Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of triclosan on polystyrene nanoplastics: The roles of particle size, surface functionalization, and environmental factors

Researchers examined how triclosan, an antimicrobial compound common in personal care products, adsorbs onto polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and surface chemistries, finding that smaller particles and functionalized surfaces (with carboxyl or amine groups) bind more triclosan, with pH and salinity further modulating uptake — suggesting nanoplastics can serve as mobile carriers for this contaminant.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of particle size and solution chemistry on Triclosan sorption on polystyrene microplastic

Researchers characterized how the antimicrobial compound triclosan adsorbs onto polystyrene microplastics, finding that sorption is driven primarily by hydrophobic interactions and is highest at acidic pH, while temperature, ionic strength, and co-occurring heavy metals had little effect — suggesting polystyrene acts as an environmental carrier for triclosan.

2019 Chemosphere 206 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastic size on the adsorption behavior and mechanism of triclosan on polyvinyl chloride

The adsorption of triclosan (an antimicrobial compound) onto polyvinyl chloride microplastics was found to depend strongly on microplastic particle size, with smaller particles adsorbing more triclosan per unit mass due to their higher surface-area-to-volume ratio. This size-dependent sorption behavior influences the potential for microplastics to transport antimicrobial chemicals in aquatic environments.

2019 Environmental Pollution 348 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation strongly influences the vector transport of triclosan-loaded polyethylene microplastics

Researchers found that biofilm formation on polyethylene microplastics strongly influences their role as vectors for triclosan transport, with biofouled microplastics showing altered pollutant sorption capacity and different toxicity effects on Daphnia magna.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of triclosan by different microplastics and the impact of water chemistry

Researchers investigated how triclosan — an antimicrobial compound — adsorbs onto four types of microplastics under varying water chemistry conditions. They found hydrophobic partitioning was the dominant adsorption mechanism, with solution pH, ionic strength, and dissolved organic matter all influencing uptake capacity.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Systematic Review Tier 1

The potential of microplastics acting as vector for triclosan in aquatic environments

This systematic review found that microplastics can act as vectors for triclosan (an antibacterial agent) in aquatic environments, transporting it across trophic levels through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces. The co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan amplifies their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms beyond their individual effects.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics can act as vector of the biocide triclosan exerting damage to freshwater microalgae

Researchers evaluated the ability of seven types of microplastics — including LDPE, polyamide, PET, POM, PP, PS, and biodegradable PLA — to sorb and desorb the antimicrobial biocide triclosan (TCS), then tested the effects of TCS-loaded microplastics on the freshwater cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. They found that microplastics can act as effective vectors for TCS, delivering it to primary producers and causing greater damage than either contaminant alone.

2020 Chemosphere 69 citations
Article Tier 2

From Foodborne Pollutant Carrier to Gastrointestinal Trojan Horse: Simulating the Bioaccessibility of Antibiotics Loaded on Aged Polylactic Acid Microplastics in Human Digestive System

Researchers simulated how environmentally aged polylactic acid microplastics transport the antibiotic tetracycline through the human digestive system. They found that aging significantly increased the surface porosity and adsorption capacity of the PLA particles, enhancing their ability to carry contaminants through gastrointestinal digestion. The study suggests that biodegradable food-contact plastics may act as carriers of co-ingested pollutants in the gut.

2026 Foods
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption of Triclosan on Biodegradable Polyhydroxybutyrate Microplastics

This study examined how the widely used antimicrobial chemical triclosan adsorbs onto and desorbs from biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) microplastics. Even biodegradable plastics can act as vectors for chemical pollutants, accumulating triclosan from water and potentially releasing it into organisms that ingest the particles.

2020 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction mechanism of triclosan on pristine microplastics

Researchers used computational chemistry to model how the antimicrobial chemical triclosan interacts with five common types of pristine microplastics at the molecular level. They found that triclosan attaches to all microplastic surfaces through physical adsorption rather than chemical bonding, with polyamide showing the strongest attraction. The study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics can act as carriers for personal care product chemicals in water environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption characteristics of antibiotics on microplastics: The effect of surface contamination with an anionic surfactant

Researchers found that the common anionic surfactant SDBS coating polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics significantly altered their adsorption of the antibiotics oxytetracycline and norfloxacin. SDBS changed the surface charge and hydrophobicity of MPs in ways that increased antibiotic binding, suggesting surfactant-contaminated MPs pose a greater risk as antibiotic vectors in aquatic environments.

2022 Chemosphere 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of the antimicrobial triclosan to microplastics impacts biofilm and planktonic microbial communities in freshwater

Researchers tested how triclosan—an antimicrobial compound—adsorbs to microplastics and what effect this has on microbial biofilm communities in freshwater. Triclosan-loaded microplastics shifted microbial community composition and increased abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in biofilms, demonstrating that microplastics acting as vectors for antimicrobials can restructure freshwater microbial ecosystems.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of triclosan: relevance of the biofilm on Daphnia magna survival

Researchers evaluated polyethylene microplastics as vectors of triclosan (TCS) in Daphnia magna survival experiments, examining how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces — simulating conditions downstream of wastewater treatment plants — modifies the adsorption and desorption of triclosan and consequently its toxicity to the zooplankton.

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

Adsorption of triclosan onto different aged polypropylene microplastics: Critical effect of cations

This study examined how sodium and calcium ions in water influence the adsorption of triclosan onto aged polypropylene microplastics, finding that cation type and concentration altered sorption behavior through electrostatic interactions. The results have implications for understanding how microplastics transport antimicrobial contaminants in natural water systems.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 192 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of adsorption and desorption of triclosan between microplastics and soil particles

Researchers compared adsorption and desorption of triclosan on polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics versus soil particles, finding that PE had the highest adsorption rate and equilibrium capacity while PS and soil showed similar profiles. The results suggest that microplastics in soil environments can compete with soil particles for triclosan binding, potentially altering the contaminant's mobility and bioavailability.

2020 Chemosphere 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Does triclosan adsorption on polystyrene nanoplastics modify the toxicity of single contaminants?

Researchers investigated whether triclosan adsorption onto polystyrene nanoplastics modifies the toxicity of each contaminant individually, using a multi-tiered approach to assess how nanoplastic carrier effects alter the combined hazard of this common antimicrobial agent in aquatic environments.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 27 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of chlorination on the tetracycline sorption behavior of microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers found that chlorination, a common disinfection step in wastewater treatment, alters the surface chemistry of microplastics and changes their capacity to adsorb tetracycline antibiotics, with chlorinated microplastics showing modified sorption behavior that affects their role as antibiotic carriers.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of humic acid with pristine poly (lactic acid) microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers studied the adsorption of humic acid onto polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in water, finding that humic acid forms a coating on PLA surfaces through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, altering the environmental behavior of this biodegradable plastic.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of antibiotics on microplastics

This study examined the adsorption of antibiotics onto different microplastic types, finding that sorption capacity depended on both the antibiotic's chemical properties and the plastic's surface characteristics, with implications for antibiotic transport in aquatic environments.

2018 Environmental Pollution 1314 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of tetracycline antibiotics by microplastics, associated mechanisms, and risk assessments

Researchers systematically investigated how three common microplastic types adsorb tetracycline antibiotics. The study found that polystyrene had the highest adsorption capacity at 178.57 micrograms per gram, followed by PVC and polyethylene, and that PVC and polystyrene strongly retained the antibiotics with minimal desorption, raising concerns about compound pollution from microplastic-antibiotic combinations in the environment.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation on the adsorption and desorption behaviors of antibiotics by degradable MPs with or without UV ageing process

Scientists compared how original and UV-aged polylactic acid (PLA) — a biodegradable plastic — adsorbs and desorbs the antibiotics tetracycline and ciprofloxacin relative to PVC, finding that UV aging changed PLA's surface more dramatically and increased its capacity to carry and release these drugs.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 416 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of polyethylene microplastics in river biofilms and effect on the uptake, biotransformation and toxicity of the antimicrobial triclosan

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics interact with river biofilms growing on natural stone surfaces and how this affects the uptake of the antimicrobial chemical triclosan. They found that the presence of microplastics altered how biofilm communities absorbed and processed triclosan, potentially changing the chemical's toxicity profile. The findings suggest that microplastics in freshwater environments can indirectly influence how other pollutants affect aquatic life.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption/desorption behavior of degradable polylactic acid microplastics on bisphenol A under different aging conditions

Researchers studied how different types of UV-simulated aging affect the ability of polylactic acid microplastics to adsorb and release bisphenol A. The study found that aging conditions changed the surface properties of the biodegradable plastic, altering its interaction with this common environmental contaminant. The findings suggest that even biodegradable microplastics can act as carriers of harmful chemicals depending on their degradation state.

2024 New Journal of Chemistry 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of pristine and aged poly-L-lactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate as microbe carriers in surface water: Displaying apparent differences

Researchers compared how pristine and UV-aged biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid and non-degradable PET microplastics serve as carriers for microbial communities in river water. They found that aged microplastics attracted more microbes and had higher biofilm formation than pristine ones, and that the biodegradable PLLA supported greater microbial enrichment and diversity than PET. The study demonstrates that microplastics in aquatic environments are highly effective carriers for bacteria, including pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.

2024 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2 citations