Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption of metals on aged microplastics in intensive mariculture areas: Aggravating the potential ecological risks to marine organisms

Researchers used passive samplers in a subtropical mariculture area in China to measure how aged microplastics adsorb metals like iron, manganese, copper, and lead from seawater. They found that PVC microplastics had the highest metal adsorption capacity, and that aging increased the plastics' ability to accumulate metals on their surfaces. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in aquaculture zones may concentrate toxic metals and pose elevated ecological risks to marine organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic contamination by metals in a controlled environment: A risk to be considered

Researchers found that polyethylene terephthalate microplastics readily adsorb nickel, copper, and zinc metals in aquatic environments, demonstrating that degraded plastics can act as carriers for metal contaminants and pose compounded environmental risks.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges and Opportunities for Recycled Polyethylene Fishing Nets: Towards a Circular Economy

Researchers examined the challenges of recycling polyethylene from discarded fishing nets, finding that contaminants and degradation during the nets' service life significantly reduce the mechanical properties of recycled resins. The study explores strategies to improve recycled fishing net polyethylene quality and advance circular economy approaches for marine plastic waste.

2021 Polymers 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environment before and after the Aging of Typical Microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of heavy metals by typical microplastics before and after environmental aging, finding that aging significantly alters microplastics' surface properties and capacity to bind metals such as cadmium and lead in aquatic systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aged in various environmental media exhibited strong sorption to heavy metals in seawater

Researchers aged six types of microplastics — including polyamide and PET — in different environments and then measured their adsorption of heavy metals in seawater, finding that aging consistently increased metal sorption capacity and that environmental medium during aging strongly influenced the degree of surface modification.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 178 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced copper adsorption by polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics: The role of biofilm development and chemical aging

Researchers studied how chemical aging and biofilm growth on polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics changed their ability to absorb copper from water. Both processes significantly increased the surface area and chemical reactivity of the plastics, making them absorb substantially more copper than fresh microplastics. The study suggests that as microplastics age and develop biofilms in natural waterways, they become increasingly effective at concentrating heavy metals, potentially altering how these contaminants move through aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct toxicity profiles of conventional and biodegradable fishing nets’ leachates after artificial aging

Researchers compared the toxicity of chemical leachates released by conventional and biodegradable fishing nets after simulated aging. They found that biodegradable nets made from PBS-PBAT released compounds that were significantly more toxic to marine bacteria and disrupted fish larval behavior more than conventional net leachates. The study suggests that biodegradable fishing gear, while intended to reduce plastic waste, may pose its own environmental risks as it breaks down.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Metals' Adsorption Onto Environmental Microplastics at Shoreline Sediments

Metal adsorption onto microplastics collected from shoreline environments was measured, revealing that weathered plastic particles accumulate heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc. The results confirm that shoreline microplastics act as metal-enriched vectors that could pose risks to organisms ingesting them.

2025 X-Ray Spectrometry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Complexation and Contaminant Vector Potentialin Aged Polyamide-Heavy Metal Interactions

Researchers found that aged polyamide (PA) microplastics exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity for cadmium and copper compared to pristine PA, with increased surface roughness from aging promoting stronger metal binding via electrostatic interactions, and environmental factors such as pH influencing subsequent metal desorption.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Metal adsorption by microplastics in aquatic environments under controlled conditions: exposure time, pH and salinity

Scientists systematically varied pH, salinity, and exposure time during metal adsorption experiments on different microplastic types, finding that pH had the greatest influence on metal uptake, with higher pH favoring adsorption of copper, lead, and cadmium onto most tested polymers.

2020 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal leaching from plastics in the marine environment: An ignored role of biofilm.

Researchers investigated how biofilms on marine plastics influence metal leaching, finding that microbial colonization significantly alters the release rates of metal additives from common polymers, representing a previously underappreciated pathway for heavy metal transfer from plastic debris into marine ecosystems.

2023 Environment international
Article Tier 2

Field to laboratory comparison of metal accumulation on aged microplastics in coastal waters

Researchers compared metal accumulation on aged microplastics collected from the field versus laboratory-aged samples in coastal waters, finding differences that highlight the importance of realistic weathering conditions when assessing microplastic-metal interactions.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal adsorption by naturally aged polymers in the river ganga: An environmental assessment

Researchers measured the adsorption of metals onto naturally aged microplastic polymers collected from the Ganga River, examining how plastics weathered under real environmental conditions accumulate heavy metals. Aged microplastics from the river showed significant metal adsorption capacity, suggesting they act as vectors transferring metals to aquatic organisms through the food chain.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Degradation and ecotoxicity of new and used fishing nets. First results of a research project in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay

Researchers examined the degradation and ecotoxicity of new and used fishing nets from the southeastern Bay of Biscay, characterizing the micro- and nanoplastics and chemical additives released from fishing gear as a major source of secondary plastic pollution in marine environments.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable fishing gears: A potential solution to ghost fishing and marine plastic pollution

Researchers evaluated biodegradable materials as alternatives to conventional nylon fishing gear to reduce ghost fishing and marine plastic pollution. They found that biodegradable nets caught fish at comparable rates but broke down much faster in ocean conditions, significantly reducing their long-term environmental impact. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable fishing gear could meaningfully reduce marine litter and the ongoing harm caused by lost or abandoned nets.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Sorption of Metals Is Similar among Plastic Types: Implications for Plastic Debris in Aquatic Environments

Researchers deployed five types of common plastic in San Diego Bay for up to 12 months and measured how much metal accumulated on each type. They found that all plastics accumulated similar concentrations of metals over the long term, regardless of polymer type, suggesting that metal sorption is driven more by surface biofilm formation than by plastic chemistry. The findings indicate that any type of plastic debris in aquatic environments can become a carrier for potentially toxic metals.

2014 PLoS ONE 601 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface adsorption of metallic species onto microplastics with long-term exposure to the natural marine environment

Researchers deployed pre-production polyethylene pellets in the ocean following an accidental spill and recovered them after extended natural exposure, finding that the pellets accumulated a diverse range of metals from seawater, with concentrations increasing over time and varying by metal based on surface chemistry.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments: Insights from a long-term field study within Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada

Researchers placed macro- and microplastics made of two common polymer types in marine intertidal sediments in British Columbia, Canada, for an extended field study to measure how they absorb trace metals. They found that metal sorption depended on polymer type, plastic aging, particle size, and local environmental conditions such as proximity to pollution sources. The study demonstrates that plastics in marine sediments can accumulate concerning levels of metals like copper and zinc, potentially creating concentrated toxic hotspots.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Aging on the Cd Adsorption by Microplastics and the Relevant Mechanisms].

This study examined how aging affects the ability of microplastics — including polyethylene and polystyrene — to adsorb the heavy metal cadmium. Weathered microplastics showed different adsorption behavior than virgin particles, which has implications for how microplastics transport toxic metals through aquatic environments.

2022 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic contamination by metals in a controlled environment: A risk to be considered

Researchers found that PET microplastics readily adsorb nickel, copper, and cobalt under controlled conditions, confirming that metal contamination of microplastics in aquatic systems represents a compounding environmental risk worth monitoring.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofouling Promotes Higher Concentration of Heavy Metal on Disposable Face Masks than Microplastic Films and Particles in Seawater: Mechanisms and Potential Ecological Risks

Researchers found that disposable face masks accumulate higher concentrations of heavy metals than conventional microplastic films and particles in seawater, primarily due to enhanced biofouling. The study showed that the fibrous structure of face masks promotes microbial colonization and mineral deposition, which in turn triggers greater heavy metal adsorption, raising concerns about the ecological risks of pandemic-related plastic waste in marine environments.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 12 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

How aging microplastics influence heavy metal environmental fate and bioavailability: A systematic review

This systematic review found that environmental aging (UV, weathering) degrades microplastics into smaller particles with higher surface reactivity, increasing their capacity to adsorb heavy metals. These aged microplastic-heavy metal complexes bioaccumulate through the food chain, posing greater ecological and human health risks than either pollutant alone.

2025 Environmental Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into adsorption behavior and mechanism of Cu(II) onto biodegradable and conventional microplastics: Effect of aging process and environmental factors

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics adsorb copper ions from water, examining how aging processes and environmental factors influence this interaction. The study found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to bind copper than fresh ones, suggesting that weathered plastic debris in the environment may serve as carriers for heavy metal contaminants.

2023 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and heavy metal interactions (adsorption and desorption) at different salinities

Researchers examined adsorption and desorption of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn) onto polypropylene, polyethylene, and other microplastic types at varying concentrations and salinities, finding PP particles absorbed the most metal but also released it most slowly compared to other polymers.

2023 BIO Web of Conferences 4 citations