Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Regulatory mechanism of microplastics on arsenic bioavailability in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which microplastics influence arsenic bioavailability in sediments of the Min River estuary, a subtropical estuary in China, finding that microplastic pollution alters the dynamics of bioavailable arsenic through interactions with sediment geochemistry and microbial communities.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Quantification of the redox properties of microplastics and their effect on arsenite oxidation

Researchers quantified the redox properties of weathered microplastics and found that environmentally aged phenol-formaldehyde microplastics can influence arsenite oxidation, revealing a previously unknown role for microplastics in biogeochemical redox processes.

2022 Fundamental Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-transport of arsenic and micro/nano-plastics in saturated soil

Column experiments found that 100 nm nanoplastic particles reduced arsenic transport in saturated sand by adsorbing arsenic ions, while 5 micron microplastics enhanced arsenic transport through electrostatic adsorption and pore plugging, demonstrating size-dependent and opposing effects of micro- and nanoplastics on co-contaminant mobility.

2023 Environmental Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect and mechanism of coexistence of microplastics on arsenate adsorption capacity in water

Researchers examined how the presence of microplastics affects the ability of different materials to adsorb arsenate from contaminated water. They found that microplastics can interfere with the adsorption process, particularly by competing for binding sites on adsorbent materials like ZIF-8. The study highlights that co-contamination of water with both microplastics and heavy metals may complicate pollution remediation efforts.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on the Fate and Behaviour of Arsenic in the Environment and Their Significance for Drinking Water Supply

This review highlights a largely overlooked problem: microplastics in the environment can adsorb arsenic — one of the world's most dangerous water contaminants — onto their surfaces and potentially transport it to new locations or make it harder to remove during drinking water treatment. The authors call for urgent research into how the presence of microplastics affects the performance of arsenic removal technologies, since both pollutants now co-occur in water sources globally.

2023 Processes 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of arsenic on the transport and attachment of microplastics in porous media

Researchers studied how arsenic, a common groundwater contaminant, affects the movement of microplastics through soil. They found that arsenic in water generally reduced how far microplastics traveled by promoting their attachment to soil particles, though this effect depended on arsenic concentration, water flow speed, and soil moisture levels. The findings help predict how microplastics and heavy metals may interact and spread together in underground water systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastics in altering arsenic fractionation and microbial community structures in arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments

The addition of microplastics to arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments altered arsenic fractionation and shifted microbial community structures, with biodegradable plastics producing different effects compared to conventional polymers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the environmental behavior of co-existing toxic metals in sediment ecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Interface adsorption characteristics of microplastics on multiple morphological arsenic compounds

Researchers studied how polystyrene and PET microplastics adsorb different forms of arsenic, a toxic element commonly found in contaminated water. They found that polystyrene had a much higher capacity to bind arsenic compounds than PET, and that the arsenic-loaded microplastics were more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The study highlights that microplastics can act as carriers for toxic heavy metals, amplifying their environmental harm.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic transport and ecological risk in coastal intruded aquifers based on a coupled seawater intrusion and microplastic risk assessment model

Using a coupled seawater intrusion and microplastic transport model, researchers analyzed how saltwater-freshwater dynamics in Laizhou Bay coastal aquifers drive microplastic contamination. Seawater intrusion events significantly enhanced microplastic migration into coastal groundwater, with risk assessment indicating elevated ecological hazard in affected aquifer zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Climate warming will alter the impact of microplastics on the bioavailability of arsenic in a subtropical estuary

Researchers incubated sediment from China's Min River estuary under warming conditions with PLA and PET microplastics at different doses, using DGT techniques to measure arsenic bioavailability. High-dose PLA MPs significantly enhanced arsenic bioavailability under warming while low-dose PET MPs inhibited it, demonstrating that climate warming and MP type interact to alter how arsenic mobilizes in estuarine sediments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and arsenic speciation in edible bivalves from the coast of China: Distribution, bioavailability, and human health risk

This study examined both microplastic and arsenic contamination in oysters and mussels from the Chinese coastline, finding that the two pollutants coexist and interact. Oysters contained about 58 microplastic particles per gram, and the size of microplastics influenced which forms of arsenic were present. The findings highlight food safety concerns, since people who eat shellfish may be exposed to both microplastics and arsenic simultaneously.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Arsenic adsorption by carboxylate and amino modified polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics: kinetics and mechanisms

Researchers found that functionalized polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics can adsorb arsenic from water, with carboxylate-modified particles showing higher capacity than amino-modified ones, and that salinity and humic acids inhibit adsorption, confirming microplastics can alter arsenic behavior in ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Coagulation performance and mechanism of different novel covalently bonded organic silicon-aluminum/iron composite coagulant for As(V) removal from water: The role of hydrolysate species and the effect of coexisting microplastics

This study developed new coagulant chemicals for removing arsenic from drinking water and tested how the presence of microplastics affects the treatment process. Microplastics in the water interfered with arsenic removal by competing for the coagulant chemicals, reducing treatment effectiveness. The findings highlight a practical concern: as microplastic contamination in water sources increases, it may make it harder to remove other dangerous pollutants from drinking water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of As(III) by microplastics coexisting with antibiotics

This study examined how microplastics absorb arsenic, a toxic metal, from water, especially when antibiotics are also present. Smaller and more aged microplastic particles absorbed more arsenic, and environmental factors like pH and dissolved organic matter significantly changed absorption rates. This is relevant to human health because microplastics in contaminated water can concentrate toxic metals like arsenic on their surface and potentially carry them into drinking water or the food chain.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Salinity-Induced Changes in Heavy Metal Behavior and Mobility in Semi-Arid Coastal Aquifers: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines how saltwater intrusion into coastal groundwater aquifers in dry climates affects the behavior and movement of heavy metals. While focused on heavy metals rather than microplastics directly, the findings are relevant because microplastics in these same aquifers can carry and release heavy metals as salinity changes, potentially contaminating drinking water sources for coastal communities.

2024 Water 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected arsenic mobility and methylation in paddy soils through distinct chemical-microbial pathways

A 98-day paddy soil experiment found that conventional microplastics reduced arsenic in porewater but increased methylated arsenic fractions, while biodegradable microplastics increased both porewater arsenic and methylation, suggesting distinct chemical-microbial pathways affecting arsenic mobility and toxicity.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Stability of arsenic(Ⅲ, Ⅴ) in galvanized steel pipe scales coexisting with colloidal polystyrene microplastics under drinking water conditions

This study found that colloidal polystyrene microplastics entering drinking water distribution systems can disrupt the stability of arsenic in pipe corrosion scales, potentially mobilizing toxic arsenic into tap water. The results highlight a previously unrecognized pathway by which microplastics could indirectly worsen drinking water quality even beyond their own direct effects.

2023 Chemosphere 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effect of arsenate and microplastics and its toxicity mechanism on lettuce

Researchers investigated the combined effects of arsenate and polystyrene microplastics on lettuce growth. The study found that microplastics adsorbed arsenate from irrigation water and enhanced its uptake by lettuce, with the synergistic effect causing greater oxidative stress and growth inhibition than either contaminant alone.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption of arsenic on micro- and nano-plastics intensifies the toxic effect on submerged macrophytes

Researchers investigated how arsenic adsorbs onto microplastics of varying types and sizes, and how those particles affect underwater plants. They found that nanoplastics increased arsenic absorption in aquatic macrophytes by 36-47%, causing more severe leaf damage and oxidative stress than either contaminant alone.

2022 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

[Adsorption Characteristics of Arsenic on UV-aged Polypropylene Microplastics in Aqueous Solution].

This study examined how UV weathering (aging) changes the ability of polypropylene microplastics to adsorb arsenic from water, finding that aged plastic had rougher surfaces and more oxygen-containing groups, which enhanced arsenic adsorption. Environmental factors like pH and dissolved organic matter also influenced how much arsenic stuck to the plastic. Because aged microplastics bind more arsenic, they could carry this toxic heavy metal into aquatic food webs more effectively than pristine plastic particles.

2026 PubMed