Microplastics with Adsorbed Contaminants: Mechanisms and Treatment

Overview

Journal Environ Chall (Amst)

Date 2023 Jul 31

PMID 37521158

Authors

Sung Hee Joo

Yejin Liang

Minbeom Kim

Jaehyun Byun

Heechul Choi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Plastic pollution has been a significant and widespread global issue, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been attributed to its worsening effect as plastics have been contaminated with the deadly infectious virus. Microplastics (MPs) may have played a role as a vector that carries hazardous microbes such as emerging bacterial threats (i.e. antibiotic resistant bacteria) and deadly viruses (e.g., coronavirus); this causes great concern over microplastics contaminated with emerging contaminants. Mitigation and treatment of MPs are challenging because of a range of factors including but not limited to physicochemical properties and composition of MPs and pH and salinity of the solution. Despite the heterogeneous nature of aquatic systems, research has overlooked interactions between contaminants and MPs under environmental conditions, degradation pathways of MPs with adsorbed contaminants, and, especially, the role of adsorbed contaminants in the efficiency of MP treatment through membrane filtration, in comparison with other treatment methods. This review aims to (1) analyze an assortment of factors that could influence the removal of MPs and mechanisms of contaminant adsorption on MPs, (2) identify mechanisms influencing membrane filtration of MPs, (3) examine the fate and transport of MPs with adsorbed contaminants, (4) evaluate membrane filtration of contaminant-adsorbing MPs in comparison to other treatment methods, and (5) draw conclusions and the future outlook based on a literature analysis.

Citing Articles

Perfluorinated compounds linked to central precocious puberty in girls during COVID-19: an untargeted metabolomics study.

Li H, Xie M, Luo H, Cai Y, Liu L, Li H Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025; 15():1491411.

PMID: 39777221 PMC: 11703715. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1491411.

Coexposure to microplastic and Bisphenol A exhacerbates damage to human kidney proximal tubular cells.

Verzola D, Rumeo N, Alberti S, Loiacono F, La Maestra S, Passalacqua M Heliyon. 2024; 10(20):e39426.

PMID: 39498083 PMC: 11532844. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39426.

Removal of microplastics from aqueous media using activated jute stick charcoal.

Alom N, Roy T, Sarkar T, Rasel M, Hossain M, Jamal M Heliyon. 2024; 10(18):e37380.

PMID: 39309784 PMC: 11414494. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37380.

Synergistic Effects of Microplastics and Marine Pollutants on the Destabilization of Lipid Bilayers.

Fleury J, Baulin V J Phys Chem B. 2024; 128(36):8753-8761.

PMID: 39219546 PMC: 11403677. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03290.

The unique distribution pattern of PFAS in landfill organics.

Saha B, Ateia M, Tolaymat T, Fernando S, Varghese J, Golui D J Hazard Mater. 2024; 479:135678.

PMID: 39217946 PMC: 11483333. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135678.

References

Du Z, Deng S, Chen Y, Wang B, Huang J, Wang Y . Removal of perfluorinated carboxylates from washing wastewater of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride using activated carbons and resins. J Hazard Mater. 2015; 286:136-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.12.037. View

Liu W, Zhang J, Liu H, Guo X, Zhang X, Yao X . A review of the removal of microplastics in global wastewater treatment plants: Characteristics and mechanisms. Environ Int. 2020; 146:106277. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106277. View

Ibekwe A, Leddy M, Murinda S . Potential human pathogenic bacteria in a mixed urban watershed as revealed by pyrosequencing. PLoS One. 2013; 8(11):e79490. PMC: 3835799. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079490. View

Deng S, Yu Q, Huang J, Yu G . Removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate from wastewater by anion exchange resins: effects of resin properties and solution chemistry. Water Res. 2010; 44(18):5188-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2010.06.038. View

Fotopoulou K, Karapanagioti H . Surface properties of beached plastic pellets. Mar Environ Res. 2012; 81:70-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.08.010. View

Guo X, Wang X, Zhou X, Kong X, Tao S, Xing B . Sorption of four hydrophobic organic compounds by three chemically distinct polymers: role of chemical and physical composition. Environ Sci Technol. 2012; 46(13):7252-9. DOI: 10.1021/es301386z. View

Besseling E, Quik J, Sun M, Koelmans A . Fate of nano- and microplastic in freshwater systems: A modeling study. Environ Pollut. 2016; 220(Pt A):540-548. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.001. View

Arias-Andres M, Klumper U, Rojas-Jimenez K, Grossart H . Microplastic pollution increases gene exchange in aquatic ecosystems. Environ Pollut. 2018; 237:253-261. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.058. View

Gagliano E, Sgroi M, Falciglia P, Vagliasindi F, Roccaro P . Removal of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water by adsorption: Role of PFAS chain length, effect of organic matter and challenges in adsorbent regeneration. Water Res. 2020; 171:115381. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115381. View

10.

Wang F, Zhang M, Sha W, Wang Y, Hao H, Dou Y . Sorption Behavior and Mechanisms of Organic Contaminants to Nano and Microplastics. Molecules. 2020; 25(8). PMC: 7221536. DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081827. View

11.

Li S, Liu H, Gao R, Abdurahman A, Dai J, Zeng F . Aggregation kinetics of microplastics in aquatic environment: Complex roles of electrolytes, pH, and natural organic matter. Environ Pollut. 2018; 237:126-132. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.042. View

12.

Reisser J, Shaw J, Hallegraeff G, Proietti M, Barnes D, Thums M . Millimeter-sized marine plastics: a new pelagic habitat for microorganisms and invertebrates. PLoS One. 2014; 9(6):e100289. PMC: 4062529. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100289. View

13.

Yu F, Yang C, Zhu Z, Bai X, Ma J . Adsorption behavior of organic pollutants and metals on micro/nanoplastics in the aquatic environment. Sci Total Environ. 2019; 694:133643. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133643. View

14.

Post G, Louis J, Lippincott R, Procopio N . Occurrence of perfluorinated compounds in raw water from New Jersey public drinking water systems. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 47(23):13266-75. DOI: 10.1021/es402884x. View

15.

Sun J, Dai X, Wang Q, van Loosdrecht M, Ni B . Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Detection, occurrence and removal. Water Res. 2019; 152:21-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.050. View

16.

Wang W, Wang J . Comparative evaluation of sorption kinetics and isotherms of pyrene onto microplastics. Chemosphere. 2017; 193:567-573. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.078. View

17.

Lohmann R . Critical review of low-density polyethylene's partitioning and diffusion coefficients for trace organic contaminants and implications for its use as a passive sampler. Environ Sci Technol. 2011; 46(2):606-18. DOI: 10.1021/es202702y. View

18.

Li L, Xu G, Yu H, Xing J . Dynamic membrane for micro-particle removal in wastewater treatment: Performance and influencing factors. Sci Total Environ. 2018; 627:332-340. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.239. View

19.

Fang S, Yu W, Li C, Liu Y, Qiu J, Kong F . Adsorption behavior of three triazole fungicides on polystyrene microplastics. Sci Total Environ. 2019; 691:1119-1126. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.176. View

20.

Alimi O, Farner Budarz J, Hernandez L, Tufenkji N . Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Aggregation, Deposition, and Enhanced Contaminant Transport. Environ Sci Technol. 2017; 52(4):1704-1724. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b05559. View