Papers

61,005 results
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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

Environmental condition-dependent effects of aquatic humic substances on the distribution of phenanthrene in microplastic-contaminated aquatic systems

This study examined how varying concentrations and types of aquatic humic substances influence the distribution of phenanthrene between microplastics and water, finding that humic substance composition significantly modulates contaminant partitioning in microplastic-contaminated systems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
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

Different sorption behaviours of pyrene onto polyethylene microplastics in a binary system with water and a ternary system with water and sediment

Researchers examined how pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, sorbs onto polyethylene microplastics in binary water-microplastic and ternary water-microplastic-sediment systems, finding that sediment presence significantly altered sorption behavior and partition coefficients. The study clarifies how environmental matrices influence the interaction between microplastics and co-occurring organic contaminants.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of sorption kinetics and isotherms of pyrene onto microplastics

This study compared how quickly and how much pyrene — a common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon — is absorbed by different types of microplastics in aquatic environments. The results indicate that microplastic polymer type significantly affects how well it concentrates and potentially transports toxic organic chemicals.

2017 Chemosphere 354 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption and desorption behaviors of phenanthrene and pyrene onto microplastics in the aquatic environment and digestive fluids

This study examined how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like phenanthrene and pyrene adsorb to and desorb from four types of microplastics in both freshwater and simulated digestive fluids. The findings show that PAHs bind strongly to microplastics and can be released under digestive conditions, suggesting that microplastics can deliver organic pollutants to organisms that ingest them.

2020 Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Article Tier 2

Sorption of benzo(a)pyrene and of a complex mixture of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated the sorption of benzo(a)pyrene and a complex mixture of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto polystyrene microplastics in aquatic systems, quantifying how the hydrophobic nature and large surface area of microplastics facilitate PAH accumulation and potential vector transport.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of some hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons by various pristine and heat-activated aged microplastics as potential pollutant carriers in aquatic environment

Researchers examined how pristine and heat-aged microplastics of four polymer types adsorb hazardous aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that aging significantly altered adsorption capacity. The results demonstrate that weathered microplastics may act as more effective pollutant vectors than pristine particles in aquatic environments.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Article Tier 2

Modulation of PAH toxicity on the freshwater organism G. roeseli by microparticles

Researchers investigated whether polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics modify the aquatic toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli. The study found that microplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of phenanthrene, with effects depending on plastic type and exposure conditions.

2020 Environmental Pollution 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Laboratory Measurements of Pyrene and Acenaphthene Partition into Microplastics

Laboratory experiments measured how quickly and extensively three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — pyrene, phenanthrene, and acenaphthene — sorb onto pellets of five common plastic types. PAH uptake had half-lives of around 10 hours, with polypropylene absorbing the most and PVC absorbing the least. The results confirm that microplastics act as concentration vectors for toxic organic pollutants in the environment, and that weathering and oxidation of plastic surfaces increases their capacity to carry these chemicals into aquatic food chains.

2024 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Studies on the effect of microplastics on the adsorption and migration of Phenanthrene in river sediment

Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the adsorption and migration of phenanthrene in river sediments using batch and column experiments. Results showed that PE microplastics enhanced sediment adsorption capacity for phenanthrene relative to controls while PVC reduced it, attributable to structural differences between elastic PE and glassy PVC, with humic acid and pH further modulating adsorption behaviour.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Insights into adsorption mechanisms of nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on common microplastic particles: Experimental studies and modeling

Researchers investigated how nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons adsorb onto common microplastics, finding that the process is controlled by chemical adsorption and hydrophobic partitioning, with pollutant hydrophobicity being the dominant factor influencing adsorption capacity.

2023 Chemosphere 30 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

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

Exploring the Interaction between Microplastics, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Biofilms in Freshwater

Researchers investigated the adsorption of benzo(a)pyrene and pyrene by five microplastic types in freshwater over 3 and 30 days, finding that polypropylene was the most efficient adsorbent while polystyrene was the least efficient for benzo(a)pyrene. The study also examined how bacterial biofilms on microplastics, including pathogenic species such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, interact with PAH adsorption dynamics.

2020 Polycyclic aromatic compounds 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption behaviors of phenanthrene, nitrobenzene, and naphthalene on mesoplastics and microplastics

This study compared how three organic pollutants (phenanthrene, nitrobenzene, naphthalene) stick to five types of plastic particles at two different size scales (meso- and microplastic). Larger plastic pieces were found to absorb pollutants similarly to microplastics, suggesting that all plastic debris in the ocean can act as a vehicle for toxic chemical transport.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative investigation of the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to various polydisperse micro- and nanoplastics using a novel third-phase partition method

Researchers developed a novel third-phase partition method to measure sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto various micro- and nanoplastics, finding that particle size, polymer type, and surface area significantly influence pollutant adsorption capacity.

2022 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behaviour and mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto typical microplastics in a soil solution

Researchers investigated the adsorption behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons benzo[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene onto polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics across multiple particle sizes (0.8–500 µm) in soil solution using batch sorption experiments, finding that particle size and environmental factors significantly affect PAH sorption mechanisms.

2022 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Estimation of the uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons desorbed from polyethylene microplastics in the digestive tract of the red seabream (Pagrus major) and mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)

In vitro desorption experiments with red seabream and mummichog showed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with higher octanol-water partition coefficients desorb more slowly from polyethylene microplastics in digestive fluids, suggesting the vector effect of MPs for PAH exposure to fish depends strongly on PAH hydrophobicity.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
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 of non-polar organic compounds by micro-sized plastic particles in aqueous solution

This study measured the sorption of non-polar organic compounds by micro-sized plastic particles in aqueous solution, finding that different polymer types varied significantly in their ability to accumulate hydrophobic contaminants.

2016 Environmental Pollution 634 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons migration in Baiyangdian Lake, northern China: Concentrations, sorption–desorption behavior, and multi-phase exchange

Researchers measured microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Baiyangdian Lake, China, and studied how microplastics affect the movement of these toxic chemicals between water, sediment, and air. They found that microplastics can adsorb PAHs and alter their transfer between environmental compartments, increasing deposition from air to water and volatilization from sediment to water. The study suggests microplastics may act as carriers that redistribute harmful organic pollutants within lake ecosystems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption behaviors of phenanthrene on the microplastics identified in a mariculture farm in Xiangshan Bay, southeastern China

Phenanthrene sorption onto microplastics collected from a Chinese mariculture bay was tested, finding that sorption capacity and behavior differed among polymer types and was influenced by salinity and organic matter. The results suggest that microplastics in aquaculture environments can accumulate PAHs that may then be ingested by farmed seafood.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 196 citations
Article Tier 2

Partitioning Of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants And Microbial Communities On Microplastics

This study examined how hydrophobic organic contaminants and microbial communities partition onto microplastics in aquatic environments. Microplastics were found to concentrate toxic chemicals and harbor distinct microbial communities compared to surrounding water, reinforcing their role as vectors for pollutants.

2019