Interactions of microplastics with organic, inorganic and bio-pollutants and the ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial and aquatic organisms.

As emerging contaminants, microplastics (MPs) have attracted global attention. They are a potential risk to organisms, ecosystems and human health. MPs are characterized by small particle sizes, weak photodegradability, and are good environmental carriers. They can physically adsorb or chemically react with organic, inorganic and bio-pollutants to generate complex binary pollutants or change the environmental behaviors of these pollutants. We systematically reviewed the following aspects of MPs: (i) Adsorption of heavy metals and organic pollutants by MPs and the key environmental factors affecting adsorption behaviors; (ii) Enrichment and release of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) on MPs and the effects of MPs on ARG migration in the environment; (iii) Formation of "plastisphere" and interactions between MPs and microorganisms; (iv) Ecotoxicological effects of MPs and their co-exposures with other pollutants. Finally, scientific knowledge gaps and future research areas on MPs are summarized, including standardization of study methodologies, ecological effects and human health risks of MPs and their combination with other pollutants.

Song X ，Zhuang W ，Cui H ，Liu M ，Gao T ，Li A ，Gao Z ... -  《-》

Microplastics and environmental pollutants: Key interaction and toxicology in aquatic and soil environments.

Nowadays, a growing number of microplastics are released into the environment due to the extensive use and inappropriate management of plastic products. With the increasing body of evidence about the pollution and hazards of microplastics, microplastics have drawn major attention from governments and the scientific community. As a kind of emerging and persistent environmental pollutants, microplastics have recently been detected on a variety of substrates in the world. Therefore, this paper reviews the recent progress in identifying the sources of microplastics in soil, water, and atmosphere and describing the transport and fate of microplastics in the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric ecosystems for revealing the circulation of microplastics in the ecosystem. In addition, considering the persistence of microplastics, this study elucidates the interactions of microplastics with other pollutants in the environment (i.e., organic pollutants, heavy metals) with emphasis on toxicity and accumulation, providing a novel insight into the ecological risks of microplastics in the environment. The negative impacts of microplastics on organisms and environmental health are also reviewed to reveal the environmental hazards of microplastics. The knowledge gaps and key research priorities of microplastics are identified to better understand and mitigate the environmental risks of microplastics.

Xiang Y ，Jiang L ，Zhou Y ，Luo Z ，Zhi D ，Yang J ，Lam SS ... -  《-》

Co-occurrence of microplastics and organic/inorganic contaminants in organisms living in aquatic ecosystems: A review.

Most studies on microplastics (MPs) and organisms, regardless of the MPs type and their presence in the environment and organisms, have been performed on a laboratory scale. In this review, reports of simultaneous analysis of the abundance of MPs and organic/inorganic contaminants in aquatic organisms in the natural environment have been collected and bibliometric analysis was performed. Biological and environmental factors affecting MPs absorption by organisms were discussed. The majority of microplastics were identified as fibrous and black with a small size (<500 μm). A positive correlation was reported between microplastic numbers and organic/inorganic contaminants in the tissue of some species. The most positive linear relationship between heavy metal and MPs was reported for Heniochus acuminatus from the Gulf of Mannar. To preserve biodiversity and the risks of transferring MPs and contaminants to aquatic organisms and humans, it is necessary to control microplastic contamination.

Khoshmanesh M ，Sanati AM ，Ramavandi B 《-》

From marine to freshwater environment: A review of the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) have been widely detected in the world's water, which may pose a significant threat to the ecosystem as a whole and have been a subject of much attention because their presence impacts seas, lakes, rivers, and even the Polar Regions. There have been numerous studies that report direct adverse effects on marine organisms, but only a few have explored their ecological effects on freshwater organisms. In this field, there is still a lack of a systematic overview of the toxic effects and mechanisms of MPs on aquatic organisms, as well as a consistent understanding of the potential ecological consequences. This review describes the fate and impact on marine and freshwater aquatic organisms. Further, we examine the toxicology of MPs in order to uncover the relationship between aquatic organism responses to MPs and ecological disorders. In addition, an overview of the factors that may affect the toxicity effects of MPs on aquatic organisms was presented along with a brief examination of their identification and characterization. MPs were discussed in terms of their physicochemical properties in relation to their toxicological concerns regarding their bioavailability and environmental impact. This paper focuses on the progress of the toxicological studies of MPs on aquatic organisms (bacteria, algae, Daphnia, and fish, etc.) of different trophic levels, and explores its toxic mechanism, such as behavioral alternations, metabolism disorders, immune response, and poses a threat to the composition and stability of the ecosystem. We also review the main factors affecting the toxicity of MPs to aquatic organisms, including direct factors (polymer types, sizes, shapes, surface chemistry, etc.) and indirect factors (persistent organic pollutants, heavy metal ions, additives, and monomer, etc.), and the future research trends of MPs ecotoxicology are also pointed out. The findings of this study will be helpful in guiding future marine and freshwater rubbish studies and management strategies.

Li X ，Chen Y ，Zhang S ，Dong Y ，Pang Q ，Lynch I ，Xie C ，Guo Z ，Zhang P ... -  《-》

A critical review on interaction of microplastics with organic contaminants in soil and their ecological risks on soil organisms.

The pollution of microplastics (MPs) in soil has become a global environmental problem. Due to high sorption capacity and persistence in environment, the MPs exhibit combined effects with organic pollutants in soil, thereby posing a potential risk to soil ecology and human health. However, limited reviews are available on this subject. Therefore, in response to this issue, this review provides an in-depth account of interaction of MPs with organic contaminants in soil and the combined risks to soil environment. The sorption of organic contaminants onto MPs is mainly through hydrophobic and π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, pore filling and electrostatic and van der Waals forces. The intrinsic characteristics of MPs, organic contaminants and soil are the key factors influencing the sorption of organic pollutants onto MPs. Importantly, the presence of MPs changes the sorption, degradation and transport behaviors of organic contaminants in soil, and affects the toxic effects of organic contaminants on soil organisms including animals, plants and soil microorganisms through synergistic or antagonistic effects. Source control, policy implementation and plastic removal are the main preventive and control measures to reduce soil MPs pollution. Finally, priorities for future research are proposed, such as field investigations of co-pollution, contribution of plastisphere to organic contaminant degradation, and mechanisms of MPs effects on organic contaminant toxicity.

Chang J ，Fang W ，Liang J ，Zhang P ，Zhang G ，Zhang H ，Zhang Y ，Wang Q ... -  《-》