics to transport copper in aquatic systems: Adsorption and desorption studies

Researchers investigated the adsorption and desorption of copper (II) ions onto polyethylene microplastics in aquatic systems, varying operational parameters such as equilibrium time, pH, temperature, and initial metal concentration. They found that polyethylene microplastics can act as vectors for copper transport in water, with sorption behavior governed by multiple physicochemical factors.

2022 Water Environment Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing potential toxicity and metal bioavailability of secondary microplastics using in-vitro human gastric models

This study assessed the potential toxicity and metal bioavailability of sediment samples from an aquatic environment, evaluating how co-occurring microplastics may influence metal toxicity by altering metal speciation and uptake. The results highlight complex interactions between plastic particles and metal contaminants in sediments.

2024 Spiral (Imperial College London)
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic contamination by metals in a controlled environment: A risk to be considered

Researchers found that polyethylene terephthalate microplastics readily adsorb nickel, copper, and zinc metals in aquatic environments, demonstrating that degraded plastics can act as carriers for metal contaminants and pose compounded environmental risks.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 7 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

Reduced dietary Ca, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Mg bioavailability but increased Fe bioavailability with polyethylene microplastic ingestion in a mouse model: Changes in intestinal permeability and gut metabolites

Researchers fed mice diets containing polyethylene microplastics of two different sizes for 35 days and measured how plastic exposure affected the absorption of essential dietary minerals. They found that microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the bioavailability of calcium, copper, zinc, manganese, and magnesium, while unexpectedly increasing iron absorption. The study suggests that chronic microplastic ingestion could interfere with nutritional mineral uptake, potentially contributing to mineral deficiencies over time.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as Vectors of Chromium and Lead during Dynamic Simulation of the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

Using a dynamic in vitro simulator of the human gastrointestinal tract, researchers showed that chromium and lead adsorbed to polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics are released and become bioaccessible in gut conditions, suggesting microplastics can act as vectors delivering heavy metals to human tissues.

2020 Sustainability 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccessibility of Trace Metals and Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Microplastic

Researchers measured the bioaccessibility of trace metals and rare earth elements adsorbed onto beach microplastics using simulated digestive fluid conditions. Metals were released from microplastic surfaces under stomach acid conditions, indicating that plastic ingestion can deliver these contaminants to digestive systems of marine organisms and humans.

2025
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

Antidote or Trojan horse for submerged macrophytes: Role of microplastics in copper toxicity in aquatic environments

Researchers investigated whether polyethylene microplastics act as an antidote or a Trojan horse for copper toxicity to submerged aquatic plants. The study found that microplastics reduced dissolved copper concentrations through adsorption but could then release copper-loaded particles that were taken up by plants. The results suggest that microplastics may initially reduce copper toxicity in water but ultimately serve as carriers that deliver copper directly into plant tissues.

2022 Water Research 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic contamination by metals in a controlled environment: A risk to be considered

Researchers found that PET microplastics readily adsorb nickel, copper, and cobalt under controlled conditions, confirming that metal contamination of microplastics in aquatic systems represents a compounding environmental risk worth monitoring.

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

Adsorption properties and influencing factors of Cu(II) on polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater

Researchers investigated how polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics adsorb copper ions in seawater, characterizing adsorption kinetics and influencing factors to understand microplastics' role as vectors for heavy metal pollutants in marine environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 126 citations
Article Tier 2

How Digestive Processes Can Affect the Bioavailability of PCBs Associated with Microplastics: A Modeling Study Supported by Empirical Data

Researchers used a simulated human digestive model to study whether gut processes change how quickly chemicals like PCBs transfer on and off microplastic particles. They found that digestive enzymes and bile salts significantly accelerated the release of these chemicals from microplastics, suggesting that the human gut environment may increase exposure to plastic-associated pollutants. The study provides new evidence that microplastics could act as carriers that release harmful chemicals more readily during digestion.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic metal-adsorbed microplastics threaten human digestive system: A bioaccessibility-based risk assessment

Researchers assessed the health risks of toxic metals adsorbed onto microplastics when ingested through seafood, sea salt, and drinking water. They found that environmental aging increased the metal-adsorption capacity of microplastics by roughly ninefold, with the greatest risk observed in children aged 0-3 years during stomach digestion. The study suggests that fish, bivalves, and crustaceans are the dietary sources contributing most to non-carcinogenic risk from metal-contaminated microplastics.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Role of Polystyrene Microplastics in Cu Binding in Sea Surface Waters: An Experimental Perspective for Future Research

The role of polystyrene microplastics in binding copper (Cu) and altering its environmental mobility and toxicity was investigated, finding that microplastics can both adsorb and release copper depending on environmental conditions. This has implications for how microplastics modulate heavy metal hazards in contaminated environments.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations