Papers

61,005 results
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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

Enhanced copper adsorption by polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics: The role of biofilm development and chemical aging

Researchers studied how chemical aging and biofilm growth on polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics changed their ability to absorb copper from water. Both processes significantly increased the surface area and chemical reactivity of the plastics, making them absorb substantially more copper than fresh microplastics. The study suggests that as microplastics age and develop biofilms in natural waterways, they become increasingly effective at concentrating heavy metals, potentially altering how these contaminants move through aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This study examined how UV aging of polyamide (PA) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics affects their ability to adsorb copper (Cu II) from water. UV aging increased surface area and altered surface chemistry, making aged microplastics better carriers of copper contamination — raising concerns that weathered plastics in the environment may concentrate and transport heavy metals more effectively than fresh plastics.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 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

Adsorption of copper by naturally and artificially aged polystyrene microplastics and subsequent release in simulated gastrointestinal fluid

Researchers compared how naturally and artificially aged polystyrene microplastics adsorb copper and then release it in simulated digestive fluids. They found that naturally aged microplastics from a lake adsorbed the most copper, largely due to metallic oxide deposits on their surfaces. The study suggests that aged microplastics may act as vectors for transporting metals into organisms through ingestion, with the aging method significantly affecting how much metal is carried and released.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on Adsorption of Heavy Metals Cu and Zn by Microplastics Under Different Aged Factors

Researchers examined how aging of polyethylene microplastics under different conditions -- varying pH, dissolved organic matter, and hydrogen peroxide -- affects their adsorption of Cu and Zn, finding that H2O2-induced aging most strongly enhanced heavy metal sorption capacity.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm colonization on non-degradable and degradable microplastics change the adsorption of Cu(II) and facilitate the dominance of pathogenic microbes

Researchers studied how biofilm growth on both degradable and non-degradable microplastics alters their ability to absorb copper from water. They found that aging and biofilm colonization significantly increased the adsorption capacity of both polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics for copper ions. The study also revealed that biofilm-covered microplastics harbored a higher proportion of potentially pathogenic microbes, raising concerns about microplastics as vectors for both heavy metals and harmful bacteria.

2025 Environmental Research 8 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

Increased Cu(II) Adsorption Onto UV-Aged Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastic Particles in Seawater

Researchers found that UV aging significantly increased copper(II) adsorption onto polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in seawater by up to 2.92 times after 12 months, with oxidation-induced surface changes and smaller particle sizes amplifying this effect for PP and PET.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 35 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

Unraveling Complexation and Contaminant Vector Potentialin Aged Polyamide-Heavy Metal Interactions

Researchers found that aged polyamide (PA) microplastics exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity for cadmium and copper compared to pristine PA, with increased surface roughness from aging promoting stronger metal binding via electrostatic interactions, and environmental factors such as pH influencing subsequent metal desorption.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Insights into the Adsorption of Copper/Zinc Ions over Aged Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics

Researchers studied adsorption of copper and zinc ions onto aged polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics, finding that weathering substantially increases heavy metal adsorption capacity and that pH and ionic strength govern the adsorption process.

2023 5 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

Adsorption behavior of UV aged microplastics on the heavy metals Pb(II) and Cu(II) in aqueous solutions

Researchers examined how UV aging affects the adsorption of lead and copper onto polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene microplastics, finding that aging creates new oxidation functional groups that enhance heavy metal adsorption capacity.

2022 Chemosphere 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging properties of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics and their adsorption behavior of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) in aquatic environments

Researchers compared how polyethylene and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics age in the environment and how that aging affects their ability to absorb heavy metals like cadmium and chromium from water. They found that aging changed the surface chemistry of both plastic types, increasing their capacity to pick up these toxic metals. The findings matter because aged microplastics in the environment may concentrate and transport more pollutants than fresh plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Complexation and Contaminant Vector Potential in Aged Polyamide-Heavy Metal Interactions

Researchers found that heat-aged polyamide microplastics exhibit enhanced adsorption capacity for cadmium and copper compared to virgin material, with copper showing higher adsorption efficiency due to its smaller hydrated ionic radius and strong coordination with oxygen- and nitrogen-containing surface groups on the aged polymer.

2025 ACS Omega
Article Tier 2

Copper Adsorption to Microplastics and Natural Particles in Seawater: A Comparison of Kinetics, Isotherms, and Bioavailability

Researchers compared copper adsorption onto pristine and aged microplastics versus natural particles like algae and sediments in seawater, finding that natural particles generally had higher metal-sequestering capacity, challenging the emphasis on microplastics as dominant metal-transport vectors.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 132 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

The adsorption behavior of metals in aqueous solution by microplastics effected by UV radiation

Virgin and UV-aged PET microplastics were compared for their sorption capacity of copper and zinc ions, with aged microplastics showing higher adsorption due to increased surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups formed during photoaging. The study demonstrates that environmental weathering enhances the metal-carrying potential of microplastics over time.

2019 Journal of Environmental Sciences 465 citations
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

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

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

Effects of biofilm on metal adsorption behavior and microbial community of microplastics

Researchers found that biofilm development on polystyrene microplastics enhanced their ability to adsorb copper and lead more than UV aging alone, with biofilm altering both the adsorption mechanisms and microbial community composition on the plastic surfaces.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of heavy metals by microplastics in aquatic environments: mechanism, multi-factor regulation and ecological risks

This review examined how microplastics adsorb heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and copper in water, creating compound pollution. Researchers found that polar plastics can absorb two to three times more metals than non-polar ones, and that aging from UV exposure increases metal absorption by 40 to 60 percent. The combined toxicity of microplastics with heavy metals can cause double the oxidative stress in aquatic organisms compared to either pollutant alone, highlighting risks that current safety standards may not adequately address.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations