Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Effects of chlorination on microplastics pollution: Physicochemical transformation and chromium adsorption

Researchers found that chlorination of polyethylene and thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics significantly altered their surface morphology and oxygen-containing functional groups, enhancing their ability to aggregate and adsorb chromium contaminants in water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on polyamide microplastics: Effect of sorbent and influence of environmental factors

Researchers studied how perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent industrial chemicals, bind to polyamide microplastics in water. They found that smaller microplastic particles absorbed dramatically more PFAS than larger ones, and that water chemistry conditions like pH and salinity influenced the process. The findings suggest microplastics can concentrate harmful chemicals and potentially increase human and wildlife exposure to PFAS in contaminated environments.

2022 Environmental Research 81 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

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

Kinetics and Size Effects on Adsorption of Cu(II), Cr(III), and Pb(II) Onto Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Particles

Researchers investigated how copper, chromium, and lead ions adsorb onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET microplastic particles of different sizes. The study found that smaller microplastic particles had greater adsorption capacity for heavy metals, with lead showing the highest adsorption levels, particularly on PET particles, suggesting increased environmental risk when tiny microplastics and heavy metals coexist.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 57 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of photooxidation and organic matter in Cr(III) and Cr(VI) interactions with poly(lactic acid) microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers studied how UV exposure and organic matter influence the interaction between chromium and biodegradable poly(lactic acid) microplastics in water. They found that pristine PLA has low affinity for chromium, but the presence of organic matter like humic and tannic acids increased chromium adsorption by up to 620-fold, while UV-induced photooxidation of PLA also substantially enhanced adsorption. The study provides important insights into how environmental conditions alter the ability of biodegradable microplastics to transport heavy metals in aquatic systems.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
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 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

From cosmetics to Contamination: Microplastics in personal care products as vectors for chromium in aquatic environments

This study tested facial scrubs sold in India and found that most contained plastic microbeads, then measured how well those microbeads absorb the toxic heavy metal chromium under different environmental conditions. The microbeads readily picked up chromium from water, with absorption increasing at higher temperatures and certain pH levels. This shows that microplastics from personal care products can act as carriers for heavy metals once they reach waterways, creating a combined pollution threat.

2024 Waste Management Bulletin 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium on electron beam-irradiated aged microplastics: Novel aging processes and environmental factors

Researchers used electron beam irradiation as a novel method to age polypropylene microplastics and then studied how these aged particles adsorb hexavalent chromium from water. They found that aging dramatically increased the microplastics' ability to bind chromium by generating oxygen-containing functional groups on their surfaces. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may have a significantly greater capacity to concentrate heavy metal pollutants than fresh plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of three bivalent metals by four chemical distinct microplastics

Researchers measured the sorption of copper, cadmium, and lead onto four types of microplastic particles — including chlorinated PE, PVC, and two PE variants — finding that higher crystallinity and surface area drove greater metal adsorption, and that all four plastics had different capacities for each metal.

2020 Chemosphere 306 citations
Article Tier 2

NaCl enhances cesium adsorption onto microplastics in seawater: A density functional theory perspective

Researchers used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate how sodium chloride (NaCl) in seawater enhances the adsorption of radioactive cesium onto microplastic surfaces, elucidating molecular-scale mechanisms by which coexisting ions modulate heavy metal-microplastic interactions.

2025 Emerging contaminants
Article Tier 2

Interaction of toxic chemicals with microplastics: A critical review

This critical review examined how toxic chemicals interact with microplastics in the environment, synthesizing evidence on adsorption, desorption, and the conditions under which microplastics either increase or decrease the bioavailability of co-occurring pollutants.

2018 Water Research 875 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Complexation and Contaminant Vector Potentialin Aged Polyamide-Heavy Metal Interactions

Researchers found that aged polyamide (PA) microplastics exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity for cadmium and copper compared to pristine PA, with increased surface roughness from aging promoting stronger metal binding via electrostatic interactions, and environmental factors such as pH influencing subsequent metal desorption.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the Co-Adsorption Mechanisms of Sulfonamide Antibiotics and Cu 2+ on Microplastics in Aquatic Environments: Joint Effects and Molecular-Level Insights from Experiments and DFT Calculation

Researchers investigated the co-adsorption behavior of ten sulfonamide antibiotics and copper ions (Cu2+) on polyamide microplastics in aquatic environments, finding synergistic effects for sulfonamides and antagonistic effects for Cu2+ adsorption. Molecular-level DFT calculations revealed the mechanisms underlying these interactions, with implications for the combined transport of antibiotics and heavy metals in microplastic-contaminated water.

2025 ACS ES&T Water
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