Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Revealing the Key Impact of Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Properties on Aromatic Pollutant Adsorption and the Underlying Mechanisms

Researchers examined how dissolved organic matter released from different types of microplastics affects the adsorption of aromatic pollutants like bisphenol A and naphthalene. The study found that microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter substantially suppressed the ability of treatment materials to capture these pollutants, revealing an underappreciated way that microplastic degradation products can worsen water contamination.

2025 ACS ES&T Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The implications of water extractable organic matter (WEOM) on the sorption of typical parent, alkyl and N/O/S-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by microplastics

This study explored how dissolved organic matter in water affects the ability of microplastics to adsorb persistent organic pollutants like pesticides, finding that organic matter significantly influences microplastics' role as chemical carriers. The results have implications for understanding how microplastics transfer toxic chemicals through aquatic ecosystems.

2018 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 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
Review Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of organic pollutants in aquatic environment: A review on mechanisms, numerical models, and influencing factors

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for organic pollutants in water, adsorbing chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceuticals onto their surfaces and transporting them through aquatic environments. Researchers analyzed the mechanisms behind this process, including hydrophobic interactions and surface adsorption, along with the mathematical models used to predict pollutant uptake. The study highlights that microplastics may amplify the environmental impact of other contaminants by concentrating and redistributing them.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 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
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of microplastics in tertiary wastewater treatment plant in South Korea

Researchers studied the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto weathered polypropylene microplastics in seawater, finding that weathering increased surface area and adsorption capacity compared to pristine particles. This suggests environmental aging enhances microplastics as vectors for hydrophobic pollutants.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of organic pollutants and metals on micro/nanoplastics in the aquatic environment

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments adsorb organic pollutants and metals onto their surfaces, effectively acting as carriers for other contaminants. Researchers found that environmental factors like pH, salinity, and aging of the plastic significantly influence this sorption behavior. The findings raise concerns that microplastics may increase the bioavailability and toxicity of chemical pollutants in waterways.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 685 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on environmental occurrence of microplastics and their interaction mechanism with organic pollutants

This review summarizes how microplastics in the environment interact with organic pollutants—adsorbing, carrying, and releasing them. Microplastics act as mobile carriers for persistent organic chemicals, altering their distribution and toxicity in ecosystems and the organisms, including humans, that consume them.

2021 Scientia Sinica Chimica 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between polyaromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics: Environmental mechanisms and ecotoxicological impacts

This review examines how microplastics interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a class of toxic organic pollutants found throughout the environment. Evidence indicates that microplastics can adsorb these pollutants and alter their availability and toxicity to living organisms, with effects depending on plastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions. The study identifies critical gaps in long-term exposure research and calls for standardized testing methods to better assess these combined risks.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 3 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

Adsorption of some hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons by various pristine and heat-activated aged microplastics as potential pollutant carriers in aquatic environment

Researchers examined how pristine and heat-aged microplastics of four polymer types adsorb hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that aging significantly altered adsorption capacity. The results demonstrate that weathered microplastics may act as more effective pollutant vectors than pristine particles in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Article Tier 2

The environmental effects of microplastics and microplastic derived dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments: A review

This review examines how microplastics interact with other pollutants in water and how aging from sunlight and weathering changes their behavior. As microplastics break down, they release dissolved organic matter and develop surface changes that increase their ability to carry harmful chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in real-world environments may be more dangerous than fresh plastics used in most lab studies.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Interakcije mikroplastike i organskih onečišćivala u vodi

This Croatian-language review covers how microplastics adsorb and transport organic contaminants in water, examining the adsorption mechanisms (hydrophobic partitioning, surface interactions), factors affecting uptake capacity (polymer type, aging, particle size), and how co-contamination may amplify overall toxicity.

2025 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
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

Degradable Microplastics as Vector of Emergent Contaminants in Wastewater: Interactions and Mechanisms of Adsorption

Degradable microplastics in wastewater can act as carriers for pesticides and other contaminants, adsorbing them from the surrounding water and potentially releasing them again in different environmental conditions such as aeration tanks. This 'Trojan horse' behavior is concerning because microplastics may transport pollutants through wastewater treatment systems that were not designed to capture these combined threats.

2023 Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation
Article Tier 2

Research progress of persistent organic pollutants in water: classification, sources, potential risks, and treatment approaches

This review summarizes existing research on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water, covering their sources, classification, and health risks. The paper notes that microplastics act as carriers for these long-lasting toxic chemicals, transporting them through water systems and potentially increasing human exposure. Understanding how microplastics interact with POPs is important because it means plastic pollution may amplify the health risks of other chemical contaminants.

2024 Water Practice & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution Focused on Sources, Distribution, Contaminant Interactions, Analytical Methods, and Wastewater Removal Strategies: A Review

This review examines microplastic pollution across all environmental compartments, covering sources, distribution, contaminant interactions, analytical methods, and wastewater removal strategies. Microplastics act as vectors for pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, PCBs, and PAHs, and the review discusses both the analytical challenges of detection and available treatment options.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic properties and their interaction with hydrophobic organic contaminants: a review

This review examines the physical and chemical properties of microplastics that determine how they interact with hydrophobic organic contaminants in the environment. Researchers found that factors like polymer type, particle size, weathering, and surface chemistry all influence how strongly microplastics bind to co-occurring pollutants. The findings suggest that microplastics can serve as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially increasing exposure risks for organisms that ingest them.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 169 citations
Article Tier 2

Meso- and microplastics accumulate and transfer hazardous contaminants from wastewater treatment plants to the environment

Researchers investigated how meso- and microplastics in wastewater treatment plants accumulate organic and inorganic pollutants, including metals, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. They found that plastic particles act as carriers for these contaminants, redistributing them through both treated water discharge and sludge applied to land. The study suggests that wastewater treatment plants, while partially removing plastics, also serve as pathways for contaminated microplastics to reach the environment.

2026 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics are effective carriers of bisphenol A and facilitate its escape from wastewater treatment systems

Researchers analyzed how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants can carry bisphenol A (BPA), a common organic pollutant found in sewage. They found that fibers were the most prevalent microplastic type in wastewater, and that these particles can act as carriers helping BPA escape the treatment process. The study suggests that microplastics may reduce the effectiveness of wastewater treatment at removing certain chemical pollutants.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of other contaminants: Analytical determination techniques and remediation methods

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for other pollutants, absorbing harmful organic and inorganic chemicals from the environment. It covers the latest methods for detecting and identifying microplastics in different settings, as well as promising cleanup approaches like microbial degradation. The findings underscore that microplastics may be more dangerous than the plastic itself because of the toxic hitchhikers they carry into the food chain and water supply.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Systems: Dual Roles as Pollutant Carriers and Emerging Functional Materials for Water Treatment

This review examines microplastics from two angles: as carriers that absorb and transport other pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals, and as materials that could be engineered for water treatment. The dual-role perspective is important because microplastics do not just add their own chemical burden—they also redistribute other contaminants in ways that can increase toxicity far from the original pollution source.

2026 Water Air & Soil Pollution
Article Tier 2

Microplastics with adsorbed contaminants: Mechanisms and Treatment

This review examines how microplastics adsorb environmental contaminants including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens, and surveys treatment methods for removing contaminated microplastics from water. Researchers found that microplastics can act as vectors for hazardous substances, potentially increasing their bioavailability and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. The study evaluates emerging remediation technologies and highlights the complex environmental risks posed by microplastics carrying adsorbed pollutants.

2021 Environmental Challenges 321 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A mini review

Researchers reviewed the mechanisms of interaction between microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments, examining factors related to the plastics themselves, the organic compounds, and environmental conditions. The study found that properties like crystallinity, surface area, and weathering state of microplastics all influence how they adsorb and transport organic pollutants, with implications for environmental and health risk assessments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 290 citations