Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Assessing the role of polyethylene microplastics as a vector for organic pollutants in soil: Ecotoxicological and molecular approaches

Polyethylene microplastics were shown to act as vectors for organic pollutants including pharmaceuticals and pesticides in soil, with earthworm bioaccumulation assays and molecular endpoints revealing that MPs increased contaminant uptake compared to soil exposure alone.

2021 Chemosphere 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano- and microplastics on the bioaccumulation and distribution of phenanthrene in the soil feeding earthworm Metaphire guillelmi

Researchers investigated how nano- and microplastics affect the bioaccumulation of phenanthrene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) in soil-feeding earthworms using C-radioactive labeling, finding that fine plastic particles decreased phenanthrene bioavailability in soil and reduced uptake by Metaphire guillelmi earthworms, with nanoplastics showing a stronger dilution effect than microplastics. Soil properties remained the dominant factor controlling bioaccumulation efficiency, and only limited vector effects of the plastic particles were observed.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as a Vector for HOC Bioaccumulation in Earthworm Eisenia fetida in Soil: Importance of Chemical Diffusion and Particle Size

Researchers investigated whether microplastics act as vectors for hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) bioaccumulation in earthworms, testing two scenarios with polyethylene particles of different sizes and polychlorinated biphenyls in soil. Results showed that clean microplastics in contaminated soil reduced HOC bioaccumulation, while smaller precontaminated microplastics enhanced transfer of PCBs to earthworms, demonstrating that particle size and prior contamination status are critical factors.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption to mulch film decreases bioavailability of two model pesticides for earthworms in soil

This study investigated how agricultural mulch film microplastics affect the bioavailability of pesticides to earthworms in soil. Sorption of two model pesticides onto mulch film microplastics significantly decreased their bioavailability, suggesting MPs may alter the ecological risk profile of pesticide-contaminated agricultural soils.

2025 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent vector effects of microplastics on bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworm: A dual-dosing study

Researchers developed a dual-dosing method to directly measure how microplastics act as carriers for hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworms. The study found that smaller microplastic particles had greater vector effects, increasing bioaccumulation of pollutants, and that dermal uptake played a significant role in contaminant transfer from microplastics to organisms.

2024 Environment International 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Contrasting effects of microplastics on sorption of diazepam and phenanthrene in soil

Researchers found contrasting effects of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics on the sorption of diazepam and phenanthrene in two soil types, with microplastics decreasing overall sorption of polar diazepam at 10% addition while increasing sorption of nonpolar phenanthrene at 1% addition. The results highlight that microplastic type and concentration interact with pollutant polarity to determine net sorption outcomes in soil.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on accumulation of pyrene by earthworms

Polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics were found to significantly alter the accumulation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pyrene in earthworms compared to pyrene exposure alone, with nanoplastics producing greater effects than microplastics. The study reveals that plastic particles can modify organic pollutant bioavailability to soil invertebrates, with implications for combined contamination risk assessments.

2022 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil health risks caused by interactions of microplastics and pesticides

Chlorpyrifos adsorption and desorption on pristine and UV-aged LDPE and biodegradable microplastics derived from plastic mulch films was investigated in laboratory experiments, along with bioconcentration in earthworms. Aging altered the adsorption-desorption behavior of both plastic types and affected pesticide bioavailability to earthworms, highlighting risks from pesticide-microplastic interactions in agricultural soils.

2024
Article Tier 2

Size effects of microplastics on accumulation and elimination of phenanthrene in earthworms

Researchers examined how microplastic particle size affects the accumulation and elimination of the pollutant phenanthrene in earthworms. They found that smaller microplastics enhanced phenanthrene uptake in earthworm tissues, while larger particles had a less pronounced effect. The study demonstrates that microplastic size influences how organic pollutants interact with soil organisms, with finer particles potentially increasing contaminant bioavailability.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 138 citations
Article Tier 2

Use of a Dual-Labeled Bioaccumulation Method to Quantify Microplastic Vector Effects for Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in Soil

Researchers developed a dual-labeled method using isotope-tagged contaminants on microplastics to directly quantify the vector effect of microplastics for hydrophobic organic contaminants in soil, finding that earthworms can assimilate pollutants from both soil and microplastic sources.

2023 ACS Environmental Au 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Bioavailability of (Semi-)Metals in the Soil Earthworm Eisenia fetida

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the uptake of cadmium and arsenic by earthworms in paddy soil. They found that microplastics altered the soil chemistry in ways that changed how much of these metals the earthworms absorbed, with effects varying by metal type and concentration. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils can influence how toxic metals move through the food chain.

2025 Agronomy 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of biochar coexistence with polar/nonpolar microplastics on phenanthrene sorption in soil

Researchers found that when microplastics and biochar coexist in soil, nonpolar polyethylene weakens soil particle adhesion to biochar more than polar PBAT, affecting the sorption behavior of the pollutant phenanthrene in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption to mulch film decreases bioavailability of two model pesticides for earthworms in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene mulch film microplastics interact with pesticides in agricultural soil and their combined effects on earthworms. The study found that sorption of pesticides to mulch film microplastics actually decreased the bioavailability of two model pesticides to earthworms, suggesting that in some cases microplastics may reduce rather than increase pesticide toxicity to soil organisms.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene mulch film-derived microplastics enhance the bioaccumulation of atrazine in two earthworm species (Eisenia fetida and Metaphire guillelmi) via carrier effects

Researchers found that polyethylene mulch film-derived microplastics enhanced atrazine bioaccumulation in two earthworm species through carrier effects, with farmland residual microplastics showing stronger bioconcentration than unused film fragments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging Changes theVector Effects of Various Microplasticson the Bioaccumulation of Decabromodiphenyl Ethane in Earthworms

Researchers found that UV aging of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics changes how they carry the flame retardant DBDPE into earthworm intestines, with aged biodegradable PLA-MPs increasing intestinal bioaccumulation by 15% while aged PE-MPs decreased it by 21%, showing polymer-specific vector effects.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and plastic-degrading bacteria identification in the sanitary and non-sanitary municipal solid waste landfills

This study examined how the presence of microplastics influences the fate of organic pollutants in marine sediments, finding that polyethylene particles reduced the bioavailability of adsorbed hydrophobic compounds to benthic worms. The sink effect varied with pollutant hydrophobicity and plastic age.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging Changes the Vector Effects of Various Microplastics on the Bioaccumulation of Decabromodiphenyl Ethane in Earthworms

Researchers examined how UV aging of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics changes their ability to carry the flame retardant DBDPE into earthworm intestines, finding that aged biodegradable PLA-MPs increased bioaccumulation by 15% while aged PE-MPs decreased it by 21%, demonstrating polymer-specific vector effects.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
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

Sorption of five organic compounds by polar and nonpolar microplastics

Polar and biodegradable microplastics, including polyurethane and polycaprolactone, showed significant sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants, with hydrogen bonding playing a greater role than for conventional nonpolar plastics. The findings extend understanding of how a wider range of plastic types can act as vectors for environmental pollutants.

2020 Chemosphere 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of HOCs via Precontaminated Microplastics by Earthworm Eisenia fetida in Soil

Researchers incubated earthworms in soil amended with five types of microplastics precontaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to assess whether pre-contaminated MPs enhance HOC transfer to terrestrial organisms. Results showed that precontaminated microplastics significantly increased earthworm accumulation of PCBs and PAHs compared to controls, demonstrating that the contamination history of MPs entering soil is a critical but overlooked factor in risk assessment.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics lag the leaching of phenanthrene in soil and reduce its bioavailability to wheat

Researchers found that polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC microplastics delayed the downward leaching of phenanthrene through soil by adsorbing the contaminant, reducing its bioavailability to wheat, with adsorption capacity following the order PS > PE > PVC.

2021 Environmental Pollution 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-density polyethylene microplastics as a source and carriers of agrochemicals to soil and earthworms

Researchers investigated whether low-density polyethylene microplastics could act as carriers of agrochemicals in soil and found that the particles both released their own chemical additives and transported pesticides to earthworms. The study suggests microplastics in agricultural soils may serve as a previously underappreciated pathway for chemical exposure in soil organisms.

2018 Environmental Chemistry 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene microplastics on the vermitoxicity of fluoranthene in soil

Researchers examined how polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of the pollutant fluoranthene to earthworms in soil, finding that different polymer types differentially modify the bioavailability and toxic effects of co-occurring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

2022 Chemosphere 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into Bioaccumulation of Decabromodiphenyl Ethane in Eisenia fetida Increased by Microplastics

Researchers found that microplastics made from electronics casings significantly increased the accumulation of a brominated flame retardant chemical in earthworms over time. While the microplastics initially slowed absorption of the chemical, after 28 days they promoted greater bioaccumulation by altering the soil environment and the earthworms' gut bacteria. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of electronic waste microplastics and flame retardants in soil may amplify chemical exposure in soil organisms.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 23 citations