3.3.3. The Interaction of MPs with Contaminants

Contributed keywords can be found in cluster purple in Figure 4 and cluster green in Figure 5, including sorption, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), etc.

Partitioning of contaminations to MPs has also been well documented. It has been evidenced that POPs [55], such as PCBs and PAHs, as well as heavy metals, can be adsorbed onto the surface of MP particles [56], and the sorption capacity is not only influenced by external factors, such as salinity, environment temperature, and weathering, but also by polymer type [57]. Additionally, contaminants adsorbed to MPs as well as MPs additives (e.g., phthalates, alkylphenols) can be desorbed from the surface of MPs during their transit through the digestive tract in organisms [58], which may have negative impacts on them [59]. The challenges of understanding MPs sorption/desorption behavior in different environments and their combined toxic effects on organisms require further research.
