Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Release of Fluoro-Contained Free Radicals and Polyfluorinated-Like Molecules from Photoaged Fluorinated Microplastics: Identification and Formation Mechanisms

Fluorinated plastics (like PTFE) can release free radicals and polyfluorinated compounds under UV radiation, potentially adding to the environmental load of PFAS-like substances. This research raises concerns about fluorinated microplastics as a previously overlooked source of persistent toxic chemicals in the environment.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A review on per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in microplastic and food-contact materials

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) used as oil- and water-repellent coatings on food contact materials can migrate into food, and microplastics in aquatic environments can sorb and transport PFAS, though desorption processes remain poorly understood.

2021 Environmental Research 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Releaseof Fluoro-Contained Free Radicals and Polyfluorinated-LikeMolecules from Photoaged Fluorinated Microplastics: Identificationand Formation Mechanisms

Researchers investigated the photochemical transformation of fluorinated microplastics (PVDF and PTFE) under UV-A irradiation, identifying the release of persistent carbon-centered free radicals and polyfluorinated-like molecular fragments. The study revealed that photoaging of fluorinated plastics generates reactive species capable of redox activity, suggesting these materials pose underappreciated environmental hazards beyond physical particle pollution.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Interactions between MPs and PFASs in aquatic environments: A dual-character situation

This review examines the interactions between microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water environments, finding that the two pollutants have a complex relationship. Microplastics can absorb PFAS chemicals onto their surfaces, potentially transporting them through aquatic systems and altering their environmental behavior. The study highlights the need to consider these combined effects when assessing pollution risks in waterways.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as carriers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environment: interactions and ecotoxicological effects

Researchers reviewed how microplastics serve as carriers for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called forever chemicals, in aquatic environments. The study found that PFAS can attach to microplastic surfaces and accumulate in organisms through the food chain, potentially amplifying the toxic effects of both pollutants. The findings suggest that the combined presence of microplastics and PFAS poses a greater environmental and health risk than either pollutant alone.

2023 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction and combined toxicity of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environment

This review examines how microplastics interact with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments and the combined toxic effects on organisms. Researchers found that microplastics can adsorb PFAS chemicals and transport them through water systems, potentially increasing exposure for aquatic life. The study highlights that the combination of these two widespread pollutant types may pose greater ecological risks than either one alone.

2022 Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 83 citations
Article Tier 2

From co-occurrence to co-existence and co-exposure: Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics in the environment

This review examines the growing recognition that PFAS chemicals and microplastics frequently co-occur in the environment and may interact in ways that affect both ecological and human health. Researchers identified four major sources that emit both pollutants simultaneously and found strong evidence that PFAS can adsorb onto microplastic surfaces and be co-transported through the environment. The study calls for standardized methods and long-term studies to better understand the combined exposure risks of these two widespread contaminant classes.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the global aquatic environment: perspectives and combined risks with microplastics

This review provided a comprehensive overview of PFAS fate, transport, and toxicity in global aquatic environments, with particular attention to analytical challenges for ultrashort-chain compounds. The authors also addressed combined risks from PFAS and microplastics co-occurring in water, noting synergistic contamination concerns.

2025 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Global Perspective on the Impact of Plastic Waste as a Source of Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment

This perspective examines the global environmental impact of plastic waste as a combined source of both microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals. Researchers highlight how plastics can release or transport these persistent chemicals as they degrade in the environment. The study argues that addressing plastic pollution requires considering these interconnected contaminants together rather than treating them as separate problems.

2023 ACS ES&T Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The unheeded inherent connections and overlap between microplastics and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances: A comprehensive review

This review reveals the overlooked connection between microplastics and PFAS (forever chemicals), showing that these two widespread pollutants often come from the same products and interact in the environment. Microplastics can absorb PFAS onto their surfaces and transport them through water systems, potentially increasing exposure for aquatic organisms and humans. Understanding this overlap is important because the combined effects may be more harmful than either pollutant alone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer and interfacial impacts of micro(nano)plastics and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment.

This review examined the co-occurrence, trophic transfer, and interactions of micro(nano)plastics and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the environment, highlighting how their combined persistence and toxicity create compounding risks for ecosystems and human health.

2024 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Fate, distribution, and transport dynamics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in the environment

This review examines how PFAS, often called "forever chemicals," move through water, soil, plants, and air, with their ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bonds making them nearly indestructible in nature. While focused on PFAS rather than microplastics specifically, the two pollutants often co-occur and share similar concerns about persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential health effects.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 34 citations
Article Tier 2

A tale of two emerging contaminants: Interfacial interactions, co-transport behaviors and ecotoxicological implications between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and micro(nano)plastics.

This review examined how PFAS and micro/nanoplastics co-occur in the environment, form interfacial adsorption complexes, and interact synergistically within organisms. The authors found that the two contaminant classes amplify each other's toxicity in co-exposure scenarios and that their shared transport pathways complicate standard risk assessment.

2026 Advances in colloid and interface science
Article Tier 2

Effect of carbon chain length and concentration of perfluorinated compounds on polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics transport behavior

Researchers investigated how perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), specifically PFOA and PFPeA, affect the movement of polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics through porous materials like soil and sand. They found that longer-chain PFAS enhanced microplastic transport more effectively than shorter-chain versions, likely due to greater surface adhesion and spatial resistance effects. The study helps explain how PFAS contamination in the environment may influence how far microplastics travel through groundwater systems.

2025 NanoImpact 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake and release of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) from macro and microplastics

Researchers studied how perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, a class of persistent PFAS chemicals, interact with both macro and microplastics in aquatic environments. They found that microplastics can adsorb and later release these harmful chemicals, with the interaction influenced by the amphiphilic properties of the contaminants. The findings suggest that microplastics may serve as carriers for PFAS contamination, potentially increasing exposure pathways for organisms in the environment.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of micro-nano-sized polytetrafluoroethylene and acrylic fluorinated copolymer particles in the periwinkle digestive tract

Researchers investigated whether stable fluorinated plastics — polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE/Teflon) and acrylic fluorinated copolymer (Protacryl-M) — could be biodegraded after passage through the digestive tract of the periwinkle, a marine invertebrate, developing methods to deliver micro-nano particles to the gastrointestinal tract and recover them from feces for analysis.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular-Scale Insights into the Interactions between Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Polyethylene

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics can strongly attract and hold onto toxic "forever chemicals" called PFAS, which are already found in drinking water and food. This means microplastics in our environment could act like sponges that collect these harmful chemicals and potentially transport them to new places, including into our bodies. The research helps explain why these two types of pollution might work together to create bigger health risks than either one alone.

2026 The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Article Tier 2

Combined Environmental Impacts and Toxicological Interactions of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Microplastics (MPs)

This review examines how microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) frequently co-occur in the environment and interact to alter each other's environmental fate and biological effects. Researchers found that co-exposure can enhance PFAS bioaccumulation by up to 2.5-fold compared to PFAS alone, accompanied by amplified oxidative stress, immune disruption, and reproductive impairment in aquatic organisms. The magnitude and direction of combined effects depend heavily on polymer type, particle size, surface aging, and biological context.

2026 Environments
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Truth of Interactions between Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Microplastics as a Carrier of PFASs and Beyond

Researchers discovered that microplastics in wastewater treatment plants act as carriers for PFAS (forever chemicals), absorbing them from the water and potentially releasing them back into the environment. Commercial plastics were found to leach even more PFAS than environmental samples, with some chemicals releasing more than was originally absorbed. This dual role of microplastics as both carriers and sources of forever chemicals means they could significantly increase human exposure to these persistent, harmful substances.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Do They Matter to Aquatic Ecosystems?

This review examines PFAS, the persistent 'forever chemicals' widely used in consumer products, and their growing threat to aquatic ecosystems. Evidence indicates that PFAS accumulate in aquatic organisms, disrupt hormones, and can alter how other pollutants behave in the environment. The research is relevant to microplastic concerns because PFAS are commonly found in plastic products and can leach from microplastics into water.

2023 Toxics 46 citations
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
Review Tier 2

Interaction of microplastics with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water: A review of the fate, mechanisms and toxicity

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for PFAS ("forever chemicals") in water, with the two pollutants interacting through various chemical mechanisms that affect their movement through the environment. The combined presence of microplastics and PFAS raises concerns about increased toxicity, since microplastics can transport these persistent chemicals into organisms and potentially concentrate their harmful effects.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on microplastics under environmental conditions

Researchers examined the capacity of three types of microplastics to sorb 18 perfluoroalkyl substances from freshwater and seawater. They found that perfluorosulfonates and sulfonamides had the strongest tendency to adsorb onto microplastics, with polystyrene showing greater affinity for these chemicals than polyethylene. The study suggests that microplastics in aquatic environments can concentrate harmful PFAS compounds, potentially increasing exposure for organisms that ingest them.

2018 Environmental Pollution 342 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an adsorption and transport medium for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic systems: Polystyrene and undecafluorohexanoic acid interactions

Researchers investigated interactions between polystyrene microplastics and the PFAS compound undecafluorohexanoic acid in aquatic systems, finding that microplastics can serve as adsorption and transport media for PFAS, with implications for their combined environmental impact.

2023 Journal of Molecular Liquids 33 citations