Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sorption of polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCs) to microplastics

Researchers investigated the sorption of five polyhalogenated carbazoles onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride microplastics, finding that sorption capacity varied with plastic type and carbazole structure, indicating that microplastics can act as vectors for these emerging halogenated organic contaminants.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of representative organic contaminants on microplastics: Effects of chemical physicochemical properties, particle size, and biofilm presence

This study examined how organic pollutants like flame retardants and industrial chemicals attach to microplastics in saltwater conditions. Smaller microplastic particles absorbed more contaminants per unit weight, and natural biofilms growing on the plastic surfaces changed how much pollution they could carry. The findings help explain how microplastics act as carriers of toxic chemicals through the environment and potentially into the food chain.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 69 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

Enrichment of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Microplastics from Coastal Waters

Researchers quantified how microplastics concentrate persistent organic pollutants compared to suspended particulate matter in coastal seawater. They found that the concentrating effect of microplastics on these pollutants was one to two orders of magnitude greater than that of natural suspended particles. The study provides precise measurements of enrichment factors, suggesting that microplastics may serve as significant carriers of toxic organic chemicals in marine environments.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption and dissipation of current-use pesticides and personal-care products on high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater

Researchers characterized how three pesticides and three personal care products sorb onto high-density polyethylene microplastics in seawater. They found that more hydrophobic compounds accumulated more readily on the plastic, and that significant desorption (over 30%) occurred within 24 hours, especially at higher contaminant concentrations. The study confirms that microplastics can act as both carriers and releasers of chemical pollutants in marine environments.

2025 Environmental Research 5 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

Partitioning of chemical contaminants to microplastics: Sorption mechanisms, environmental distribution and effects on toxicity and bioaccumulation

This review critically examines how chemical contaminants like persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals sorb onto microplastic surfaces in the environment. Researchers found that while microplastics can concentrate pollutants at levels far above surrounding water, the actual contribution of microplastics to contaminant transfer into organisms may be less significant than direct exposure from water and food. The study calls for more realistic experimental designs to clarify the true risk.

2019 Environmental Pollution 487 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on environmental occurrence of microplastics and their interaction mechanism with organic pollutants

This review summarizes how microplastics in the environment interact with organic pollutants—adsorbing, carrying, and releasing them. Microplastics act as mobile carriers for persistent organic chemicals, altering their distribution and toxicity in ecosystems and the organisms, including humans, that consume them.

2021 Scientia Sinica Chimica 4 citations
Review Tier 2

The chemical behaviors of microplastics in marine environment: A review

This review summarized interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants and metals in the marine environment, covering sorption behavior across polymer types, the role of degradation in altering sorption capacity, and global monitoring data on pollutant concentrations on marine plastics. The authors conclude that microplastic type, pollutant properties, and environmental conditions all strongly influence chemical accumulation on plastic surfaces.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Removed Due to Policy Violations

This paper discusses how microplastics released into the sea environment accumulate organic pollutants and increase their concentration relative to the surrounding water, amplifying exposure risks for marine life. The review highlights microplastics as vectors that concentrate and transport toxic chemicals through marine food webs.

2023
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 behaviors of tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate and hexabromocyclododecanes on polypropylene microplastics

Researchers examined the sorption of tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) onto polypropylene microplastics in simulated seawater, finding that particle size, temperature, salinity, and concentration all influenced adsorption behavior and the potential for microplastics to act as vectors for these brominated flame retardants.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of alkylphenols and estrogens on microplastics in marine conditions

Researchers investigated the sorption of six endocrine-disrupting chemicals — including alkylphenols and estrogens — onto microplastics under marine conditions, supporting the hypothesis that microplastics act as a secondary contamination vector for aquatic organisms by concentrating pollutants.

2023 Open Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Les microplastiques en milieu marin : supports de contaminants chimiques - Étude bibliographique

This French bibliographic review examined 121 papers on microplastics as carriers of chemical contaminants in marine environments, synthesizing what is known about how pollutants adsorb to and desorb from plastic surfaces. The ability of microplastics to concentrate persistent organic pollutants like PCBs and pesticides from seawater and potentially release them to marine organisms is a key concern.

2015 Institutional Archive of Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea)
Article Tier 2

Transport of persistent organic pollutants: Another effect of microplastic pollution?

This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments, covering the physical and chemical factors governing pollutant adsorption and desorption. The authors discuss how interactions between microplastics and POPs vary with polymer type, particle properties, and environmental conditions, and when these interactions may result in toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water 47 citations
Article Tier 2

The implications of water extractable organic matter (WEOM) on the sorption of typical parent, alkyl and N/O/S-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by microplastics

This study explored how dissolved organic matter in water affects the ability of microplastics to adsorb persistent organic pollutants like pesticides, finding that organic matter significantly influences microplastics' role as chemical carriers. The results have implications for understanding how microplastics transfer toxic chemicals through aquatic ecosystems.

2018 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 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

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
Article Tier 2

Exploring the adsorption behavior of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles on polyvinyl chloride microplastics in the water environment

Researchers systematically investigated the adsorption behavior of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles on polyvinyl chloride microplastics in aquatic environments, characterizing adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics to explain the underlying mechanisms. The study revealed that PVC microplastics act as carriers for these ubiquitous water contaminants through a multilayer adsorption process, with implications for pollutant migration and ecological risk.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption capacity of plastic debris for hydrophobic organic chemicals

This study measured the sorption of a suite of hydrophobic organic chemicals onto different types of marine plastic debris and found that sorption capacity varied widely by polymer type and chemical. The results provide a comparative dataset that helps predict which plastic types are most likely to act as significant vectors for toxic chemical transport in the ocean.

2013 The Science of The Total Environment 537 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

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

Sorption of organic compounds by microplastic

This German thesis studied how common microplastic polymers like polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyamide sorb and accumulate hydrophobic organic contaminants, investigating the mechanisms that make plastics effective carriers of pollutants. Understanding sorption behavior is key to assessing how microplastics transport toxic chemicals into marine food webs.

2016 University of Vienna
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of microplastics in the environment: Sampling, separation, characterization and coexistence mechanisms with pollutants

Massive microplastic pollution was documented across Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America, and Europe, with MPs acting as carriers of heavy metals that enter organisms and cause harm. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto microplastics correlated with hydrophobicity, surface area, and functional group characteristics.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations