Papers

20 results
|
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

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

Exploring the interplay between microplastics, polyciclic aromatic hidrocarbons and biofilms in freshwater

Researchers explored how microplastics interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in freshwater, and how both pollutants together form biofilms. The study found that microplastics can act as concentration surfaces for PAHs, potentially amplifying toxic exposure in organisms that ingest plastic particles.

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

Toxicities of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Aquatic Animals

This review examines the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic animals, including their effects on hormones, tissue damage, and cancer risk. Researchers highlight the growing concern about microplastics acting as carriers for these harmful chemicals in water environments. The study emphasizes the need to address PAH pollution in aquatic ecosystems, particularly as microplastics may increase organisms' exposure to these toxic compounds.

2020 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 595 citations
Article Tier 2

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons affiliated with microplastics in surface waters of Bohai and Huanghai Seas, China

Microplastics collected from surface waters of the Bohai and Huanghai Seas in China were found to carry polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at concentrations exceeding those in surrounding water, acting as concentrators of these carcinogenic compounds. The study documents that microplastics in heavily industrialized Chinese coastal seas accumulate PAHs that can be transferred to organisms that ingest them.

2018 Environmental Pollution 192 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
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

Microplastics and PAHs mixed contamination: An in-depth review on the sources, co-occurrence, and fate in marine ecosystems

This review examines how microplastics and PAHs (cancer-causing chemicals from fossil fuel burning) interact in ocean environments, with microplastics acting as carriers that help spread these toxic chemicals through marine ecosystems. This combined contamination matters for human health because both pollutants can accumulate in seafood and potentially reach people through diet.

2024 Water Research 99 citations
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

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

Microplastic-water partitioning of two states halogenated PAHs: Solute and sol

This study examined how halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) partition between microplastics and water, finding that plastic type and contaminant chemistry both influence sorption behavior. Understanding how microplastics absorb and transport toxic chemicals is important for assessing the ecological risks they pose.

2021 Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the adsorption efficiency of carcinogenic PAHs on microplastic (polyester) fibers—preliminary results

Researchers found that polyester microfibers — the tiny plastic threads shed from clothing during washing — can absorb large amounts of cancer-linked polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), accumulating up to 1,255 micrograms per gram of fiber, which means microplastics in sewage sludge may be concentrating toxic chemicals before they reach the environment.

2022 Applied Water Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of Pyrene and Fluoranthene onto Common Microplastics Under Freshwater Conditions

Researchers investigated how two common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pyrene and fluoranthene, bind to six different types of microplastic polymers under freshwater conditions. The study found significant differences in sorption capacity across polymer types, confirming that microplastics can act as vectors for transporting harmful organic pollutants through aquatic environments.

2026 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

A review of human and animals exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Health risk and adverse effects, photo-induced toxicity and regulating effect of microplastics

This review examines the health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic chemicals from burning fossil fuels, and how microplastics can change their behavior in the environment. Microplastics absorb PAHs on their surface, potentially carrying these cancer-causing chemicals into organisms that ingest the contaminated particles. The combined toxicity of PAHs attached to microplastics may be greater than either pollutant alone, increasing risks to both wildlife and human health.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 403 citations
Article Tier 2

PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): quantification and source prediction studies in the ambient air of automobile workshop using the molecular diagnostic ratio

Researchers measured cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to fine airborne particles near automobile workshops in Nigeria, finding concentrations well above safe levels in both dry and rainy seasons. Gasoline and diesel combustion were the main sources of these toxic compounds. While not directly about microplastics, PAHs are among the harmful chemicals that can stick to microplastic surfaces, and this study shows how airborne pollution creates chemical contaminants that microplastics can transport into water, soil, and the body.

2024 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Microplastics as Vectors of Non-Polar Organic Pollutants in Drinking Water

Researchers investigated whether microplastics in drinking water can absorb and carry harmful organic pollutants like benzo-a-pyrene, a known carcinogen. They found that microplastics oxidized by UV light had a significant capacity to concentrate these pollutants from the surrounding water. The study raises concerns about a dual risk from microplastics in drinking water -- both from the plastic particles themselves and from the toxic chemicals they can carry.

2025 Environments 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between polyaromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics: Environmental mechanisms and ecotoxicological impacts

This review examines how microplastics interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a class of toxic organic pollutants found throughout the environment. Evidence indicates that microplastics can adsorb these pollutants and alter their availability and toxicity to living organisms, with effects depending on plastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions. The study identifies critical gaps in long-term exposure research and calls for standardized testing methods to better assess these combined risks.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of PAHs onto microplastics in Romanian surface waters and sediments: Environmental toxicity and human health risk with emphasis on pediatric exposure

Researchers studied how microplastics in two Romanian rivers absorb cancer-causing chemicals called PAHs and found significantly higher concentrations of these chemicals on the plastic surfaces than in the surrounding water. While adult exposure was within safe limits, children faced higher health risks due to their smaller body size and greater sensitivity. This study highlights how microplastics can concentrate toxic chemicals and deliver them in higher doses, especially to vulnerable populations.

2025 Water Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of Microplastics and Their Affiliated PAHs in Surface Water in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Researchers characterized microplastics and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water across canals, the Saigon River, and coastal waters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, finding microplastics at all sites with the highest concentrations in urban canals and detecting co-occurring PAH contamination.

2022 Polymers 25 citations