Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Hydrophobic sorption behaviors of 17β-Estradiol on environmental microplastics

Researchers studied the sorption behavior of the estrogen 17beta-estradiol onto five types of microplastics in marine water, finding hydrophobic interactions dominated and that microplastics could serve as vectors concentrating this endocrine disruptor.

2019 Chemosphere 207 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

Potential Adsorption Affinity of Estrogens on LDPE and PET Microplastics Exposed to Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents

Researchers investigated whether LDPE and PET microplastics recovered from wastewater treatment plant effluents can adsorb estrogen compounds, finding that these common plastic types bind endocrine-disrupting estrogens and may transport them through aquatic ecosystems.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7 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

Studies on competitive adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A and 17α-ethinylestradiol on thermoplastic polyurethane by site energy distribution theory

This study examined how two common endocrine-disrupting chemicals — bisphenol A (BPA) and the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) — adsorb onto thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics in both single and mixed solutions, finding that BPA and EE2 compete for adsorption sites in ways that alter each compound's uptake. The findings matter because microplastics act as carriers for hazardous chemicals, and understanding competitive adsorption helps predict how contaminated plastics transport hormone-disrupting pollutants through aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption of Steroid Hormones by Microplastics in Seawater

Researchers evaluated the adsorption and desorption of the steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) onto microplastics in seawater, finding that polymer type, particle size, salinity, pH, and humic acid concentration all influenced sorption behavior. The study provides mechanistic data relevant to assessing microplastics as vectors for endocrine-disrupting compounds in marine environments.

2020 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of endocrine disrupting compounds onto polyamide microplastics under different environmental conditions: Behaviour and mechanism

Polyamide microplastics sorbed the synthetic estrogens EE2, E2, and estriol with affinity influenced by pH, ionic strength, and temperature, with sorption capacity decreasing under alkaline conditions that mimic some aquatic environments, suggesting that water chemistry governs how effectively polyamide MPs concentrate endocrine-disrupting compounds.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption kinetics, isotherms and molecular dynamics simulation of 17β-estradiol onto microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption of the endocrine disruptor 17-beta-estradiol onto three common microplastics using kinetic experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, finding that hydrophobic interactions drive sorption and that polymer type significantly influences adsorption capacity.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and bioacessibility of 17β-Estradiol on Environmental Microplastics: Particle Size, Aging, Competitive Interactions and Co-exposure

This study investigated the sorption of the hormone 17β-estradiol onto polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics, examining how particle size and aging affect sorption capacity and co-exposure toxicity. Smaller and aged MPs showed higher estrogen sorption, increasing the potential for MPs to act as vectors for hormonal contaminants in aquatic environments.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental contamination
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics occurrence on the adsorption of 17β-estradiol in soil

Researchers investigated how the presence of microplastics in soil affects the adsorption behavior of the hormone 17-beta-estradiol. The study found that common greenhouse soil microplastics including polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene influenced how estrogen compounds bind to soil, suggesting that microplastic contamination may alter the environmental fate of hormonal pollutants.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic interaction with persistent organic pollutants on the activity of the aryl hydrocarbon and estrogen receptors

This study investigated how microplastics carrying absorbed chemical pollutants affect hormone-related receptors in human cells. The researchers found that pollutants attached to microplastic surfaces could activate estrogen receptors and interfere with normal hormone signaling. This suggests that microplastics may act as delivery vehicles for endocrine-disrupting chemicals, potentially contributing to hormone-related health problems in people.

2024 Chemosphere 13 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

Bioavailability of steroid hormones sorbed on microplastics for aquatic organisms through biological fluids

This study examined how steroid hormones adsorbed to microplastics in water can desorb under simulated digestive conditions in aquatic organisms. The findings suggest that microplastics can serve as carriers delivering hormone-disrupting chemicals to organisms that ingest them, with potential implications for reproductive health in aquatic wildlife.

2020 Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Article Tier 2

Interfacial sorption of 17β-E2 on nano-microplastics: Effects of particle size, functional groups and hydrochemical conditions

This study examined how nanoscale polystyrene particles — a form of nanoplastic — bind to 17β-estradiol, a natural estrogen that is also an emerging environmental contaminant. Smaller particles adsorbed more of the hormone due to their larger surface area, and surface chemistry played a key role: hydrophobic (water-repelling) surfaces bound more estrogen than particles modified with polar chemical groups. The findings suggest that nanoplastics in water bodies could act as vectors, concentrating and transporting hormones to fish and other aquatic life, potentially amplifying endocrine disruption.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and phthalate esters as affected by microplastics characteristics and solution chemistry

The sorption of two phthalate esters onto polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics was studied under varying conditions, finding that sorption was influenced by polymer type, phthalate structure, temperature, salinity, and dissolved organic matter. The results provide mechanistic insight into how microplastics accumulate endocrine-disrupting phthalates from the environment.

2018 Chemosphere 278 citations
Article Tier 2

The Material Matters: Sorption/Desorption Study of Selected Estrogens on Common Tubing or Sampling Materials Used in Water Sampling, Handling, Analysis or Treatment Technologies

Researchers tested whether common plastic and rubber tubing and sampling materials used in water treatment and analysis adsorb estrogen compounds from water samples. Several materials showed measurable sorption of estrogens, which could cause errors in measurements of these hormones at trace concentrations. The findings highlight a potential source of bias in studies of estrogenic water contaminants that co-occur with microplastics.

2023 Applied Sciences
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 of progesterone onto microplastics and its desorption in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids

Progesterone adsorbed readily to polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics (up to 357 µg/g), and desorption experiments in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids showed substantial release under digestive conditions, suggesting a pathway for hormonal contaminant transfer via ingested MPs.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Partitioning of chemical contaminants to microplastics: Sorption mechanisms, environmental distribution and effects on toxicity and bioaccumulation

This review critically examines how chemical contaminants like persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals sorb onto microplastic surfaces in the environment. Researchers found that while microplastics can concentrate pollutants at levels far above surrounding water, the actual contribution of microplastics to contaminant transfer into organisms may be less significant than direct exposure from water and food. The study calls for more realistic experimental designs to clarify the true risk.

2019 Environmental Pollution 487 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the environment: analytical chemistry methods, sorption materials, risks and sustainable solutions

This review covers the full picture of microplastic pollution, from how scientists detect and measure these particles to how they carry other pollutants and affect living organisms. The authors highlight that microplastics act as tiny sponges that absorb harmful chemicals like pharmaceuticals and pesticides, then release them inside organisms that ingest the particles. The review calls for more standardized testing methods and sustainable solutions to reduce both microplastic pollution and its risks to human health.

2024 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of organic compounds by microplastic

This German thesis studied how common microplastic polymers like polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyamide sorb and accumulate hydrophobic organic contaminants, investigating the mechanisms that make plastics effective carriers of pollutants. Understanding sorption behavior is key to assessing how microplastics transport toxic chemicals into marine food webs.

2016 University of Vienna
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

Leaching of endocrine disrupting chemicals from marine microplastics and mesoplastics under common life stress conditions

Researchers measured the leaching of endocrine disrupting chemicals from marine microplastics and mesoplastics collected from the field under stress conditions that mimic real-world exposure. They found that bisphenol A was the most frequently detected compound, and that smaller plastic particles released greater quantities of these chemicals per unit mass. The study suggests that microplastics in the marine environment act as sources of hormone-disrupting substances that could affect wildlife and potentially human health.

2019 Environment International 287 citations