Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Sorption of tetrabromobisphenol A onto microplastics: Behavior, mechanisms, and the effects of sorbent and environmental factors

The sorption of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) onto four types of microplastics — polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride — was studied in aqueous environments. Results revealed that polymer type, surface area, and hydrophobic interactions were key factors controlling how much TBBPA accumulates on microplastic surfaces.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 77 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

Nanoplastic adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A: The roles of pH, metal ions, and suspended sediments

Researchers found that nanoplastics adsorb bisphenol A through electrostatic, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions, with adsorption capacity influenced by pH, competing metal ions, and suspended sediments, highlighting nanoplastics as vectors for BPA transport in aquatic environments.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on the adsorption of 2,4,6-tribromophenol in soils: Competitive adsorption

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect the adsorption of the brominated organic contaminant 2,4,6-tribromophenol, finding competitive adsorption between soil particles and MPs that altered the contaminant's mobility and bioavailability.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl by microplastics: A case study of polypropylene

This study measured the sorption of a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener onto polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics, finding that both polymers had high sorption capacity influenced by salinity, temperature, and the presence of other organic matter. The results help predict how microplastics transport PCBs in marine environments and potentially deliver them to organisms that ingest the particles.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 217 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential bisphenol carriers: role of adsorbents, adsorbates, and environmental factors

Laboratory experiments showed that four common microplastic types — polystyrene, polypropylene, polyamide, and PVC — all readily adsorb bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS), with polyamide showing the highest capacity. Adsorption was strongly influenced by polymer surface chemistry, bisphenol hydrophobicity, temperature, and salinity. Because bisphenols are potent endocrine disruptors, microplastics acting as their environmental carriers could amplify human and wildlife exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Different sorption behaviours of pyrene onto polyethylene microplastics in a binary system with water and a ternary system with water and sediment

Researchers examined how pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, sorbs onto polyethylene microplastics in binary water-microplastic and ternary water-microplastic-sediment systems, finding that sediment presence significantly altered sorption behavior and partition coefficients. The study clarifies how environmental matrices influence the interaction between microplastics and co-occurring organic contaminants.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by microplastics

This study measured sorption of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) onto four types of microplastics under varying temperature, pH, and salinity conditions, finding that sorption capacity differed substantially by polymer type and environmental conditions.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 173 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

Association of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with micro/nano-plastics: A review of recent findings on ecotoxicological and health impacts

This review examines how tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a widely used flame retardant found in plastic products, binds to micro and nanoplastics in the environment. When TBBPA hitches a ride on microplastics, the combined effect on organisms and ecosystems is often worse than either contaminant alone. Since TBBPA is an additive in many plastic products, the findings highlight how microplastics can carry harmful chemicals directly into the body.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanisms of five bisphenol analogues on PVC microplastics

The adsorption of five bisphenol analogues (BPA, BPS, BPF, BPB, BPAF) onto PVC microplastics was studied, finding maximum adsorption efficiencies of 0.15–0.24 mg/g and identifying a three-stage kinetic process involving surface transport and intraparticle diffusion. The study reveals that PVC microplastics can adsorb plasticizer bisphenol compounds at significant levels, creating a potential feedback loop of chemical re-release in aquatic environments.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 549 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Macrolide Antibiotics and a Metabolite onto Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyethylene Microplastics in Aquatic Environments

Researchers studied how four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite adsorb onto polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that antibiotic adsorption followed a linear model, with PET showing higher adsorption capacity than polyethylene. The study suggests that microplastics in aquatic environments may serve as carriers for antibiotics, potentially affecting how these pharmaceutical pollutants are distributed in water systems.

2024 Antibiotics 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Preferential adsorption of Cd, Cs and Zn onto virgin polyethylene microplastic versus sediment particles

Polyethylene microplastics preferentially adsorb the heavy metals cadmium, cesium, and zinc compared to natural sediment particles. This means microplastics may act as concentrated vectors for toxic metals in marine environments, increasing exposure risks for organisms that ingest them.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Competitive sorption of persistent organic pollutants onto microplastics in the marine environment

This study tested whether phenanthrene and DDT compete with each other for sorption sites on PVC microplastics when present as a mixture in seawater, and found that competition reduced sorption of each compound compared to when tested alone. The finding has implications for predicting how microplastics transport chemical mixtures in the ocean, which is more realistic than single-compound tests.

2012 Marine Pollution Bulletin 538 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced adsorption of tetrabromobisphenol a (TBBPA) on cosmetic-derived plastic microbeads and combined effects on zebrafish

Scientists investigated how cosmetic microbeads adsorb the flame retardant TBBPA and then tested the combined effect on zebrafish, finding that microbeads enhanced TBBPA bioavailability and caused greater developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption than TBBPA exposure alone.

2020 Chemosphere 75 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

Adsorption of nonylphenol on coastal saline soil: Will microplastics play a great role?

Researchers examined how polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics affect the adsorption of the endocrine-disrupting compound nonylphenol onto coastal saline soil, finding that smaller PVC microplastics (0.11 mm) at 10% addition enhanced soil adsorption capacity by 117%, indicating microplastics significantly alter contaminant behavior in coastal soils.

2022 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of selected pharmaceutical compounds on polyethylene microplastics: Roles of pH, aging, and competitive sorption

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics adsorb pharmaceutical compounds including an antibiotic, a beta-blocker, and an antidepressant, with sorption capacity influenced by pH, aging of the plastic, and competition between compounds — raising concern about microplastics as carriers of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments.

2022 Chemosphere 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Prediction of organic compounds adsorbed by polyethylene and chlorinated polyethylene microplastics in freshwater using QSAR

Researchers used QSAR modeling to predict the adsorption behavior of 13 organic compounds onto polyethylene and chlorinated polyethylene microplastics under freshwater conditions, finding that most chemicals exhibited higher adsorption to chlorinated polyethylene than to standard polyethylene.

2021 Environmental Research 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption mechanisms of chlorobenzenes and trifluralin on primary polyethylene microplastics in the aquatic environment

Researchers investigated the adsorption mechanisms of six priority chlorinated and aromatic pollutants (including trichlorobenzenes and trifluralin) onto primary polyethylene microplastics, revealing how plastic type, surface area, and compound properties govern contaminant uptake in aqueous environments.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29 citations