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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Adsorption of metals on aged microplastics in intensive mariculture areas: Aggravating the potential ecological risks to marine organisms
ClearStudy on the capability and characteristics of heavy metals enriched on microplastics in marine environment
Laboratory and field experiments examined heavy metal adsorption on five plastic types (PVC, PP, PE, PA, POM), finding that PVC and PP had the highest adsorption capacity for lead and manganese, with field results showing that PP adsorbed metals at concentrations orders of magnitude higher than co-adsorbed PAHs. The study provides direct comparative data on microplastic-metal interactions across polymer types in marine environments.
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.
Metals' Adsorption Onto Environmental Microplastics at Shoreline Sediments
Metal adsorption onto microplastics collected from shoreline environments was measured, revealing that weathered plastic particles accumulate heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc. The results confirm that shoreline microplastics act as metal-enriched vectors that could pose risks to organisms ingesting them.
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.
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.
Microplastics aged in various environmental media exhibited strong sorption to heavy metals in seawater
Researchers aged six types of microplastics — including polyamide and PET — in different environments and then measured their adsorption of heavy metals in seawater, finding that aging consistently increased metal sorption capacity and that environmental medium during aging strongly influenced the degree of surface modification.
The potential of microplastics as carriers of metals
Five types of microplastics were tested for their ability to adsorb heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in different water matrices, finding significant adsorption of lead, chromium, and zinc—especially on polyethylene and PVC—with surface area and porosity as key drivers. The study identifies microplastics as potential vectors for heavy metal transport and transfer through aquatic food chains.
Effects of particle size and aging on heavy metal adsorption by polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics under varying environmental conditions
This study found that smaller and weathered microplastics absorb significantly more lead and copper from water than larger or newer particles. Since microplastics in the real world are constantly aging and breaking into smaller pieces, they may become increasingly effective at concentrating toxic metals that can then enter the food chain and potentially affect human health.
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.
Adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in fresh water
Researchers measured the adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in freshwater, finding that pellets accumulate metals from the surrounding water, potentially concentrating metals and altering their bioavailability to aquatic organisms.
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.
Adsorption of Cadmium, Copper and Lead on Polypropylene and Polyethylene Microplastics
This laboratory study measured how cadmium, copper, and lead adsorb onto polypropylene and polyethylene microplastic particles in seawater, finding that microplastics concentrate these toxic metals at levels well above surrounding water concentrations. The results reinforce concerns that microplastics act as carriers of heavy metal contamination in marine ecosystems.
Study on Adsorption of Heavy Metals Cu and Zn by Microplastics Under Different Aged Factors
Researchers examined how aging of polyethylene microplastics under different conditions -- varying pH, dissolved organic matter, and hydrogen peroxide -- affects their adsorption of Cu and Zn, finding that H2O2-induced aging most strongly enhanced heavy metal sorption capacity.
Microplastics as a vehicle of heavy metals in aquatic environments: A review of adsorption factors, mechanisms, and biological effects
This review summarizes how microplastics in water can absorb and carry toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium, making them more dangerous to aquatic life than either pollutant alone. Environmental factors such as water acidity, salinity, and organic matter influence how much metal sticks to microplastic surfaces. Since contaminated seafood is a major source of human exposure, understanding these interactions is important for assessing health risks.
How do microplastics adsorb metals? A preliminary study under simulated wetland conditions
Researchers investigated how different plastic polymer types adsorb metals under conditions simulating the Poyang Lake wetland environment, including sediment, water chemistry, and organic matter. Adsorption capacity varied substantially between polymer types, with aged and weathered plastics showing higher metal uptake than pristine particles, and wetland-specific chemistry influencing adsorption mechanisms.
Enhancement of Pb(II) adsorption by aged polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in the presence of microalgae: kinetic and mechanistic
UV, permanganate, and alkaline aging treatments all increased PET microplastic adsorption capacity for lead, and Microcystis aeruginosa microalgae further enhanced Pb(II) adsorption by coating PET surfaces with organic matter, demonstrating how environmental aging and biofouling amplify MP-metal interactions.
Long-Term Sorption of Metals Is Similar among Plastic Types: Implications for Plastic Debris in Aquatic Environments
Researchers deployed five types of common plastic in San Diego Bay for up to 12 months and measured how much metal accumulated on each type. They found that all plastics accumulated similar concentrations of metals over the long term, regardless of polymer type, suggesting that metal sorption is driven more by surface biofilm formation than by plastic chemistry. The findings indicate that any type of plastic debris in aquatic environments can become a carrier for potentially toxic metals.
[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.
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.
Enhancement of Pb(II) Adsorption by Aged Microplastics in the Presence of Microalgae: Kinetic and Mechanistic
Researchers investigated how UV light, potassium permanganate, and sodium hydroxide aging treatments affect lead (Pb(II)) adsorption by PET microplastics, and examined the additional influence of the microalga Microcystis aeruginosa. Aging increased adsorption capacity through greater surface functional groups and porosity, while microalgae further enhanced Pb(II) uptake via extracellular polymeric substances, suggesting that algal presence amplifies microplastics as heavy metal carriers in aquatic environments.
Sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments: Insights from a long-term field study within Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
Researchers placed macro- and microplastics made of two common polymer types in marine intertidal sediments in British Columbia, Canada, for an extended field study to measure how they absorb trace metals. They found that metal sorption depended on polymer type, plastic aging, particle size, and local environmental conditions such as proximity to pollution sources. The study demonstrates that plastics in marine sediments can accumulate concerning levels of metals like copper and zinc, potentially creating concentrated toxic hotspots.
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.
Potential ecological risk assessment of microplastics in coastal sediments: Their metal accumulation and interaction with sedimentary metal concentration
Scientists surveyed 21 locations along Qatar's coastline and found microplastics in sediments at every site, with most particles showing signs of chemical degradation from the harsh environment. The microplastics had adsorbed metals from the surrounding environment, though at lower concentrations than those found in the sediment itself. This research shows how microplastics in coastal areas can act as carriers for toxic metals, potentially increasing the exposure of marine organisms and, through the food chain, humans.
Field to laboratory comparison of metal accumulation on aged microplastics in coastal waters
Researchers compared metal accumulation on aged microplastics collected from the field versus laboratory-aged samples in coastal waters, finding differences that highlight the importance of realistic weathering conditions when assessing microplastic-metal interactions.