Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Uptake of Pb(II) onto microplastic-associated biofilms in freshwater: Adsorption and combined toxicity in comparison to natural solid substrates

This study examined how biofilms that form on microplastics in freshwater lakes affect the absorption of lead, a toxic heavy metal. Researchers found that biofilm-coated microplastics absorbed significantly more lead than bare plastic particles, and the combination of lead and microplastic biofilms was more toxic to water fleas than either pollutant alone.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 179 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biofilm colonization on Pb(II) adsorption onto poly(butylene succinate) microplastic during its biodegradation

Researchers found that biofilm colonization on biodegradable PBS microplastics during degradation increased lead adsorption roughly tenfold compared to virgin plastic, suggesting that degrading biodegradable plastics may concentrate heavy metals more effectively in aquatic environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of humic acids on the adsorption of Pb(II) ions onto biofilm-developed microplastics in aqueous ecosystems

Biofilm-coated PVC microplastics adsorbed Pb(II) ions at 3.57 mg/g, nearly double the capacity of virgin PVC at 1.85 mg/g, while humic acid increased Pb adsorption on virgin PVC through complexation but decreased adsorption on biofilm-coated PVC by shielding sorption sites.

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

The effects of metals and polymer types on the development of biofilm on microplastic surface

Researchers examined biofilm development on three polymer types (PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene) in the presence of three heavy metals (lead, chromium, and cadmium) to determine how metal contamination influences the formation and composition of plastisphere communities. The study assessed whether metal-microplastic co-contamination alters the structure of microbial biofilms that colonize plastic surfaces in aquatic environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of biofilm on metal adsorption behavior and microbial community of microplastics

Researchers found that biofilm development on polystyrene microplastics enhanced their ability to adsorb copper and lead more than UV aging alone, with biofilm altering both the adsorption mechanisms and microbial community composition on the plastic surfaces.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 125 citations
Review Tier 2

Evaluation of the Spreading Dynamics and Interactions of Lead-Carrier Microplastics Affected by Biofilm: A Mini-Review

This review examines how microplastics interact with lead, a toxic heavy metal, in aquatic environments and how biofilm formation on plastic surfaces changes these interactions. Researchers found that when microplastics enter water, they develop biofilms that significantly alter how lead attaches to and detaches from the plastic surface. The study highlights the need for more research into how these combined pollutants affect aquatic ecosystems and long-term environmental health.

2024 Water Air & Soil Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights Into the Adsorption Behavior of Polyethylene Microplastics Towards Lead(II) Ions

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior of lead(II) ions onto polyethylene microplastics in freshwater environments by systematically varying initial Pb(II) concentration, pH, and residence time, using scanning electron microscopy and other characterization methods to elucidate the interaction dynamics and sorption mechanisms between this common metal contaminant and microplastic surfaces.

2024 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Exaggerated interaction of biofilm-developed microplastics and contaminants in aquatic environments

Researchers found that biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces exaggerates the adsorption and vector capacity for co-contaminants in aquatic environments, with biofilm-coated MPs showing substantially higher uptake of contaminants than pristine MPs.

2023 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of kinetics and mechanisms for Pb(II) sorption onto three kinds of microplastics

The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of lead (Pb(II)) onto three types of microplastics were compared to understand how plastic debris concentrates heavy metals in aquatic environments. The study found polymer-specific differences in sorption capacity and mechanism, with implications for how microplastics alter the distribution and bioavailability of lead in contaminated water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on lead-contaminated riverine sediments: Based on the enzyme activities, DOM fractions, and bacterial community structure

Researchers found that microplastics interact with lead in contaminated riverine sediments, affecting enzyme activities, dissolved organic matter fractions, lead bioavailability, and bacterial community structure in complex ways depending on microplastic concentration.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence the fate of antibiotics in freshwater environments: Biofilm formation and its effect on adsorption behavior

Researchers found that biofilm formation on microplastics in freshwater environments enhanced antibiotic adsorption by 24-51%, with potential pathogens detected in all biofilm communities across PVC, PA, and HDPE plastics.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 136 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of heavy metals by biofilm-coated microplastics in aquatic environments: Mechanisms, isotherm and kinetic processes, and influencing factors

This review synthesizes research on how biofilms—microbial coatings that naturally form on microplastics in water—alter the particles' ability to absorb heavy metals like lead, copper, and cadmium, finding that biofilmed microplastics generally adsorb more metal than bare plastic and that electrostatic forces and surface complexation are the dominant mechanisms. This matters because microplastics coated in both biofilm and toxic metals may deliver a double dose of contamination to organisms that ingest them. The review identifies key gaps, including how competitive metal mixtures and shifting biofilm composition over time affect this combined pollution risk.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Effects of Biofilms on Trace Metal Adsorption on Plastics in Freshwater Systems

Researchers incubated polypropylene and PET plastic debris in three freshwater bodies for 45 days to develop biofilms, then conducted batch adsorption experiments, finding that biofilm formation significantly increased trace metal adsorption capacity -- particularly for lead -- with adsorption well described by the Langmuir model.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 citations
Review Tier 2

Research progress on the role of biofilm in heavy metals adsorption-desorption characteristics of microplastics: A review

This review examines how biofilm formation on microplastics in aquatic environments modifies their properties and changes how they adsorb and release heavy metals. Researchers found that biofilm-covered microplastics behave significantly differently than bare microplastics, which has important implications for understanding the combined environmental risks of microplastics and heavy metal contamination.

2023 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of metals and polymer types on the development of biofilm on microplastic surface

Researchers investigated biofilm formation on three types of microplastics — PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene — in the presence of three metals (lead, chromium, cadmium) in freshwater over six weeks, measuring biofilm mass, extracellular polymeric substances, and chlorophyll-a content at weeks one and six. They found that polymer type was the dominant factor influencing biofilm development, with nearly 50% of variation in biofilm characteristics attributable to the specific plastic substrate rather than the metal contaminants present.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Enhancement of Pb(II) adsorption by aged polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in the presence of microalgae: kinetic and mechanistic

UV, permanganate, and alkaline aging treatments all increased PET microplastic adsorption capacity for lead, and Microcystis aeruginosa microalgae further enhanced Pb(II) adsorption by coating PET surfaces with organic matter, demonstrating how environmental aging and biofouling amplify MP-metal interactions.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal leaching from plastics in the marine environment: An ignored role of biofilm.

Researchers investigated how biofilms on marine plastics influence metal leaching, finding that microbial colonization significantly alters the release rates of metal additives from common polymers, representing a previously underappreciated pathway for heavy metal transfer from plastic debris into marine ecosystems.

2023 Environment international
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Pb Adsorption on Crushed Microplastics: Insights into the Environmental Remediation

Researchers found that crushed microplastics generated during plastic recycling have significantly higher capacity to absorb lead than primary microplastics, due to their greater surface area and more reactive surfaces. Factors like particle size, water pH, salinity, and biofilm formation all influenced how much lead the particles could adsorb. The study raises concerns that the recycling process itself may create a secondary environmental hazard by producing microplastics that more efficiently concentrate toxic heavy metals.

2024 Water 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Colonization characteristics and surface effects of microplastic biofilms: Implications for environmental behavior of typical pollutants

This review examines how bacteria colonize microplastic surfaces in water, forming biofilms that change how the plastics behave in the environment. These biofilms alter the surface properties of microplastics and affect how they absorb and transport heavy metals and other pollutants. Understanding biofilm formation on microplastics is important because it can make the particles more dangerous by concentrating toxic substances that could eventually enter the food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm on microplastics in aqueous environment: Physicochemical properties and environmental implications

This review examines how bacteria and other microorganisms form sticky films called biofilms on microplastic surfaces in water. These biofilms change how microplastics move through the environment and increase their ability to absorb pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics. Biofilm-coated microplastics may also carry harmful bacteria, making them a greater potential health risk than clean microplastic particles.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 353 citations