Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Polyciclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water and Microplastics

Researchers measured five cancer-linked PAH compounds in water samples and found that microplastics can bind these chemicals, potentially concentrating them. This suggests microplastics may act as carriers of carcinogenic compounds in drinking water and aquatic environments.

2021 Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge)
Article Tier 2

Adsorption profiles and potential risks of PAHs and PCBs on microplastics in stormwater runoff: Influence of underlying surfaces and polymer materials

This study examined how microplastics in stormwater runoff absorb cancer-linked chemicals called PAHs and PCBs from different urban surfaces like roads, rooftops, and green spaces. The type of plastic and the surface it washed off determined how much of these toxic chemicals it carried. This matters because stormwater is increasingly being harvested for reuse, and contaminated microplastics could introduce hazardous chemicals into water supplies.

2025 Energy & Environmental Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of cancer risk of microplastics enriched with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Researchers assessed the cancer risk of microplastics originating from e-waste that had adsorbed carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The study found that microplastics effectively captured PAHs through adsorption and estimated the probable cancer risk from human ingestion of PAH-enriched microplastics, suggesting this exposure pathway warrants further health risk evaluation.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 257 citations
Article Tier 2

Cancer may be induced by microplastics-sorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons?

This review explores the potential link between microplastics that have absorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cancer risk in humans. Researchers found that microplastics can act as carriers for persistent organic pollutants, and laboratory studies suggest these contaminated particles may enhance metastatic characteristics in cancer cells. The study indicates that the combination of microplastics and adsorbed pollutants may pose a heightened concern for human health.

2024 Oral Oncology Reports 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of PAHs and PCDD/Fs in Microplastics: A Review

This review examines the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) onto microplastics, highlighting how microplastics can act as vectors transporting these toxic compounds through aquatic environments and into organisms that ingest them.

2022 Microplastics 30 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

Sorption, Extraction, and Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Environmentally Weathered Microplastics, Particulate Organic Matter, Sediment, and Fish Species in the Lavaca-Matagorda Bay System

Researchers studied how microplastics carry cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Lavaca-Matagorda Bay system in Texas. They found PAHs attached to microplastics, sediment, and in the digestive systems of three commercially important fish species. This shows that microplastics can act as vehicles for toxic chemicals in coastal waters, potentially affecting the safety of fish that people eat.

2025 Environment & Health 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of benzo(a)pyrene and of a complex mixture of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated the sorption of benzo(a)pyrene and a complex mixture of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto polystyrene microplastics in aquatic systems, quantifying how the hydrophobic nature and large surface area of microplastics facilitate PAH accumulation and potential vector transport.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of microplastics in tertiary wastewater treatment plant in South Korea

Researchers studied the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto weathered polypropylene microplastics in seawater, finding that weathering increased surface area and adsorption capacity compared to pristine particles. This suggests environmental aging enhances microplastics as vectors for hydrophobic pollutants.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilms Enhance the Adsorption of Toxic Contaminants on Plastic Microfibers under Environmentally Relevant Conditions

Researchers grew natural biofilms on plastic microfibers under realistic environmental conditions and measured changes in adsorption of two toxic contaminants, finding that biofilm formation substantially increased the fibers' capacity to bind pollutants, amplifying their potential as chemical vectors.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 248 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
Article Tier 2

Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by microplastic films: Characterizing kinetics, isotherms, and impacts of sludge exposure

This study characterized the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto microplastic films in sludge and wastewater systems, finding that MP type and surface properties strongly influence PAH binding capacity and may facilitate PAH transport and bioavailability in contaminated environments.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Desorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Microplastics in Human Gastrointestinal Fluid Simulants─Implications for Exposure Assessment

Scientists used a lab model of the human digestive system to study how cancer-causing chemicals called PAHs are released from microplastics as they pass through the gut. They found that 21-29% of the chemicals absorbed onto microplastics were released during digestion, with the most release happening in the intestines. However, the overall contribution of microplastic-carried PAHs to total dietary intake was very low, suggesting that for most people, microplastics are not a major source of PAH exposure through food.

2024 ACS Omega 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Sulfur Heterocycles (PASH) on Nylon Microplastics at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations

Researchers investigated the sorption of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASH), a class of persistent organic pollutants, onto nylon microplastics, characterizing adsorption kinetics and capacity. Nylon showed significant PASH sorption, suggesting that microplastics can act as vectors for these contaminants in aquatic environments.

2024 Molecules
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water and sediment of the Bay of Bengal coastal area, India: sources, pathway and ecological risk

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment along two Bay of Bengal coastal beaches in India and found microplastics present at both sites. They also detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of harmful chemicals, adsorbed onto the microplastic surfaces at concentrations that varied by particle shape. The study highlights that microplastics in coastal waters act as carriers for toxic organic pollutants, potentially increasing ecological risks in the marine environment.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, PAHs and biofilms in freshwater

Researchers tested how five common plastic types adsorb polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in freshwater and serve as surfaces for microbial biofilm growth. All five plastics were able to bind PAHs and support biofilms, suggesting microplastics can concentrate toxic compounds and harbor bacteria in freshwater environments.

2019 Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge)
Article Tier 2

Laboratory Measurements of Pyrene and Acenaphthene Partition into Microplastics

Laboratory experiments measured how quickly and extensively three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — pyrene, phenanthrene, and acenaphthene — sorb onto pellets of five common plastic types. PAH uptake had half-lives of around 10 hours, with polypropylene absorbing the most and PVC absorbing the least. The results confirm that microplastics act as concentration vectors for toxic organic pollutants in the environment, and that weathering and oxidation of plastic surfaces increases their capacity to carry these chemicals into aquatic food chains.

2024 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Close encounters on a micro scale: microplastic sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their potential effects on associated biofilm communities

Researchers investigated the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto microplastics and the potential cascading effects on biofilm communities associated with those microplastics in aquatic environments. They found that evaluating microplastics in isolation underestimates their ecological impact, as co-transported PAHs can alter the composition and function of biofilm communities across different compartments of aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Microbiome
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Interaction between Microplastics, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Biofilms in Freshwater

Researchers investigated the adsorption of benzo(a)pyrene and pyrene by five microplastic types in freshwater over 3 and 30 days, finding that polypropylene was the most efficient adsorbent while polystyrene was the least efficient for benzo(a)pyrene. The study also examined how bacterial biofilms on microplastics, including pathogenic species such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, interact with PAH adsorption dynamics.

2020 Polycyclic aromatic compounds 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as sorption materials of herbicides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a coastal bay

Researchers analyzed microplastics collected from the Bay of Brest in France and found that the particles had absorbed herbicides, persistent organic pollutants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from surrounding waters. The type and amount of chemicals adsorbed varied depending on the plastic polymer and the environmental conditions. The study confirms that microplastics in coastal environments act as carriers for other harmful pollutants, potentially spreading contamination through marine food webs.

2025 Regional Studies in Marine Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, Composition, and Risk Assessment of Microplastics and Adsorbed Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Urban Drainage Sediments Along the Yangtze River, China

Urban drainage sediments from three Yangtze River cities contained 130–564 microplastic particles per 100 grams, with the highest concentrations near commercial and campus areas, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found adsorbed to many particles. Microplastics acting as carriers for toxic PAHs in stormwater systems represent a compounded threat to aquatic ecosystems and drinking water sources.

2026 Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Exploring sorption of pesticides and PAHs in microplastics derived from plastic mulch films used in modern agriculture

Researchers investigated how microplastics derived from agricultural mulch films sorb pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding significant uptake that could facilitate transfer of these contaminants through farming environments.

2023 Chemosphere 56 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

Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their human health risks depend on the characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms of Sanggou Bay, China

This study found that the type and characteristics of microplastics present in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay, China, influenced how much of the harmful chemical pollutant PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) accumulated in their tissues. Smaller, more degraded microplastics carried more PAHs into organisms, raising the human health risk from eating contaminated seafood and highlighting that microplastics act as vehicles for other toxic chemicals.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations