Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biofilm-enhanced adsorption of strong and weak cations onto different microplastic sample types: Use of spectroscopy, microscopy and radiotracer methods

Researchers used radiotracer, spectroscopy, and microscopy methods to show that biofilm-coated environmental plastics adsorb radioactive cesium and strontium — radionuclides associated with nuclear releases — though at rates much lower than natural sediments, confirming that plastics act as a minor but measurable sink for environmental radioactivity.

2019 Water Research 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment

A mesocosm study examined how radioactive cesium and strontium interact with pristine, radiation-exposed, and marine-weathered polyethylene microplastics, finding that environmental aging—through biofilm formation and surface roughening—significantly increased the plastic particles' capacity to sorb radioactive contaminants.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics in the marine environment interact with radioactive cesium and strontium. They found that as microplastics age in seawater and develop biofilms, their ability to absorb these radioactive elements increases significantly. The study provides evidence that microplastics could act as previously unrecognized carriers of radioactive contamination in ocean environments.

2024 Discover Oceans 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as vectors of radioiodine in the marine environment: A study on sorption and interaction mechanism

Researchers investigated microplastics as potential vectors of radioiodine in the marine environment, finding that different polymer types exhibited varying sorption capacities for radioiodine, revealing a previously unstudied pathway for radionuclide transport.

2022 Environmental Pollution 32 citations
Article Tier 2

First-time evaluation of 137Cs adsorption onto virgin PLA, PET, and PVC microplastics

Researchers tested how three common microplastics — PLA, PET, and PVC — absorb radioactive cesium-137 from water, finding that pH, temperature, and competing ions all affect how much cesium sticks to each plastic. This matters because microplastics can act as carriers for radioactive contaminants, potentially transporting them through aquatic environments.

2026 Chemical Engineering Journal Advances
Article Tier 2

A new approach to extracting biofilm from environmental plastics using ultrasound-assisted syringe treatment for isotopic analyses

Researchers developed an ultrasound-assisted syringe extraction method for recovering biofilms from environmental plastic debris, enabling stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and radiocesium quantification, and found that river-mouth plastisphere biofilms in Japan carried up to 820 Bq/kg of radiocesium, demonstrating that plastic-associated biofilms can serve as vectors for radionuclide transport in coastal environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and disposable face masks as “Trojan Horse” for radionuclides pollution in water bodies – A review with emphasis on the involved interactions

Researchers reviewed how microplastics and disposable face masks can adsorb radioactive particles (radionuclides like cesium-137 and uranium) and carry them through water environments, potentially concentrating radiation in the food chain. Key factors affecting this process include plastic type, particle size, and water chemistry, with some polymers showing adsorption partition coefficients as high as 2670 L/kg.

2023 Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Additional file 1 of Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment

This supplementary file provides additional data from a study examining the interaction of radioactive caesium and strontium with polyethylene-derived microplastics in the marine environment.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Additional file 1 of Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment

This supplementary file provides additional data from a study examining the interaction of radioactive caesium and strontium with polyethylene-derived microplastics in the marine environment.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A Preliminary Study on the “Hitchhiking” of Radionuclides on Microplastics: A New Threat to the Marine Environment from Compound Pollution

This preliminary study examined whether radionuclides can adsorb onto microplastic surfaces and be transported through the environment alongside them, identifying the physicochemical properties of microplastics that facilitate radionuclide hitchhiking and the associated contamination risks.

2025 Toxics 3 citations
Review Tier 2

Marine microplastics fuel long-range transport of radioactive nuclides: A review

This review examines how marine microplastics adsorb radioactive nuclides and transport them over long distances, discussing the implications of plastic-facilitated radionuclide dispersal for ocean monitoring and the compounding environmental risks from co-occurring plastic and nuclear contamination.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics as radionuclide (U-232) carriers: Surface alteration matters the most

Researchers investigated how surface alteration of PET microplastics affects their ability to carry radioactive uranium-232. The study found that biofilm formation on PET surfaces dramatically increased radionuclide adsorption efficiency compared to pristine plastic, suggesting that environmentally weathered microplastics may play a more significant role in transporting radioactive contaminants through aquatic systems.

2024 Chemosphere 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The interaction of two emerging pollutants, radionuclides and microplastics: In-depth thermodynamic studies in water, seawater, and wastewater

Laboratory experiments measured how polyurethane and polylactic acid microplastics adsorb radioactive uranium and americium from water under conditions mimicking seawater and wastewater. The results show that microplastics can accumulate radionuclides from contaminated water environments, raising the possibility that plastic particles could act as unexpected carriers of radioactive contamination through aquatic food webs.

2024 Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

An effective method to assess the sorption dynamics of PCB radiotracers onto plastic and sediment microparticles

Scientists developed a radiotracer method using PCB isotopes to precisely measure how quickly toxic chemicals sorb onto microplastics and sediment particles in seawater. Understanding sorption-desorption rates is critical for predicting how much toxic chemical exposure marine organisms receive from microplastic ingestion.

2021 MethodsX 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in fresh water

Researchers measured the adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in freshwater, finding that pellets accumulate metals from the surrounding water, potentially concentrating metals and altering their bioavailability to aquatic organisms.

2015 Environmental Chemistry 554 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environment before and after the Aging of Typical Microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of heavy metals by typical microplastics before and after environmental aging, finding that aging significantly alters microplastics' surface properties and capacity to bind metals such as cadmium and lead in aquatic systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Americium Sorption by Microplastics in Aqueous Solutions

Researchers investigated americium sorption by polyamide and polyethylene microplastics in both deionized water and seawater, tracing interactions with Am-241 isotope and examining the effects of pH and solution composition on sorption efficiency over time. The study found that microplastic type and aqueous matrix composition significantly influenced radionuclide uptake, with implications for the transport of radioactive contaminants in marine environments.

2022 Coatings 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Equilibrium, kinetics and molecular dynamic modeling of Sr2+ sorption onto microplastics

Three types of microplastics (polyamide, polystyrene, and polypropylene) were tested for their ability to adsorb the radioactive ion strontium-2+, and polypropylene showed the highest sorption capacity. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that electrostatic forces are the main mechanism driving metal-microplastic interactions.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 136 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

Investigation of the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) onto natural-aged microplastics as affected by salt ions

Researchers found that naturally aged microplastics adsorb significantly more lead than virgin microplastics, and that calcium chloride in solution strongly inhibits lead adsorption, indicating that environmental weathering and water chemistry alter contaminant transport.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of kinetics and mechanisms for Pb(II) sorption onto three kinds of microplastics

The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of lead (Pb(II)) onto three types of microplastics were compared to understand how plastic debris concentrates heavy metals in aquatic environments. The study found polymer-specific differences in sorption capacity and mechanism, with implications for how microplastics alter the distribution and bioavailability of lead in contaminated water.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, Mechanisms, and Interactions of Microplastics with Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Aquatic Environment

This review examines the sources, mechanisms, and interactions of microplastics with abiotic and biotic components of aquatic environments, covering adsorption of co-contaminants, biofilm formation, biological uptake pathways, and trophic transfer through food webs.

2025
Article Tier 2

Adsorption Behavior and Interaction of Micro-Nanoplastics in Soils and Aquatic Environment

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics adsorb environmental pollutants in soil and aquatic environments, acting as vectors that transfer and enhance the bioavailability of contaminants. Aging and weathering processes that alter plastic surface properties were identified as key factors influencing adsorption capacity and pollutant interactions.

2024 7 citations