Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic-sorbed persistent organic pollutants in coastal Mediterranean Sea areas of Tunisia

Researchers analyzed microplastics collected from four Tunisian Mediterranean beaches, finding they contained sorbed persistent organic pollutants including polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides, highlighting microplastics as vectors for toxic chemicals.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Persistent organic pollutants carried on plastic resin pellets from two beaches in China

Researchers found that plastic resin pellets collected from two Chinese beaches contained significant concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, and other persistent organic pollutants sorbed to their surfaces. The findings confirm that plastic pellets act as vectors for long-range transport of multiple classes of hydrophobic chemical contaminants in marine environments.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 209 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water and sediment of the Bay of Bengal coastal area, India: sources, pathway and ecological risk

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment along two Bay of Bengal coastal beaches in India and found microplastics present at both sites. They also detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of harmful chemicals, adsorbed onto the microplastic surfaces at concentrations that varied by particle shape. The study highlights that microplastics in coastal waters act as carriers for toxic organic pollutants, potentially increasing ecological risks in the marine environment.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as sorption materials of herbicides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a coastal bay

Researchers analyzed microplastics collected from the Bay of Brest in France and found that the particles had absorbed herbicides, persistent organic pollutants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from surrounding waters. The type and amount of chemicals adsorbed varied depending on the plastic polymer and the environmental conditions. The study confirms that microplastics in coastal environments act as carriers for other harmful pollutants, potentially spreading contamination through marine food webs.

2025 Regional Studies in Marine Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of organochlorine pesticides adsorbed on plastic pellets

Researchers analyzed organochlorine pesticides adsorbed onto plastic pellets found in coastal environments, contributing to understanding of how plastic debris accumulates and concentrates toxic chemicals. Plastic pellets, a type of microplastic, can act as carriers bringing persistent organic pollutants into marine food webs.

2016 RUNG
Article Tier 2

Caracterización de POPs y PAHs en fragmentos plásticos: Estudio de Caso en el Callao

Researchers characterized persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorbed onto plastic fragments collected from a Colombian Caribbean beach. High concentrations of these toxic chemicals were found on weathered plastic surfaces, raising concerns about chemical transfer to organisms.

2024 Revista del Instituto de investigación de la Facultad de minas metalurgia y ciencias geográficas
Article Tier 2

Organic pollutants in microplastics from two beaches of the Portuguese coast

Microplastic samples from two Portuguese beaches were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants including PAHs and PCBs, with sorbed concentrations varying by plastic color and degree of weathering. The study confirms that beached microplastics carry toxic organic chemicals and that older, more weathered particles tend to carry higher contaminant loads.

2010 Marine Pollution Bulletin 631 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants by MPs in coastal wastewater treatment plants

Researchers examined how microplastics in coastal wastewater treatment plants accumulate persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, furans, and PCBs. They found that untreated influent contained the highest concentrations of these hazardous chemicals sorbed onto microplastic surfaces. The study highlights that microplastics can act as carriers for toxic pollutants through wastewater systems and into the environment.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Organic Pollutants Associated with Plastic Debris in Marine Environment: A Systematic Review of Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Characteristics

This systematic review summarizes research on organic pollutants that attach to plastic debris in marine environments. The findings are concerning for human health because microplastics in the ocean can absorb and carry toxic chemicals like pesticides and flame retardants, and when marine life ingests these contaminated particles, the pollutants can move up the food chain to our seafood.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Physico-chemical characterisation of plastic waste in the Togolese marine environment with a view to recovery

Researchers physically and chemically characterized plastic waste collected from Togo's marine environment, assessing the biodegradability of different polymer types to inform recovery and pollution reduction strategies for West African coastal ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Chemical Biological and Physical Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of alkylphenols and estrogens on microplastics in marine conditions

Researchers investigated the sorption of six endocrine-disrupting chemicals — including alkylphenols and estrogens — onto microplastics under marine conditions, supporting the hypothesis that microplastics act as a secondary contamination vector for aquatic organisms by concentrating pollutants.

2023 Open Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between PAH and plastic fragments on Brazilian coast beaches: a baseline assessment

Researchers conducted a baseline assessment of the association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and plastic fragments collected from beaches along the Brazilian coast, characterising how microplastics act as adsorption surfaces for these organic pollutants. The study found co-occurrence of PAHs and plastic fragments at sampled sites, establishing contamination baselines and informing understanding of the plastic-pollutant vector pathway.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption profiles and potential risks of PAHs and PCBs on microplastics in stormwater runoff: Influence of underlying surfaces and polymer materials

This study examined how microplastics in stormwater runoff absorb cancer-linked chemicals called PAHs and PCBs from different urban surfaces like roads, rooftops, and green spaces. The type of plastic and the surface it washed off determined how much of these toxic chemicals it carried. This matters because stormwater is increasingly being harvested for reuse, and contaminated microplastics could introduce hazardous chemicals into water supplies.

2025 Energy & Environmental Sustainability 9 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of microplastics in the environment: Sampling, separation, characterization and coexistence mechanisms with pollutants

Massive microplastic pollution was documented across Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America, and Europe, with MPs acting as carriers of heavy metals that enter organisms and cause harm. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto microplastics correlated with hydrophobicity, surface area, and functional group characteristics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic-Toxic Chemical Interaction: A Review Study on Quantified Levels, Mechanism and Implication

This review summarizes quantified levels of heavy metals and hydrophobic organic contaminants sorbed onto microplastics in environmental media, examining adsorption and desorption mechanisms and discussing health implications of ingested microplastics acting as vectors for toxic chemical transport.

2019 Preprints.org 21 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

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

Marine microplastics as vectors of major ocean pollutants and its hazards to the marine ecosystem and humans

Researchers reviewed how microplastics in the ocean act as "hitchhikers" for other pollutants — absorbing and carrying heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals into marine food webs and ultimately toward humans. While direct proof of microplastic harm to humans is still limited, the accumulated evidence of toxic chemical transport through seafood and drinking water raises serious concern.

2021 Progress in Earth and Planetary Science 566 citations
Article Tier 2

The sorption of persistent organic pollutants in microplastics from the coastal environment

Researchers sampled microplastic pellets from six beaches around Taiwan and measured concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, PCBs, PBDEs) on their surfaces, finding that pellets accumulated significant POPs loads with concentrations that correlated with proximity to industrial areas.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 100 citations
Article Tier 2

The Dual Role of Microplastics in Marine Environment: Sink and Vectors of Pollutants

This review examines the dual role of microplastics in the marine environment as both accumulators of persistent organic pollutants and vectors that transport these chemicals and other contaminants including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens. The study highlights how microplastics can concentrate toxic substances from seawater and then release them when ingested by marine organisms, creating additional exposure pathways.

2021 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of contaminants transported by microplastics in the Lebanese marine environment

Researchers investigated microplastics in the Lebanese Mediterranean coastal environment as vectors for contaminant transport, applying multi-scope analytical approaches to assess environmental risks posed by plastic-associated pollutants including heavy metals, persistent organic compounds, and other chemical classes.

2022 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

Differential bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls associated with environmental particles: Microplastic in comparison to wood, coal and biochar

Researchers compared the bioavailability of PCBs associated with environmental plastic pellets versus sediment to marine organisms, finding that the chemical matrix affects how much PCB is transferred from plastic to animal tissue.

2016 Environmental Pollution 191 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their human health risks depend on the characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms of Sanggou Bay, China

This study found that the type and characteristics of microplastics present in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay, China, influenced how much of the harmful chemical pollutant PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) accumulated in their tissues. Smaller, more degraded microplastics carried more PAHs into organisms, raising the human health risk from eating contaminated seafood and highlighting that microplastics act as vehicles for other toxic chemicals.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Removed Due to Policy Violations

This paper discusses how microplastics released into the sea environment accumulate organic pollutants and increase their concentration relative to the surrounding water, amplifying exposure risks for marine life. The review highlights microplastics as vectors that concentrate and transport toxic chemicals through marine food webs.

2023