Papers

20 results
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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

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 PFAS onto secondary microplastics: A mechanistic study

Researchers investigated how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) adsorb onto secondary microplastics under different water chemistry conditions. Results showed that PFAS adsorption depended on both the chemical structure of the PFAS compound and the ionic composition of the water. These findings help explain how microplastics in real-world aquatic environments can concentrate and transport PFAS, a group of persistent health-relevant pollutants.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of PFAS onto secondary microplastics: A mechanistic study

Researchers studied how PFAS (toxic "forever chemicals") attach to microplastics that form when PET water bottles break down in the environment. They found that PFAS bonds to these microplastic surfaces within hours in both fresh and salt water, meaning microplastics can act as carriers for these harmful chemicals. This is concerning because people may be exposed to both microplastics and the dangerous chemicals hitchhiking on them through contaminated water.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics (MPs): Findings from an extensive investigation

This study tested how PFAS ("forever chemicals") interact with 18 different types of microplastic and found that polyamide (nylon) plastics absorbed up to 100% of the PFAS in solution. Since both PFAS and microplastics are widespread environmental pollutants, their ability to bind together means microplastics may act as carriers that concentrate and transport these harmful chemicals into water, soil, and ultimately the human body.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 10 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

Adsorption of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Microcystins by Virgin and Weathered Microplastics in Freshwater Matrices

Researchers studied whether microplastics can absorb two types of harmful water contaminants: PFAS (so-called forever chemicals) and microcystin toxins produced by algae. They found that weathered microplastics adsorbed significantly more of these pollutants than pristine ones, and that environmental water conditions influenced the absorption process. The study suggests that microplastics in freshwater may concentrate and transport multiple types of dangerous chemicals simultaneously.

2023 Polymers 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of representative organic contaminants on microplastics: Effects of chemical physicochemical properties, particle size, and biofilm presence

This study examined how organic pollutants like flame retardants and industrial chemicals attach to microplastics in saltwater conditions. Smaller microplastic particles absorbed more contaminants per unit weight, and natural biofilms growing on the plastic surfaces changed how much pollution they could carry. The findings help explain how microplastics act as carriers of toxic chemicals through the environment and potentially into the food chain.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of polyamide microplastics as vector of parabens in the environment: An adsorption study

Researchers studied how polyamide microplastics adsorb parabens — preservatives commonly found in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals — and found that smaller plastic particles absorb significantly more of these chemicals. In real water samples including tap and wastewater, polyamide microplastics picked up 53–82% of parabens present, suggesting they act as carriers that could concentrate and transport these hormone-disrupting chemicals through aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and desorption kinetics of PFOS to pristine microplastic

Researchers investigated how the persistent pollutant PFOS sorbs onto polyethylene microplastic particles of different sizes over six months. They found that smaller microplastic particles adsorbed more PFOS due to their greater surface area, and that PFOS could be released from the microplastics under simulated fish gut conditions. The findings suggest that microplastics may act as carriers of chemical pollutants into the digestive systems of aquatic organisms.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 61 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

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

The partition behavior of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA) on microplastics

This study examined the sorption of PFOS and FOSA — two persistent fluorinated chemicals — onto polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC microplastics and found that sorption capacity varied by polymer type and was influenced by pH, salinity, and organic matter. The results suggest microplastics could act as transport vectors for these persistent pollutants in marine environments.

2014 Chemosphere 543 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

Reef-Building Corals Do Not Develop Adaptive Mechanisms to Better Cope With Microplastics

Researchers assessed the adsorption behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) onto various microplastic polymer types, finding that hydrophobic polymers like polystyrene adsorbed PFAS more strongly than hydrophilic polymers. This interaction may amplify PFAS bioavailability in aquatic organisms ingesting microplastics.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 19 citations
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 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
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of aniline pollutant on polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics adsorb the pollutant aniline in aquatic environments, finding that particle size, temperature, and solution chemistry significantly influence adsorption behavior, highlighting microplastics' role as carriers of toxic organic compounds.

2023 Chemosphere 58 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

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