Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Research progress on environmental occurrence of microplastics and their interaction mechanism with organic pollutants

This review summarizes how microplastics in the environment interact with organic pollutants—adsorbing, carrying, and releasing them. Microplastics act as mobile carriers for persistent organic chemicals, altering their distribution and toxicity in ecosystems and the organisms, including humans, that consume them.

2021 Scientia Sinica Chimica 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The bioaccumulation effects of microplastics and associated organic pollutants in the aquatic environment

This review examined how microplastics in aquatic environments interact with organic pollutants through adsorption, affecting the bioaccumulation and toxicity of those pollutants in aquatic organisms due to the high hydrophobicity of microplastic surfaces.

2021 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics – A review

This review analyzed the adsorption behavior of organic micropollutants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals — onto nano- and microplastics, finding that adsorption is governed by pollutant hydrophobicity, particle surface area, and aging state, and that microplastics can act as vectors delivering co-contaminants to aquatic organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors for environmental contaminants: Exploring sorption, desorption, and transfer to biota

This review explores how microplastics interact with hydrophobic organic chemicals in aquatic environments, examining the processes of chemical sorption onto and desorption from plastic particles. Researchers discuss the factors that influence whether microplastics act as significant carriers of environmental contaminants into living organisms compared to natural pathways. Understanding these processes is essential for accurately assessing the real-world risk that microplastics pose as chemical transport vehicles.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 632 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of organic pollutants in aquatic environment: A review on mechanisms, numerical models, and influencing factors

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for organic pollutants in water, adsorbing chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceuticals onto their surfaces and transporting them through aquatic environments. Researchers analyzed the mechanisms behind this process, including hydrophobic interactions and surface adsorption, along with the mathematical models used to predict pollutant uptake. The study highlights that microplastics may amplify the environmental impact of other contaminants by concentrating and redistributing them.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics with contaminants in freshwater systems: a review of characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors affecting sorption

This review examined how microplastics act as vectors for environmental contaminants in freshwater systems, analyzing the characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors that influence pollutant sorption onto plastic particles and their potential transfer to organisms including humans.

2023 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Vector effects of microplastics on organic pollutants: sorption-desorption and bioaccumulation kinetics

This review synthesizes existing research on whether microplastics act as carriers that increase the bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in aquatic organisms. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can adsorb hydrophobic pollutants from water and release them in the gut of organisms that ingest them, potentially enhancing toxic effects. The study acknowledges the ongoing debate between vector and no-vector perspectives and outlines a consensus based on the available sorption, desorption, and bioaccumulation data.

2025 Chemosphere 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress of persistent organic pollutants in water: classification, sources, potential risks, and treatment approaches

This review summarizes existing research on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water, covering their sources, classification, and health risks. The paper notes that microplastics act as carriers for these long-lasting toxic chemicals, transporting them through water systems and potentially increasing human exposure. Understanding how microplastics interact with POPs is important because it means plastic pollution may amplify the health risks of other chemical contaminants.

2024 Water Practice & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the adsorption of organic compounds onto microplastics via experimental, simulation, and prediction methods

This review systematically examined experimental, simulation, and predictive modeling approaches for studying the adsorption of organic compounds onto microplastics, synthesizing findings on how molecular interactions, environmental conditions, and plastic aging affect microplastic vector behavior for organic pollutants.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as carriers of toxic pollutants: Source, transport, and toxicological effects

This review summarizes how microplastics absorb and carry toxic pollutants like persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and antibiotics through the environment, concentrating these harmful chemicals as they move through ecosystems. When organisms ingest these contaminated particles, the pollutants can build up in the food chain and eventually reach humans, making microplastics not just a physical hazard but also a chemical delivery system.

2023 Environmental Pollution 261 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastic pollution on ecological environment: a review

This review examines the broad ecological impact of microplastic pollution, focusing on how the strong adsorption capacity of microplastic surfaces allows them to carry persistent organic pollutants through the environment. Researchers found that the combined effects of microplastics and adsorbed chemicals increase toxicity to organisms across different levels of the food chain. The study calls for more research into the long-term ecological consequences of microplastic pollution and its synergistic effects with other contaminants.

2022 Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Trojan horse effects of microplastics: A mini-review about their role as a vector of organic and inorganic compounds in several matrices

This review examines the 'Trojan horse' role of microplastics as vectors for organic and inorganic pollutants, finding that adsorption follows Freundlich models and that contaminant transfer to organisms is species-specific, with some species showing increased and others decreased toxicant bioavailability.

2023 AIMS environmental science 6 citations
Review Tier 2

Interactions of Microplastics with Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Ecotoxicological Effects: A Review

This review examines how microplastics interact with persistent organic pollutants in the environment, including how factors like salinity, pH, and plastic type affect the sorption of toxic chemicals onto microplastic surfaces. The study suggests that when organisms ingest microplastics loaded with these pollutants, the chemicals can be released inside the body, posing combined ecotoxicological risks.

2021 Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A mini review

Researchers reviewed the mechanisms of interaction between microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments, examining factors related to the plastics themselves, the organic compounds, and environmental conditions. The study found that properties like crystallinity, surface area, and weathering state of microplastics all influence how they adsorb and transport organic pollutants, with implications for environmental and health risk assessments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 290 citations
Article Tier 2

Addressing the importance of microplastic particles as vectors for long-range transport of chemical contaminants: perspective in relation to prioritizing research and regulatory actions

This perspective examined the role of microplastic particles as vectors for long-range environmental transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), concluding that while microplastics can adsorb and carry chemical contaminants, their relative contribution to POP transport compared to other pathways requires further investigation before regulatory prioritization.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants in aquatic matrices

This study examines how microplastics affect the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants in aquatic systems. Microplastics can adsorb other pollutants and alter their bioavailability, potentially increasing or decreasing toxic effects depending on the chemicals and environmental conditions.

2023 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of microplastics in the environment: Sampling, separation, characterization and coexistence mechanisms with pollutants

Massive microplastic pollution was documented across Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America, and Europe, with MPs acting as carriers of heavy metals that enter organisms and cause harm. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto microplastics correlated with hydrophobicity, surface area, and functional group characteristics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption Behaviour of Polychlorinated Biphenyls onto Microplastics’ Surfaces in Water/Sediment Systems

Researchers evaluated the adsorption and desorption behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) onto polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics of varying sizes in marine water/sediment systems. Results showed that polymer type and particle size influenced PCB binding capacity, with microplastics acting as potential vectors for transferring persistent organic pollutants to marine biota through the food chain.

2020 Toxics 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as a vector of hydrophobic contaminants: Importance of hydrophobic additives

This paper examines the role of hydrophobicity in determining whether organic pollutants sorbed to microplastics pose a meaningful additional risk beyond direct water exposure. The authors argue that for most scenarios, the contribution of microplastics to total pollutant exposure is smaller than commonly assumed and depends heavily on the properties of the specific chemical and polymer.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 211 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