Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

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

Effect and mechanism of coexistence of microplastics on arsenate adsorption capacity in water

Researchers examined how the presence of microplastics affects the ability of different materials to adsorb arsenate from contaminated water. They found that microplastics can interfere with the adsorption process, particularly by competing for binding sites on adsorbent materials like ZIF-8. The study highlights that co-contamination of water with both microplastics and heavy metals may complicate pollution remediation efforts.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 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

Effects of arsenic on the transport and attachment of microplastics in porous media

Researchers studied how arsenic, a common groundwater contaminant, affects the movement of microplastics through soil. They found that arsenic in water generally reduced how far microplastics traveled by promoting their attachment to soil particles, though this effect depended on arsenic concentration, water flow speed, and soil moisture levels. The findings help predict how microplastics and heavy metals may interact and spread together in underground water systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Regulatory mechanism of microplastics on arsenic bioavailability in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which microplastics influence arsenic bioavailability in sediments of the Min River estuary, a subtropical estuary in China, finding that microplastic pollution alters the dynamics of bioavailable arsenic through interactions with sediment geochemistry and microbial communities.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 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

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
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic stimulates metalloid leaching from historically contaminated soil via indirect displacement

Researchers found that negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics unexpectedly enhanced arsenic leaching from historically contaminated soil by displacing arsenic from soil binding sites rather than through direct adsorption, challenging assumptions about nanoplastic contaminant co-transport.

2022 Water Research 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit lead binding to sediment components: Influence of surface functional groups and charge environment

Researchers systematically investigated interactions among lead, polystyrene microplastics, and sediment components to understand how microplastics affect heavy metal behavior in aquatic environments. The study found that polystyrene significantly inhibited lead adsorption to sediment by competing for binding sites, reducing lead uptake by up to 28%, which suggests that microplastics could increase the mobility of toxic metals in contaminated waterways.

2025 Water Research 5 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

Exposure to microplastics lowers arsenic accumulation and alters gut bacterial communities of earthworm Metaphire californica

Researchers examined how microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in earthworms and their gut bacteria. They found that microplastics actually reduced arsenic accumulation in earthworm tissues by adsorbing the arsenic and lowering its bioavailability. The study suggests that while microplastics altered gut bacterial communities, their presence may lessen arsenic toxicity in soil organisms by changing how the metal moves through the food chain.

2019 Environmental Pollution 264 citations
Article Tier 2

Climate warming will alter the impact of microplastics on the bioavailability of arsenic in a subtropical estuary

Researchers incubated sediment from China's Min River estuary under warming conditions with PLA and PET microplastics at different doses, using DGT techniques to measure arsenic bioavailability. High-dose PLA MPs significantly enhanced arsenic bioavailability under warming while low-dose PET MPs inhibited it, demonstrating that climate warming and MP type interact to alter how arsenic mobilizes in estuarine sediments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Studies on the effect of microplastics on the adsorption and migration of Phenanthrene in river sediment

Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the adsorption and migration of phenanthrene in river sediments using batch and column experiments. Results showed that PE microplastics enhanced sediment adsorption capacity for phenanthrene relative to controls while PVC reduced it, attributable to structural differences between elastic PE and glassy PVC, with humic acid and pH further modulating adsorption behaviour.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
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

Microplastic mediated arsenic toxicity involves differential bioavailability of arsenic and modulated uptake in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddies. They found that at low arsenic levels, microplastics actually reduced arsenic uptake by rice plants, but at high arsenic concentrations the combination produced synergistic toxic effects. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils is more complex than previously thought and depends heavily on contaminant concentration levels.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2015 Environmental Chemistry 554 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics meet micropollutants in a central european river stream: Adsorption of pollutants to microplastics under environmentally relevant conditions

Researchers investigated how microplastics adsorb organic micropollutants in a Central European river under real-world conditions. They found that aged microplastics showed higher adsorption capacity for contaminants compared to pristine ones, and that the type of plastic material influenced which pollutants were absorbed. The findings suggest that microplastics in rivers can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially spreading contamination through aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on arsenic uptake and distribution in rice seedlings

Researchers investigated how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect arsenic uptake in rice seedlings grown in a hydroponic system. They found that nanoplastics (82 nm) increased arsenic accumulation in rice leaves by 12 to 37 percent, while larger microplastics (200 nm) reduced it. The study suggests that the size of plastic particles plays an important role in determining how they influence heavy metal uptake in crop plants, with implications for food safety.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected arsenic mobility and methylation in paddy soils through distinct chemical-microbial pathways

A 98-day paddy soil experiment found that conventional microplastics reduced arsenic in porewater but increased methylated arsenic fractions, while biodegradable microplastics increased both porewater arsenic and methylation, suggesting distinct chemical-microbial pathways affecting arsenic mobility and toxicity.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of virgin microplastics on the transport of Cd (II) in Xiangjiang River sediment

Six types of microplastics were found to change how cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) binds to and moves through river sediments. The presence of microplastics altered cadmium adsorption behavior, suggesting that plastics in river sediments can affect the mobility and bioavailability of co-occurring heavy metal pollutants.

2021 Chemosphere 22 citations