Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Investigation of the adsorption of heavy metals on airborne microplastics in two coastal cities of portsmouth, uk and lagos, nigeria

Researchers investigated how airborne microplastics from two different environments adsorb heavy metals, examining the influence of varying atmospheric conditions on this interaction. Metal adsorption onto airborne microplastics varied with environmental conditions, affecting their potential toxicity as inhalable combined pollutants.

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

Quantification and characterization of airborne microplastics in the coastal area of Terengganu, Malaysia

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in a coastal city in Malaysia and found an average of about 5,476 particles per square meter per day, with fibers making up over 99% of what was collected. Heavy metals like aluminum and cadmium were found attached to the surface of these airborne particles. The study shows that people in coastal areas are breathing in microplastics that may also carry toxic metals, raising concerns about the combined health effects of inhaling contaminated plastic particles.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 14 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

Occurrence and Health Implications of Heavy Metals in Microplastics from Otuoke Surface Waters

Microplastics collected from surface waters in Otuoke, Nigeria were analyzed for adsorbed heavy metals, with health risk assessments indicating that consumption of contaminated aquatic organisms could pose risks to local populations from metal-laden plastic particles.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Abundances, Characteristics, and Health Risk Assessment of Airborne Microplastics in the Urban Area: A Case Study of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Scientists found tiny plastic particles floating in the air of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with higher amounts during certain weather seasons. These microplastics are small enough to get deep into our lungs when we breathe, and adults face higher health risks than children because they breathe in more air. This research shows that people living in busy cities may be regularly breathing in plastic pollution, but more studies are needed to understand the long-term health effects.

2026
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Health Implications of Heavy Metals in Microplastics from Otuoke Surface Waters

This study investigated the occurrence of heavy metals associated with microplastics in surface waters in Otuoke, Nigeria, finding that MPs adsorb and concentrate toxic metals and may serve as vectors for metal exposure in local communities consuming fish. (Duplicate record of ID 11006.)

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Relationship of Suspended Atmospheric Microplastics and Meteorological Parameters in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Researchers examined the relationship between suspended atmospheric microplastics and meteorological parameters in Kuala Lumpur, finding that weather conditions including temperature, humidity, and wind patterns influence airborne microplastic concentrations.

2023 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the Adsorption Behavior of Heavy Metals onto the MPs and Their Impact

This review examines how microplastics adsorb heavy metals from soil and aquatic environments and how this adsorption affects the transport, bioavailability, and toxicity of both contaminants. The authors synthesize evidence showing that microplastics act as effective carriers for heavy metal transport through freshwater and marine systems, amplifying the ecological hazard of metal contamination.

2024 ACS symposium series 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristic of microplastics in the atmospheric fallout from Dongguan city, China: preliminary research and first evidence

Researchers characterized microplastics in atmospheric fallout collected in Dongguan City, China, finding that airborne microplastics are deposited daily and that urban areas generate significant atmospheric microplastic emissions.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 912 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

Sorption properties of cadmium on microplastics: The common practice experiment and A two-dimensional correlation spectroscopic study

Laboratory experiments examined how cadmium adsorbs onto microplastics of different polymer types and aging states, finding that surface chemistry and weathering significantly affect how much heavy metal the plastics can carry. This matters because microplastics contaminated with heavy metals represent a dual pollution risk when ingested by aquatic organisms.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 253 citations
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

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

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in the coastal zone: Characteristics and relationship with meteorological factors

Microplastics deposited from the atmosphere were sampled and characterized in a coastal zone, with analysis of meteorological factors including air humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and air mass trajectories. The study found measurable atmospheric microplastic deposition in the coastal environment, with weather patterns influencing deposition rates and particle characteristics.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 258 citations
Article Tier 2

Identificação e quantificação de microplásticos na atmosfera do Porto e riscos para a saúde humana

This study identified and quantified microplastics in the atmosphere of Porto, Portugal, characterizing airborne plastic particle types and concentrations and assessing potential health risks from inhalation exposure for city residents.

2024 Open Repository of the University of Porto (University of Porto)
Article Tier 2

Comparative study on physicochemical characteristics of atmospheric microplastics in winter in inland and coastal megacities: A case of Beijing and Shanghai, China

Researchers compared airborne microplastic pollution during winter in Beijing, an inland city, and Shanghai, a coastal city in China. They found notable differences in the shapes, sizes, and polymer types of microplastics between the two cities, reflecting their distinct urban and industrial environments. The study provides evidence that local geography and economic activity significantly influence the characteristics of atmospheric microplastic contamination.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential of Adsorption of Diverse Environmental Contaminants onto Microplastics

Researchers assessed the ability of four common types of microplastics to adsorb hazardous environmental contaminants including dyes and heavy metals. They found that dyes were adsorbed through physical processes while heavy metal adsorption varied by plastic type, with polystyrene showing the highest capacity for certain metals. The study confirms that microplastics can act as vectors for diverse pollutants, potentially increasing the environmental mobility and bioavailability of toxic substances.

2022 Water 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and particulate matter: assessment of atmospheric pollution in the Region of Hortênsias, Brazil

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations alongside particulate matter in the atmosphere of an urban area, characterizing the size, morphology, and polymer composition of airborne plastic particles and assessing the contribution of different anthropogenic sources to atmospheric MP pollution.

2025 Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais
Article Tier 2

Deposition of microplastics associated with bioaccumulation of heavy metals in human lungs of smokers: Implications of adsorption and mobilization of metals via microplastics

Researchers compared lung tissue from smokers and non-smokers and found that smokers accumulated more microplastics alongside elevated levels of heavy metals in lung tissue, suggesting that tobacco smoke enhances chelation of heavy metals to airborne microplastics, increasing lung bioaccumulation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments of a developing country in South Asia: abundance, distribution, morphology, and possible sources

Researchers quantified airborne microplastic concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments in a South Asian developing country, characterizing particle abundance, size distribution, morphology, and potential sources, finding significant microplastic air pollution in a lower-middle-income country context.

2022 Figshare 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic-Toxic Chemical Interaction: A Review Study on Quantified Levels, Mechanism and Implication

This review summarizes quantified levels of heavy metals and hydrophobic organic contaminants sorbed onto microplastics in environmental media, examining adsorption and desorption mechanisms and discussing health implications of ingested microplastics acting as vectors for toxic chemical transport.

2019 Preprints.org 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics with heavy metals in the aquatic environment: Mechanisms and mitigation

This review synthesized mechanisms of heavy metal adsorption onto microplastics in aquatic environments and evaluated strategies for removing both contaminants simultaneously. The authors found that temperature, salinity, and plastic surface aging govern metal binding, and identified hybrid adsorbent materials as the most promising approach for co-removal of metals and microplastics from water.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
Article Tier 2

Analysis of suspended atmospheric microplastics size at different elevation in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Researchers sampled atmospheric microplastics at two different elevations on a Malaysian university campus, finding microplastic contamination in suspended air particles even in urban academic settings, with characteristics varying by elevation.

2023 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics at a southern China metropolis: Occurrence, deposition flux, exposure risk and washout effect of rainfall

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, finding them throughout the year with higher levels during the rainy season. They estimated that adults in the city inhale tens of thousands of microplastic particles annually through normal breathing. Rainfall helped wash microplastics out of the air, but it also deposited them onto surfaces where they can enter water and soil, creating another pathway for human exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 95 citations