Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Adsorption Behavior and Interaction of Micro-Nanoplastics in Soils and Aquatic Environment

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics adsorb environmental pollutants in soil and aquatic environments, acting as vectors that transfer and enhance the bioavailability of contaminants. Aging and weathering processes that alter plastic surface properties were identified as key factors influencing adsorption capacity and pollutant interactions.

2024 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics with contaminants in freshwater systems: a review of characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors affecting sorption

This review examined how microplastics act as vectors for environmental contaminants in freshwater systems, analyzing the characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors that influence pollutant sorption onto plastic particles and their potential transfer to organisms including humans.

2023 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of persistent organic pollutants: Another effect of microplastic pollution?

This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments, covering the physical and chemical factors governing pollutant adsorption and desorption. The authors discuss how interactions between microplastics and POPs vary with polymer type, particle properties, and environmental conditions, and when these interactions may result in toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Partitioning of chemical contaminants to microplastics: Sorption mechanisms, environmental distribution and effects on toxicity and bioaccumulation

This review critically examines how chemical contaminants like persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals sorb onto microplastic surfaces in the environment. Researchers found that while microplastics can concentrate pollutants at levels far above surrounding water, the actual contribution of microplastics to contaminant transfer into organisms may be less significant than direct exposure from water and food. The study calls for more realistic experimental designs to clarify the true risk.

2019 Environmental Pollution 487 citations
Review Tier 2

The chemical behaviors of microplastics in marine environment: A review

This review summarized interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants and metals in the marine environment, covering sorption behavior across polymer types, the role of degradation in altering sorption capacity, and global monitoring data on pollutant concentrations on marine plastics. The authors conclude that microplastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions all strongly influence chemical accumulation on plastic surfaces.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Interactions with Pollutants and Consequences to Aquatic Ecosystems: What We Know and What We Do Not Know

Researchers reviewed the interactions between plastic debris and environmental pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, examining what is known and what knowledge gaps remain. The study analyzed how plastics can adsorb and transport various contaminants, potentially altering their bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic organisms. The review highlights that the non-biodegradable nature of plastics means they may persist for thousands of years, serving as long-term vectors for pollutant transport.

2022 Biomolecules 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Pollutants on Microplastics in Freshwater

This book chapter examines adsorption of co-contaminants—including heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals—onto microplastic surfaces in freshwater environments, reviewing how plastic particle characteristics determine their capacity to concentrate and transport associated pollutants.

2025
Article Tier 2

Sorption of non-polar organic compounds by micro-sized plastic particles in aqueous solution

This study measured the sorption of non-polar organic compounds by micro-sized plastic particles in aqueous solution, finding that different polymer types varied significantly in their ability to accumulate hydrophobic contaminants.

2016 Environmental Pollution 634 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics – A review

This review analyzed the adsorption behavior of organic micropollutants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals — onto nano- and microplastics, finding that adsorption is governed by pollutant hydrophobicity, particle surface area, and aging state, and that microplastics can act as vectors delivering co-contaminants to aquatic organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of organic pollutants and metals on micro/nanoplastics in the aquatic environment

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments adsorb organic pollutants and metals onto their surfaces, effectively acting as carriers for other contaminants. Researchers found that environmental factors like pH, salinity, and aging of the plastic significantly influence this sorption behavior. The findings raise concerns that microplastics may increase the bioavailability and toxicity of chemical pollutants in waterways.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 685 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption capacity of plastic debris for hydrophobic organic chemicals

This study measured the sorption of a suite of hydrophobic organic chemicals onto different types of marine plastic debris and found that sorption capacity varied widely by polymer type and chemical. The results provide a comparative dataset that helps predict which plastic types are most likely to act as significant vectors for toxic chemical transport in the ocean.

2013 The Science of The Total Environment 537 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on environmental occurrence of microplastics and their interaction mechanism with organic pollutants

This review summarizes how microplastics in the environment interact with organic pollutants—adsorbing, carrying, and releasing them. Microplastics act as mobile carriers for persistent organic chemicals, altering their distribution and toxicity in ecosystems and the organisms, including humans, that consume them.

2021 Scientia Sinica Chimica 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and organic contaminants: Investigation of the sorption process on different polymer types

Researchers investigated sorption of organic contaminants onto microplastics collected from environmental samples, finding that real-world MPs had different sorption capacities than laboratory-prepared particles due to surface aging, biofouling, and co-sorption of natural organic matter.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavior and mechanism of atrazine adsorption on pristine and aged microplastics in the aquatic environment: Kinetic and thermodynamic studies

Researchers systematically explored how the pesticide atrazine adsorbs onto both pristine and aged microplastics in aquatic environments. The study found that aged microplastics had higher adsorption capacities than pristine ones, with the aging process and pH significantly affecting surface charge and adsorption behavior, suggesting that weathered microplastics may carry greater loads of chemical contaminants.

2021 Chemosphere 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of some hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons by various pristine and heat-activated aged microplastics as potential pollutant carriers in aquatic environment

Researchers examined how pristine and heat-aged microplastics of four polymer types adsorb hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that aging significantly altered adsorption capacity. The results demonstrate that weathered microplastics may act as more effective pollutant vectors than pristine particles in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics with adsorbed contaminants: Mechanisms and Treatment

This review examines how microplastics adsorb environmental contaminants including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens, and surveys treatment methods for removing contaminated microplastics from water. Researchers found that microplastics can act as vectors for hazardous substances, potentially increasing their bioavailability and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The study evaluates emerging remediation technologies and highlights the complex environmental risks posed by microplastics carrying adsorbed pollutants.

2021 Environmental Challenges 321 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of organic compounds by microplastic

This German thesis studied how common microplastic polymers like polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyamide sorb and accumulate hydrophobic organic contaminants, investigating the mechanisms that make plastics effective carriers of pollutants. Understanding sorption behavior is key to assessing how microplastics transport toxic chemicals into marine food webs.

2016 University of Vienna
Article Tier 2

Review on microplastic-polymer composite interactions: assessing contaminant adsorption, structural integrity, and environmental impacts

This review examined how microplastics interact with polymer composites and serve as carriers for heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens. The study assessed how polymer type, surface properties, and environmental conditions influence contaminant adsorption and transport, highlighting the complex role of microplastics in pollutant cycling.

2025 Communication in Physical Sciences
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants in aquatic matrices

This study examines how microplastics affect the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants in aquatic systems. Microplastics can adsorb other pollutants and alter their bioavailability, potentially increasing or decreasing toxic effects depending on the chemicals and environmental conditions.

2023 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Article Tier 2

Sorption of pesticides onto polyethylene microplastics in different aqueous matrices

This thesis examined how pesticides adsorb onto polyethylene microplastics in different aqueous matrices, finding that water chemistry significantly affects the binding behavior and potential for microplastics to carry agricultural chemicals.

2023 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption Behaviour of Polychlorinated Biphenyls onto Microplastics’ Surfaces in Water/Sediment Systems

Researchers evaluated the adsorption and desorption behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) onto polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics of varying sizes in marine water/sediment systems. Results showed that polymer type and particle size influenced PCB binding capacity, with microplastics acting as potential vectors for transferring persistent organic pollutants to marine biota through the food chain.

2020 Toxics 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics: Unignorable vectors for organisms

This review examines the role of micro- and nanoplastics as vectors for contaminants — including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens — in aquatic and terrestrial environments. It synthesizes evidence on how plastic particles can adsorb, transport, and release harmful substances, amplifying their ecological and health risks beyond the physical effects of the particles alone.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 205 citations
Review Tier 2

Physisorption and Chemisorption Mechanisms Influencing Micro (Nano) Plastics-Organic Chemical Contaminants Interactions: A Review

This review explains the chemical and physical mechanisms by which microplastics attract and carry organic pollutants like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals in the environment. The ability of microplastics to absorb these contaminants depends on factors like plastic type, particle size, weathering, and water conditions. Understanding these interactions is critical because when contaminated microplastics are ingested by organisms or humans, the absorbed chemicals can be released inside the body.

2021 Frontiers in Environmental Science 295 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2014 PLoS ONE 601 citations