Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

[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
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene nanoplastics as PFAS carriers: A computational study of the adsorption mechanism

Researchers used computational modeling to investigate how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) adsorb onto polypropylene nanoplastics in aquatic environments. They found that the adsorption is primarily driven by dispersion forces between the PFAS fluorinated chains and the plastic polymer, with the nanoplastic flexing locally to maximize contact with the contaminant molecules. The study suggests that polypropylene nanoplastics can effectively carry a range of PFAS compounds, potentially increasing their bioaccumulation in organisms during co-exposure.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An Atomic‐Level Perspective on the interactions between Organic Pollutants and PET particles: A Comprehensive Computational Investigation

Using advanced computational methods, researchers studied how organic pollutants interact with PET microplastic particles at the atomic level. The study found that pollutants bind to PET surfaces mainly through weak intermolecular forces, and that the specific chemical structure of both the pollutant and the plastic surface determines how strongly they attach.

2024 ChemPhysChem 4 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

Molecular modeling to elucidate the dynamic interaction process and aggregation mechanism between natural organic matters and nanoplastics

Researchers used molecular modeling to understand how nanoplastics interact with natural organic matter found in water environments. They found that the chemical properties of both the plastic surface and the organic molecules determined whether they clumped together or remained dispersed. The study provides new molecular-level insights into how nanoplastics behave and spread in natural water systems, which is important for predicting their environmental fate.

2024 Eco-Environment & Health 20 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

Elucidating the co-transport of bisphenol A with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoplastics: A theoretical study of the adsorption mechanism

Computational modeling of BPA adsorption onto PET nanoplastics revealed both inner and outer surface adsorption mechanisms driven by the nucleophilic outer surface of nanoPET, with maximum adsorption energies comparable to or higher than nano-carbon adsorbents, highlighting co-transport risk.

2020 Environmental Pollution 65 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

A novel mechanism study of microplastic and As co-contamination on indica rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers used pot experiments and computational chemistry to study how polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics affect arsenic uptake in rice plants. They found that both types of microplastics interacted with rice root compounds and influenced how much arsenic the plants absorbed from contaminated soil. The study reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which microplastic pollution in agricultural soils could increase toxic metal accumulation in a major food crop.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 141 citations
Article Tier 2

As(III) adsorption onto different-sized polystyrene microplastic particles and its mechanism

Researchers studied how arsenic adsorbs onto polystyrene microplastic particles of different sizes prepared by ball milling. They found that smaller particles with greater surface area adsorbed more arsenic, with hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction driving the process. The study indicates that microplastics in the environment could serve as carriers for arsenic contamination, with adsorption influenced by pH, temperature, and the presence of other ions.

2019 Chemosphere 331 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of arsenite to polystyrene microplastics in the presence of humus

Polystyrene microplastics adsorb arsenic more effectively when humic acid is present in the water, because the organic matter forms a coating on the plastic surface that attracts more arsenic ions. This finding suggests that microplastics can serve as vectors for the toxic metalloid arsenic in natural water environments.

2020 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A: The roles of pH, metal ions, and suspended sediments

Researchers found that nanoplastics adsorb bisphenol A through electrostatic, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions, with adsorption capacity influenced by pH, competing metal ions, and suspended sediments, highlighting nanoplastics as vectors for BPA transport in aquatic environments.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 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

Plastic as a Carrier of POPs to Aquatic Organisms: A Model Analysis

Researchers developed a model to evaluate whether microplastic acts as a meaningful carrier of persistent organic pollutants to aquatic organisms. The analysis suggests that in both laboratory and open marine systems, microplastic ingestion is more likely to slightly decrease bioaccumulation of pollutants rather than increase it, and the differences are too small to be relevant for risk assessment.

2013 Environmental Science & Technology 507 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction mechanism of triclosan on pristine microplastics

Researchers used computational chemistry to model how the antimicrobial chemical triclosan interacts with five common types of pristine microplastics at the molecular level. They found that triclosan attaches to all microplastic surfaces through physical adsorption rather than chemical bonding, with polyamide showing the strongest attraction. The study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics can act as carriers for personal care product chemicals in water environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 17 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

Toxicity effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenite on Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers studied how two types of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface properties interact with arsenic to affect freshwater algae. They found that nanoplastics with a sulfonic acid surface modification caused more severe growth inhibition and metabolic disruption in the algae, while both types reduced arsenic uptake by the organisms. The study highlights that the specific surface chemistry of nanoplastics significantly influences their environmental toxicity.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavior, mechanisms and hazardous changes of interactions with microplastics when heterogeneous pollutants coexist: Arsenic and thiram

Researchers studied how six types of microplastics interact with arsenic and the pesticide thiram when these pollutants coexist. They found that both contaminants adsorb onto microplastics through physical diffusion and chemical processes in a competitive and synergistic manner. While the adsorbed pollutants did not significantly increase acute environmental toxicity, the study suggests they may pose a stronger potential hazard to human health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic description of lead sorption onto nanoplastics

Researchers investigated the mechanisms by which nanoplastics in the environment adsorb lead and other metal contaminants. The study found that despite growing recognition of nanoplastic presence in ecosystems, the processes by which these tiny particles carry and transport metals remain poorly understood. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how nanoplastics may serve as vectors for spreading heavy metal contamination through the environment.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the transformations of nanoplastic onto phospholipid bilayers: Mechanism, microscopic interaction and cytotoxicity assessment

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to model how five types of nanoplastics (PVC, PS, PLA, PP, PET) interact with cell membrane lipid bilayers, finding that van der Waals forces dominate uptake and that nanoplastic accumulation reduces membrane thickness in a way that correlates with cytotoxicity.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemodynamic Features of Metal Ions Bound by Micro- and Nano-Plastics in Aquatic Media

This theoretical study modeled how metals that bind to plastic particles are slowly released back into water over time, finding that diffusion out of plastics is extremely slow. This means microplastics can act as long-term reservoirs for metals in the environment, releasing them gradually into surrounding water and organisms.

2018 Frontiers in Chemistry 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the distribution behaviors and mechanisms of metalloid As(III) and As(V) on pipe scales in drinking water distribution systems

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics affect the distribution and adsorption mechanisms of arsenic species As(III) and As(V) onto pipe scales in drinking water distribution systems under varying water conditions. The study found that polystyrene microplastics competed with pipe scale surfaces for arsenic adsorption, altering the partitioning of metalloid contaminants and raising concerns about microplastic-mediated changes to drinking water quality.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials