Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Spectroscopic Tracking of the Characteristics of Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter

This study used fluorescence spectroscopy to track dissolved organic matter leaching from polyethylene, PVC, and other plastic types over time, finding that different polymers release distinct dissolved organic matter compositions with varying potential to affect aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Separations 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the binding properties of Pb(ii) onto dissolved organic matter: insights from fluorescence spectra and FTIR combined with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect the binding of lead ions to dissolved organic matter, using fluorescence and FTIR spectroscopy to reveal that microplastics promote heavy metal adsorption onto humic acid through altered binding mechanisms.

2023 RSC Advances 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Desorption Behavior of Microplastics on Copper Ions in Aqueous Solution

This study investigated how microplastics of different types and surface chemistry adsorb and release copper ions in water. The findings show that microplastics can pick up and later release heavy metals depending on environmental conditions, acting as vectors that transport toxic metals through aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Composition and photodegradation transformation of Dissolved Organic Matter from microplastics versus natural sources: impacts on copper (Cu) and tetracycline (TC) binding behaviors.

Researchers compared photodegradation and pollutant-binding behavior of dissolved organic matter from HDPE and PLA microplastics versus natural leaf-litter sources, finding that microplastic-derived DOM loses aromaticity faster under UV and shows weaker copper and tetracycline binding after photodegradation, potentially increasing free antibiotic concentrations and antibiotic-resistance risks in contaminated waters.

2026 Environmental research
Article Tier 2

Insights into adsorption behavior and mechanism of Cu(II) onto biodegradable and conventional microplastics: Effect of aging process and environmental factors

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics adsorb copper ions from water, examining how aging processes and environmental factors influence this interaction. The study found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to bind copper than fresh ones, suggesting that weathered plastic debris in the environment may serve as carriers for heavy metal contaminants.

2023 Environmental Pollution 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular-level insights of microplastic-derived soluble organic matter and heavy metal interactions in different environmental occurrences through EEM-PARAFAC and FT-ICR MS

Researchers used advanced spectroscopic techniques to show that dissolved organic matter leached from microplastics forms stable complexes with copper, lead, and cadmium, and found that free-floating microplastic-derived organic matter enhances heavy metal mobility through porous soils, while settled microplastic organic matter retains metals — altering contaminant transport depending on environmental state.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorescence Signatures of Dissolved Organic Matter Leached from Microplastics: Polymers and Additives

Researchers used fluorescence analysis to characterize the dissolved organic matter that leaches from common microplastics like PVC and polystyrene, as well as from additives like phthalates and bisphenol A. They found that UV light exposure accelerated the leaching process and identified distinct fluorescence signatures linked to specific plastic types and additives. The study highlights an overlooked pathway by which microplastics release chemical compounds into aquatic environments.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 333 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic leachates in farmland: impact of acid rain on DOM characteristics and metal release

Researchers investigated how varying acid rain conditions affect the leaching of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and heavy metals from microplastics commonly found in agricultural soils, characterizing leachate physicochemical properties and three-dimensional fluorescence profiles and finding that acid rain intensity significantly altered contaminant release patterns.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts
Article Tier 2

A fluorescence indicator for source discrimination between microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and aquatic natural organic matter

Fluorescence analysis of dissolved organic matter leached from expanded polystyrene, PVC, and PET microplastics was used to identify a unique optical signature that could distinguish microplastic-derived DOM from natural organic matter in aquatic environments.

2021 Water Research 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its binding with pharmaceuticals unveiled by fluorescence spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy

Researchers characterized dissolved organic matter released by microplastics during UV-driven aging and examined how it interacts with pharmaceutical compounds. They found that aged polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene microplastics release fluorescent organic substances that can bind with antibiotics like chloramphenicol and carbamazepine. The study suggests that microplastic degradation byproducts may influence the environmental fate and transport of pharmaceutical pollutants in water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and their adsorption behavior on Cu2+ and Fe3+ in environmental matrices

Researchers characterized polyethylene and polyurethane microplastics and measured their ability to adsorb heavy metals, finding that both types can bind copper and iron ions from water — raising concern that microplastics may act as carriers that transport toxic metals deeper into aquatic ecosystems and food chains.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior of Cu(II) on UV-aged polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene microplastics in aqueous solution

Researchers studied how UV aging changes the ability of PET and polypropylene microplastics to adsorb copper ions from water. UV exposure altered the surface properties of both plastics, increasing their capacity to bind heavy metals compared to pristine particles. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in the environment may be more effective at concentrating toxic metals, potentially increasing ecological risks in contaminated waterways.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption properties and mechanism of Cu(II) on virgin and aged microplastics in the aquatic environment

Researchers examined how UV aging changes the surface properties of polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics and affects their ability to adsorb copper ions in water. The study found that UV irradiation altered the physical and chemical characteristics of both plastic types, increasing their capacity to bind heavy metals. Evidence indicates that weathered microplastics may act as more effective carriers of heavy metal contaminants in aquatic environments compared to virgin plastics.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

[Characteristics of Microplastic-derived Dissolved Organic Matter(MPDOM) and the Complexation Between MPDOM and Sulfadiazine/Cu2].

This study examined dissolved organic matter released from aging PET and polystyrene microplastics and found that it can bind to both sulfadiazine (an antibiotic) and copper ions, potentially altering how these contaminants move through the environment. Aging microplastics release chemical compounds that interact with other pollutants, complicating the environmental behavior of both plastic and non-plastic contaminants in water and soil.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Metal adsorption by microplastics in aquatic environments under controlled conditions: exposure time, pH and salinity

Scientists systematically varied pH, salinity, and exposure time during metal adsorption experiments on different microplastic types, finding that pH had the greatest influence on metal uptake, with higher pH favoring adsorption of copper, lead, and cadmium onto most tested polymers.

2020 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of soil environmental factors and UV aging on Cu2+ adsorption on microplastics

Laboratory experiments and modeling showed that copper adsorption onto microplastics was significantly influenced by soil environmental factors (pH, organic matter, ionic strength) and the degree of UV aging of the plastic particles. Understanding these context-dependent sorption behaviors is important for predicting how microplastics transport heavy metals in real agricultural soils.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in Fluorescence of Aquatic Dissolved Organic Matter Induced by Plastic Debris

Researchers investigated how plastic debris influences fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in freshwater, contaminating river and tap water samples under controlled laboratory conditions and assessing bacterial proliferation via fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and flow cytometry. The study found that plastic-derived FDOM affected the dissolved-particulate organic matter continuum and altered bacterial cell proliferation, demonstrating that fluorescence spectroscopy can effectively identify plastic FDOM in water samples of various origins.

2025 Materials
Article Tier 2

Adsorption properties and influencing factors of Cu(II) on polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater

Researchers investigated how polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics adsorb copper ions in seawater, characterizing adsorption kinetics and influencing factors to understand microplastics' role as vectors for heavy metal pollutants in marine environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 126 citations
Article Tier 2

The deciphering of microplastics‐derived fluorescent dissolved organic matter in urban lakes, canals, and rivers using parallel factor analysis modeling and mimic experiment

Fluorescent dissolved organic matter leached from microplastics in urban lakes, canals, and rivers was characterized using 3D excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy, identifying five distinct fluorophores linked to plastic degradation products.

2024 Water Environment Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential of polyethylene microplastics to transport copper in aquatic systems: Adsorption and desorption studies

Researchers investigated the adsorption and desorption of copper (II) ions onto polyethylene microplastics in aquatic systems, varying operational parameters such as equilibrium time, pH, temperature, and initial metal concentration. They found that polyethylene microplastics can act as vectors for copper transport in water, with sorption behavior governed by multiple physicochemical factors.

2022 Water Environment Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Role of Polystyrene Microplastics in Cu Binding in Sea Surface Waters: An Experimental Perspective for Future Research

The role of polystyrene microplastics in binding copper (Cu) and altering its environmental mobility and toxicity was investigated, finding that microplastics can both adsorb and release copper depending on environmental conditions. This has implications for how microplastics modulate heavy metal hazards in contaminated environments.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Cu2+ by UV aged polystyrene in aqueous solution

UV-aged polystyrene microplastics showed altered surface chemistry and enhanced adsorption of copper ions compared to virgin particles, with the degree of adsorption increasing with aging duration. The findings indicate that environmental weathering transforms microplastics into more potent heavy metal carriers, intensifying their role as pollutant vectors.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of the Differences in Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Adsorbed on Five Kinds of Microplastics Using Multiple Methods

Researchers developed an optimized method for extracting dissolved organic matter directly from microplastics collected across five different environmental settings. They found that the type of microplastic, its shape, and the environment it was collected from all significantly influenced how much organic matter was adsorbed, with porous extruded polyethylene showing the highest enrichment. The study provides new analytical approaches for characterizing how microplastics interact with organic matter in aquatic and sediment environments.

2025 Molecules 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the photosensitivity and photobleaching of dissolved organic matter from microplastics: Structure-activity relationship and transformation mechanism

This study investigated the photosensitivity and photobleaching behavior of dissolved organic matter released from microplastics (MPDOM), examining how physicochemical properties of different plastics influence photoactivation and transformation. The structure-activity analysis revealed that MPDOM composition strongly determines its photoreactivity, affecting how microplastic-derived organic compounds interact with sunlight and generate reactive oxygen species in aquatic environments.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations