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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Uranium accumulation in environmentally relevant microplastics and agricultural soil at acidic and circumneutral pH
ClearPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics as radionuclide (U-232) carriers: Surface alteration matters the most
Researchers investigated how surface alteration of PET microplastics affects their ability to carry radioactive uranium-232. The study found that biofilm formation on PET surfaces dramatically increased radionuclide adsorption efficiency compared to pristine plastic, suggesting that environmentally weathered microplastics may play a more significant role in transporting radioactive contaminants through aquatic systems.
Interfacial Interactions of Uranium and Arsenic with Microplastics: From Field Detection to Controlled Laboratory Tests
Researchers detected microplastics in freshwater bodies across New Mexico and then tested in the lab whether common plastic types adsorb uranium and arsenic from water. While arsenic showed no affinity for any plastic tested, uranium at neutral pH readily precipitated onto plastic surfaces, forming mineral crusts. This means microplastics in mining-affected waterways could complicate metal contamination by creating new hotspots of radioactive and toxic material that are difficult to predict and remove.
The interaction of two emerging pollutants, radionuclides and microplastics: In-depth thermodynamic studies in water, seawater, and wastewater
Laboratory experiments measured how polyurethane and polylactic acid microplastics adsorb radioactive uranium and americium from water under conditions mimicking seawater and wastewater. The results show that microplastics can accumulate radionuclides from contaminated water environments, raising the possibility that plastic particles could act as unexpected carriers of radioactive contamination through aquatic food webs.
The Interaction of Two Emerging Pollutants, Radionuclides and Microplastics: In-Depth Thermodynamic Studies in Water, Seawater, and Wastewater
This study examined how two radioactive isotopes — uranium-232 and americium-241 — interact with polyurethane and polylactic acid microplastics in freshwater, seawater, and wastewater under varying pH and temperature conditions. Microplastics were found to adsorb both radionuclides, with temperature and pH strongly influencing the binding, though natural water chemistry reduced adsorption efficiency significantly. The findings raise concern that microplastics in nuclear-adjacent or contaminated water bodies could act as carriers, concentrating and potentially transporting radioactive pollutants through aquatic systems.
Americium Sorption by Microplastics in Aqueous Solutions
Researchers investigated americium sorption by polyamide and polyethylene microplastics in both deionized water and seawater, tracing interactions with Am-241 isotope and examining the effects of pH and solution composition on sorption efficiency over time. The study found that microplastic type and aqueous matrix composition significantly influenced radionuclide uptake, with implications for the transport of radioactive contaminants in marine environments.
Radionuclide Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Oxidized Carbon Fabrics
This paper is not directly about microplastics; it investigates the adsorption of radioactive actinide ions (americium and uranium) from water using carbon fabric materials, finding near-complete removal of uranium under optimal pH and temperature conditions.
PET plastics as a Trojan horse for radionuclides
Researchers discovered that PET plastic bottles collected near a phosphate fertilizer plant had accumulated natural and artificial radionuclides, demonstrating that littered plastics can act as carriers for radioactive contaminants and pose potential health risks.
Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics in the marine environment interact with radioactive cesium and strontium. They found that as microplastics age in seawater and develop biofilms, their ability to absorb these radioactive elements increases significantly. The study provides evidence that microplastics could act as previously unrecognized carriers of radioactive contamination in ocean environments.
Influence of Different Microplastic Forms on pH and Mobility of Cu2+ and Pb2+ in Soil
Researchers investigated how different microplastic forms influence soil pH and the mobility of copper and lead ions, finding that microplastics' surface properties and electrostatic interactions can modify heavy metal sorption and alter the soil microenvironment.
A Preliminary Study on the “Hitchhiking” of Radionuclides on Microplastics: A New Threat to the Marine Environment from Compound Pollution
This preliminary study examined whether radionuclides can adsorb onto microplastic surfaces and be transported through the environment alongside them, identifying the physicochemical properties of microplastics that facilitate radionuclide hitchhiking and the associated contamination risks.
Exploring the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals: unveiling the impact of microplastics on lead sorption and desorption in soil
Researchers conducted batch experiments to examine how high-density polyethylene microplastics affect the adsorption and desorption of lead in agricultural soil under different conditions, finding that equilibrium was reached within 120 minutes and that microplastics altered lead sorption kinetics. The presence of HDPE microplastics changed soil's capacity to retain or release lead, which has implications for heavy metal mobility and crop uptake in contaminated farmland.
Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment
A mesocosm study examined how radioactive cesium and strontium interact with pristine, radiation-exposed, and marine-weathered polyethylene microplastics, finding that environmental aging—through biofilm formation and surface roughening—significantly increased the plastic particles' capacity to sorb radioactive contaminants.
The effect of temperature on the U-232 and Am-241 adsorption by PN6 microplastics in aqueous solutions.
Researchers investigated the effect of temperature on the adsorption of uranium-232 and americium-241 by polyamide-6 (PN6) microplastics in aqueous solutions, including seawater and wastewater, at picomolar concentrations. The study found that temperature significantly influences radionuclide uptake by microplastics, with implications for the transport and fate of radioactive contaminants in aquatic environments.
Biosorption of uranium from water on polymethylmethacrylate microplastic immobilized with Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a sustainable approach
Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microplastics immobilized with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells were evaluated as biosorbents for uranium removal from water, demonstrating effective uptake and providing a sustainable microplastic-microbe system for radionuclide decontamination.
Response of occurrence in microplastics and its adsorped cadmium capacity to simulated agricultural environmental scenarios in sludge-amended soil
Researchers found that UV irradiation of microplastics in sludge-amended soil most significantly increased their capacity to adsorb cadmium, due to surface changes including increased surface area, new crystal formation, and altered functional groups, raising concerns about heavy metal mobilization in agricultural soils.
Investigating the sustainability of agricultural plastic products, combined influence of polymer characteristics and environmental conditions on microplastics aging
Researchers investigated how polymer characteristics and environmental conditions influence the photodegradation of agricultural plastic products in soil. The study examined low-density polyethylene microplastic degradation under different UV radiation and humidity conditions. The findings suggest that environmental factors significantly affect how agricultural plastics break down into microplastics, with implications for understanding long-term soil contamination from farming practices.
The role of gamma-irradiated microplastics in terbuthylazine sorption and desorption processes in contaminated soils
Researchers investigated how gamma-irradiated polyethylene microplastics influence the sorption and desorption of the herbicide terbuthylazine in contaminated agricultural soils. The study found that irradiation-induced aging of microplastics altered their surface properties in ways that affected herbicide binding and release dynamics, with implications for pesticide fate in plastic-contaminated soils.
Microplastics as vectors of radioiodine in the marine environment: A study on sorption and interaction mechanism
Researchers investigated microplastics as potential vectors of radioiodine in the marine environment, finding that different polymer types exhibited varying sorption capacities for radioiodine, revealing a previously unstudied pathway for radionuclide transport.
Polyethylene microplastic can adsorb phosphate but is unlikely to limit its availability in soil
Researchers tested whether polyethylene microplastics can adsorb phosphate, a key plant nutrient, and found that while adsorption does occur, it is substantially weaker than phosphate binding to soil. The study compared pristine and UV-weathered microplastics across various pH and ionic strength conditions. Evidence indicates that even at concentrations much higher than those found in agricultural fields, microplastics are unlikely to significantly reduce phosphate availability to plants.
First-time evaluation of 137Cs adsorption onto virgin PLA, PET, and PVC microplastics
Researchers tested how three common microplastics — PLA, PET, and PVC — absorb radioactive cesium-137 from water, finding that pH, temperature, and competing ions all affect how much cesium sticks to each plastic. This matters because microplastics can act as carriers for radioactive contaminants, potentially transporting them through aquatic environments.