Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on polyamide microplastics: Effect of sorbent and influence of environmental factors

Researchers studied how perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent industrial chemicals, bind to polyamide microplastics in water. They found that smaller microplastic particles absorbed dramatically more PFAS than larger ones, and that water chemistry conditions like pH and salinity influenced the process. The findings suggest microplastics can concentrate harmful chemicals and potentially increase human and wildlife exposure to PFAS in contaminated environments.

2022 Environmental Research 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of interfacial adsorption between microplastics and methylparaben in aqueous solution

Researchers investigated the adsorption of methylparaben — a common preservative — onto polystyrene, polyethylene, PET, and PVC microplastics in aqueous solution, finding that adsorption capacity varied by polymer type and was influenced by pH and ionic strength, with implications for paraben transport in aquatic environments.

2022 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential bisphenol carriers: role of adsorbents, adsorbates, and environmental factors

Laboratory experiments showed that four common microplastic types — polystyrene, polypropylene, polyamide, and PVC — all readily adsorb bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS), with polyamide showing the highest capacity. Adsorption was strongly influenced by polymer surface chemistry, bisphenol hydrophobicity, temperature, and salinity. Because bisphenols are potent endocrine disruptors, microplastics acting as their environmental carriers could amplify human and wildlife exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the availability of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in aqueous environment

Researchers found that nanoplastics and microplastics can sorb pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water, with smaller nanoplastics showing 1-2 orders of magnitude stronger sorption than microplastics, potentially reducing the bioavailability of these contaminants in aquatic environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic sorption of personal care products in aquatic environments: mechanisms and key factors

This review of existing research shows that tiny plastic particles in water can absorb and carry chemicals from personal care products like sunscreen, soap, and cosmetics. When microplastics pick up these chemicals, they could potentially transport them to new places in the environment and possibly into our food chain. This matters because it suggests microplastics might be spreading personal care chemicals in ways we don't fully understand yet.

2026 Academia Environmental Sciences and Sustainability
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

Modified Cellulose for Adsorption of Methylparaben and Butylparaben from an Aqueous Solution

Researchers developed modified cellulose materials to remove parabens, common preservatives used in cosmetics and food that act as hormone disruptors, from water. While not directly about microplastics, this work is relevant because both parabens and microplastics are emerging water contaminants that affect human health. Better water purification methods that can remove a range of these pollutants could reduce overall exposure to harmful chemicals.

2024 ACS Omega 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior and interaction mechanism of microplastics with typical hydrophilic pharmaceuticals and personal care products

This study examined how different types of microplastics adsorb hydrophilic pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments, finding that polymer type and surface properties governed the interaction mechanisms. The results indicate that microplastics can act as vectors for these emerging contaminants.

2023 Environmental Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into the adsorption of endocrine disruptors onto polystyrene microplastics in water

Researchers studied the mechanisms by which polystyrene microplastics adsorb endocrine-disrupting compounds from aquatic environments, finding that hydrophobic interactions and surface chemistry govern the binding. The results clarify how microplastics act as vectors for co-transporting endocrine disruptors through aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Pollution 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products: Implications for vector transport

This review examines how microplastics can absorb pharmaceuticals and personal care products (like medications, sunscreen, and antibacterials) onto their surfaces in the environment. Environmental factors like water acidity, salt levels, and organic matter all affect how strongly these chemicals bind to plastic surfaces. When organisms ingest microplastics carrying these absorbed chemicals, the combined exposure could pose greater health risks than either the plastics or chemicals alone.

2021 Environment International 520 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics – A review

This review analyzed the adsorption behavior of organic micropollutants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals — onto nano- and microplastics, finding that adsorption is governed by pollutant hydrophobicity, particle surface area, and aging state, and that microplastics can act as vectors delivering co-contaminants to aquatic organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Implications of polystyrene and polyamide microplastics in the adsorption of sulfonamide antibiotics and their metabolites in water matrices

Researchers found that polystyrene and polyamide microplastics can absorb sulfonamide antibiotics from water, with smaller particles and acidic conditions increasing absorption significantly. This means microplastics in the environment can act as carriers for antibiotics, potentially spreading antimicrobial resistance. The finding raises concerns because people may be exposed to both microplastics and the drugs they carry through contaminated water and food.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into sorption and molecular transport of atrazine, testosterone, and progesterone onto polyamide microplastics in different aquatic matrices

This study measured the sorption of two hormones and the pesticide atrazine onto polyamide microplastics in different aquatic matrices including freshwater and seawater, finding that water composition significantly affected sorption kinetics and equilibrium, with implications for microplastic roles as contaminant carriers.

2023 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic Insights into PFAS Adsorption on Microplastics: Effects of Contaminant Properties and Water Chemistry

Researchers investigated how two widely detected PFAS compounds, PFOS and PFOA, adsorb onto five common types of microplastics in aquatic environments. The study found that contaminant properties and water chemistry significantly influence adsorption behavior, confirming that microplastics can serve as carriers for PFAS transport in waterways.

2026 Environmental Research
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

Transport of persistent organic pollutants: Another effect of microplastic pollution?

This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments, covering the physical and chemical factors governing pollutant adsorption and desorption. The authors discuss how interactions between microplastics and POPs vary with polymer type, particle properties, and environmental conditions, and when these interactions may result in toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors for environmental contaminants: Exploring sorption, desorption, and transfer to biota

This review explores how microplastics interact with hydrophobic organic chemicals in aquatic environments, examining the processes of chemical sorption onto and desorption from plastic particles. Researchers discuss the factors that influence whether microplastics act as significant carriers of environmental contaminants into living organisms compared to natural pathways. Understanding these processes is essential for accurately assessing the real-world risk that microplastics pose as chemical transport vehicles.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 632 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

Adsorption of Macrolide Antibiotics and a Metabolite onto Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyethylene Microplastics in Aquatic Environments

Researchers studied how four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite adsorb onto polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that antibiotic adsorption followed a linear model, with PET showing higher adsorption capacity than polyethylene. The study suggests that microplastics in aquatic environments may serve as carriers for antibiotics, potentially affecting how these pharmaceutical pollutants are distributed in water systems.

2024 Antibiotics 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and dissipation of current-use pesticides and personal-care products on high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater

Researchers characterized how three pesticides and three personal care products sorb onto high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater. They found that more hydrophobic compounds accumulated more readily on the plastic, and that significant desorption (over 30%) occurred within 24 hours, especially at higher contaminant concentrations. The study confirms that microplastics can act as both carriers and releasers of chemical pollutants in marine environments.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-mechanistic adsorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products on oxidized microplastics: Oxidation processes, mechanisms, and environmental implications

Researchers reviewed how weathering and oxidation change microplastic surfaces, making them better at absorbing pharmaceuticals and personal care product chemicals from water. The modified surfaces attract these contaminants through multiple chemical forces, meaning aged microplastics in the environment act as enhanced carriers for drug and cosmetic pollutants.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal Advances
Article Tier 2

Mikroplastika Kao Adsorbens Opasnih Materija

This paper reviews how microplastics act as effective adsorbents for toxic substances including persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals in freshwater, marine, and urban environments. The ability of microplastics to concentrate and transport hazardous chemicals amplifies their potential harm to ecosystems and human health.

2021 Zbornik radova Građevinskog fakulteta
Article Tier 2

Potential of Adsorption of Diverse Environmental Contaminants onto Microplastics

Researchers assessed the ability of four common types of microplastics to adsorb hazardous environmental contaminants including dyes and heavy metals. They found that dyes were adsorbed through physical processes while heavy metal adsorption varied by plastic type, with polystyrene showing the highest capacity for certain metals. The study confirms that microplastics can act as vectors for diverse pollutants, potentially increasing the environmental mobility and bioavailability of toxic substances.

2022 Water 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of antibiotics on microplastics

This study examined the adsorption of antibiotics onto different microplastic types, finding that sorption capacity depended on both the antibiotic's chemical properties and the plastic's surface characteristics, with implications for antibiotic transport in aquatic environments.

2018 Environmental Pollution 1314 citations