Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Environmental condition-dependent effects of aquatic humic substances on the distribution of phenanthrene in microplastic-contaminated aquatic systems

This study examined how varying concentrations and types of aquatic humic substances influence the distribution of phenanthrene between microplastics and water, finding that humic substance composition significantly modulates contaminant partitioning in microplastic-contaminated systems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic sorption on microbial degradation of halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

Researchers investigated how microplastics act as carriers for halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HPAHs) in water and whether this sorption affects microbial degradation of these dioxin-like compounds. They found that microplastic-sorbed HPAHs had reduced bioavailability to degrading bacteria, potentially slowing natural breakdown of these toxic pollutants.

2022 Environmental Pollution 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint effect of nanoplastics and humic acid on the uptake of PAHs for Daphnia magna: A model study

This study examined how humic acid (a form of dissolved organic matter) modifies the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic organisms exposed to nanoplastics, finding that humic acid significantly altered the joint effects of the two complex matrices. The results indicate that natural organic matter plays an important role in regulating nanoplastic-associated chemical uptake.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of environmental conditions on the enrichment of antibiotics on microplastics in simulated natural water column

Researchers investigated how environmental ageing conditions affect the ability of microplastics to adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline, finding that pH, ionic strength, and temperature had little effect, but humic acid significantly reduced adsorption capacity. The reduction was attributed to humic acid covering plastic surfaces, altering hydrophobicity, and competing for adsorption sites via electrostatic repulsion.

2018 Environmental Research 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Influences of molecular weight fractionated humic acids on polyamide 66 microplastic stability and toxicity in red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers found that humic acids of different molecular weights enhanced the stability and aquatic persistence of polyamide 66 microplastics, leading to greater accumulation in red tilapia gut tissues and increased oxidative stress, suggesting that dissolved organic matter worsens microplastic toxicity in real-world water environments.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid enhances adsorption of antibiotic ciprofloxacin on polylactic acid microplastics, leading to reproductive and mitochondrial toxicity in Daphnia magna: Quantitative analysis

Researchers found that humic acid, a common natural organic compound in freshwater, significantly enhanced the adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin onto polylactic acid microplastics. This combination caused greater reproductive harm and mitochondrial DNA damage in water fleas (Daphnia magna) than exposure to the microplastics or antibiotic alone. The study highlights that even biodegradable microplastics can amplify the ecological toxicity of environmental pollutants when natural organic matter is present.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the adherence of coexisting background organic contaminants to natural organic matter in water

Researchers examined how microplastics affect the binding of organic contaminants (PCBs and hydroxy PCBs) to humic acid in water, finding that microplastics caused contaminants to migrate from humic acid to plastic surfaces. This redistribution effect could alter the bioavailability and environmental risk of co-occurring organic pollutants.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Change in adsorption behavior of aquatic humic substances on microplastic through biotic and abiotic aging processes

Researchers found that both UV irradiation and microbial aging of polyethylene microplastics significantly altered their surface chemistry, changing how aquatic humic substances adsorb onto the plastic surface and highlighting the importance of weathering state in assessing microplastic-contaminant interactions.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the distribution and interaction mechanism of microplastics with humic acid in river sediments

Researchers found that microplastics and humic acids interact significantly in river sediments, with humic acid coating altering microplastic surface properties and affecting their distribution at different sediment depths, influencing the environmental fate and pollutant-carrying capacity of microplastics.

2022 Chemosphere 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Different partition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon on environmental particulates in freshwater: Microplastics in comparison to natural sediment

This study investigated how the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene partitions between water and three common plastic types, finding that polymer composition strongly influences sorption behavior. The results help explain how microplastics act as vectors for toxic organic compounds in aquatic environments.

2017 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Humic Substances in the (Bio)Degradation of Synthetic Polymers under Environmental Conditions

This review examines the role of humic substances -- major components of soil organic matter -- in the degradation of synthetic polymers under environmental conditions. The authors discuss how humic substances mediate chemical and biological breakdown of plastics, influencing the formation and persistence of microplastics in soils and aquatic systems.

2024 Microorganisms 4 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 arsenite to polystyrene microplastics in the presence of humus

Polystyrene microplastics adsorb arsenic more effectively when humic acid is present in the water, because the organic matter forms a coating on the plastic surface that attracts more arsenic ions. This finding suggests that microplastics can serve as vectors for the toxic metalloid arsenic in natural water environments.

2020 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into interactions of polystyrene microplastics with different types and compositions of dissolved organic matter

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with different types of dissolved organic matter, finding that fulvic acid and humic acid adsorb onto microplastics through distinct mechanisms, which influences microplastic transport and transformation in the environment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-sorbed phenanthrene and its derivatives are highly bioaccessible and may induce human cancer risks

Researchers studied how microplastics sorb phenanthrene and its derivatives, then measured the bioaccessibility and potential cancer risk of these contaminant-laden particles. The study found that microplastic-sorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were highly bioaccessible during simulated digestion, suggesting they may pose meaningful human health risks when ingested.

2022 Environment International 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) and humic acid influenced by aging of MPs

Researchers examined how aging affects polypropylene microplastic interactions with humic acid, finding that aged microplastics with increased surface oxygen groups showed stronger adsorption of humic acid compared to pristine particles, altering their environmental behavior.

2022 Water Research 145 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption and desorption behaviors of phenanthrene and pyrene onto microplastics in the aquatic environment and digestive fluids

This study examined how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like phenanthrene and pyrene adsorb to and desorb from four types of microplastics in both freshwater and simulated digestive fluids. The findings show that PAHs bind strongly to microplastics and can be released under digestive conditions, suggesting that microplastics can deliver organic pollutants to organisms that ingest them.

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

Adsorption of typical natural organic matter on microplastics in aqueous solution: Kinetics, isotherm, influence factors and mechanism

Researchers investigated humic acid adsorption onto PVC and PS microplastics, finding that pH, ion species, particle size, and surfactants significantly influenced adsorption capacity through mechanisms including halogen bonding, hydrogen bonding, and pi-pi interactions.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid alleviates the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic particles toDaphnia magna

Daphnia magna were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics with and without humic acid, finding that humic acid significantly reduced nanoplastic toxicity by altering particle aggregation and distribution within the organism. The study demonstrates that natural organic matter in water can modulate nanoplastic bioavailability, with implications for risk assessment under realistic environmental conditions.

2019 Environmental Science Nano 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Modulation of PAH toxicity on the freshwater organism G. roeseli by microparticles

Researchers investigated whether polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics modify the aquatic toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli. The study found that microplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of phenanthrene, with effects depending on plastic type and exposure conditions.

2020 Environmental Pollution 55 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of humic substances’ hydrophobicity in heterogeneous adsorption onto microplastics: Insights from two-dimensional correlation hydrophilic interaction chromatography

Researchers investigated how the hydrophobic properties of humic substances influence their adsorption onto pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics. Using chromatography techniques, they found that more hydrophobic humic molecules preferentially adsorb onto microplastics, with this trend being stronger for aged plastics and under acidic conditions. The study highlights the critical role of hydrophobicity in determining how natural organic matter interacts with microplastics in aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of humic and fulvic acids on polytetrafluoroethylene-adsorbed arsenic: a mechanistic study

Researchers investigated how PTFE microplastics adsorb arsenic in water in the presence of humic and fulvic acids, finding that humic acid forms π-complexes with PTFE that increase oxygen-bearing surface functional groups, substantially enhancing arsenic adsorption through hydrogen bonding and pore-filling mechanisms.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and desorption of phenanthrene on biodegradable poly(butylene adipate co-terephtalate) microplastics

This study investigated how the biodegradable plastic PBAT sorbs and desorbs the organic contaminant phenanthrene, finding that PBAT had relatively low sorption capacity compared to conventional plastics and that desorption was rapid. The results suggest biodegradable plastics may pose a lower vector risk for hydrophobic organic contaminants than conventional microplastics.

2018 Chemosphere 301 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the mechanisms of humic acid mediated degradation of polystyrene microplastics under ultraviolet light conditions

Humic acid in water promoted the photodegradation of polystyrene microplastics under UV light by generating higher levels of hydroxyl radicals (0.631 mM), resulting in 4.3% greater weight loss, smaller average particle size (89.5 microns), and more oxygen-containing products compared to UV alone.

2023 Chemosphere 20 citations