ReviewWater environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation2026
Heavy Metal Adsorption on Microplastics: Adsorption Mechanisms, Influencing Factors, Analytical Techniques, Toxicological Implications, and Remediation Strategies.
Review in Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- A framework for microalgal biosorption of heavy metals: mechanisms, modeling, and critical insights.RSC advances · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) act as reactive surfaces and carriers in aquatic systems, influencing the mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of heavy metals. Recent research has clarified how heavy metals adsorb onto MPs, focusing on adsorption pathways, physicochemical factors, analytical methods, toxicological impacts, and remediation strategies. Metal binding to MPs depends on factors such as polymer type, particle size, aging, surface properties, zeta potential, pH, salinity, dissolved organic matter, temperature, and the presence of biofilms. Adsorption occurs through mechanisms including electrostatic interactions, surface complexation, ion exchange, pore filling, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, cation-π interactions, surface precipitation, and biofilm-mediated binding. MP-metal interactions vary with environmental conditions; for example, salinity and dissolved organic matter can enhance or reduce adsorption, depending on metal speciation, polymer characteristics, and experimental conditions. Toxicological studies show that MPs carrying heavy metals can increase bioaccumulation and combined toxicity by promoting transport and cellular uptake. However, strong adsorption and limited desorption may sometimes reduce the bioavailability of dissolved metals. The Mediterranean Sea is a key case study due to its semi-enclosed nature, high urbanization, maritime activity, wastewater discharge, and significant plastic pollution, all of which heighten the importance of MP-metal interactions. There is an urgent need for standardized adsorption protocols, thorough in situ and ex situ characterization, ecologically relevant toxicological studies, and integrated remediation strategies addressing both MPs and associated heavy metals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.