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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Features of Heavy Metals Sorption by Microplastics in Environmentally Relevant Conditions
ClearSorption of Platinum and Palladium on Polyethylene Microplastics in Natural Water
Researchers studied for the first time how platinum and palladium metals adsorb onto polyethylene microplastics in natural lake water. The study found that both new and aged microplastics can accumulate these metals from water, even at very low concentrations, suggesting that microplastics could act as transport vectors for precious metals and pose risks to aquatic organisms.
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.
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.
Investigation of Heavy Metal Adsorption on Microplastics
Researchers investigated the adsorption of lead (Pb) and aluminium (Al) onto polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and ethylene vinyl acetate microplastics, finding that pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, and temperature all significantly affect adsorption capacity. Experimental data were best described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, confirming that microplastics act as vectors for heavy metal contaminants in aquatic environments.
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.
Micro-nanoplastics and metals : Development of material models and sorption properties in natural environments
This dissertation examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with heavy metals in natural environments, developing material models to understand their sorption properties. Since plastics can act as carriers for toxic metals — concentrating and transporting them through ecosystems — the research has important implications for understanding combined pollution risks.
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.
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.
Comparative analysis of kinetics and mechanisms for Pb(II) sorption onto three kinds of microplastics
The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of lead (Pb(II)) onto three types of microplastics were compared to understand how plastic debris concentrates heavy metals in aquatic environments. The study found polymer-specific differences in sorption capacity and mechanism, with implications for how microplastics alter the distribution and bioavailability of lead in contaminated water.
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.
Aging dependent plastic bag derived-microplastics as a vector of metals in lake water
Researchers found that as plastic bag-derived microplastics aged via oxidation, their capacity to adsorb metals from lake water generally increased, with zinc showing the highest adsorption and both adsorption capacity and distribution coefficients correlating with the degree of surface oxidation measured by carbonyl index.
Microplastics as an emerging anthropogenic vector of trace metals in freshwater: Significance of biofilms and comparison with natural substrates
Scientists placed virgin polystyrene microplastics in a eutrophic urban lake and a drinking water reservoir for four weeks to allow biofilm development, then measured trace metal accumulation, finding that biofilm-coated microplastics accumulated significantly more metals than virgin plastics or natural substrates.
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.
Mechanism analysis of heavy metal lead captured by natural-aged microplastics
The mechanism by which naturally aged microplastics capture lead (Pb(II)) from aqueous solution was investigated by comparing pristine and aged particles. Aged microplastics adsorbed more Pb(II) than pristine ones, with weathering-induced surface oxidation and increased oxygen-containing functional groups driving the enhanced metal capture capacity.
Adsorption behaviour of accelerated UV aged PET and PP microplastics towards Pb(II) under varying pH, temperature, and salinity conditions
UV aging causes PET and PP microplastics to adsorb significantly more lead (Pb) from water, with the extent varying by pH, temperature, and salinity. This means weathered microplastics in the environment may carry greater toxic metal loads than virgin plastic, amplifying their hazard to ecosystems and human health.
Characterization of polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and their adsorption behavior on Cu2+ and Fe3+ in environmental matrices
Researchers characterized polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and measured their ability to adsorb heavy metals, finding that both types can bind copper and iron ions from water — raising concern that microplastics may act as carriers that transport toxic metals deeper into aquatic ecosystems and food chains.
Speciation and release risk of heavy metals bonded on simulated naturally-aged microplastics prepared from artificially broken macroplastics
Researchers investigated heavy metal speciation and release risk from naturally aged microplastics in simulated saltwater and gastrointestinal solutions, finding that different metals varied in adsorption capacity and release behavior, posing potential risks to both ecosystems and human health.
Environmental Reactivity of PET Microplastics as Vectors for Toxic Metals in Aquatic Systems
Researchers investigated the adsorption of six toxic metals (Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg) onto two size fractions of PET microplastics under freshwater and simulated seawater conditions, finding that freshwater and smaller particle size increased metal uptake through physical adsorption (0.68-2.95 kJ/mol). FTIR analysis revealed that Cu, Zn, Cd, and Hg binding induced structural degradation of PET, demonstrating that PET microplastics act as chemically active carriers enhancing heavy metal mobility and bioavailability in aquatic ecosystems.
Copper Adsorption to Microplastics and Natural Particles in Seawater: A Comparison of Kinetics, Isotherms, and Bioavailability
Researchers compared copper adsorption onto pristine and aged microplastics versus natural particles like algae and sediments in seawater, finding that natural particles generally had higher metal-sequestering capacity, challenging the emphasis on microplastics as dominant metal-transport vectors.
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.
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.
Interaction of microplastics with metal(oid)s in aquatic environments: What is done so far?
This review assembled the mechanisms by which microplastics sorb hazardous metals and metalloids in aquatic environments, examining how weathering, biofilm formation, and environmental conditions influence the transport and bioavailability of these contaminants.
Evaluating the role of microplastics as a vector in metal cycling within the River Thames
Researchers characterized how microplastics in River Thames water adsorb toxic heavy metals, comparing adsorption capacity across different plastic types and water chemistry conditions. Microplastics consistently adsorbed metals including lead, cadmium, and copper, providing the first data on metal-binding capacity for Thames microplastics and supporting their role as carriers of inorganic pollutants in urban rivers.
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.