Understanding Interface Exchanges for Assessing Environmental Sorption of Additives from Microplastics: Current Knowledge and Perspectives

Abstract

Although the impacts of plastic pollution have long been recognized, the presence, pervasiveness, and ecotoxicological consequences of microplastic—i.e., plastic particles < 5 mm—contamination have only been explored over the last decade. Far less focus has been attributed to the role of these materials and, particularly, microplastics, as vectors for a multitude of chemicals, including those (un)intentionally added to plastic products, but also organic pollutants already present in the environment. Owing to the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in all environmental matrices and to the diverse nature of their chemical and physical characteristics, thoroughly understanding the mechanistic uptake/release of these compounds is inherently complex, but necessary in order to better assess the potential impacts of both microplastics and associated chemicals on the environment. Herein, we delve into the known processes and factors affecting these mechanisms. We center the discussion on microplastics and discuss some of the most prominent ecological implications of the sorption of this multitude of chemicals. Moreover, the key limitations of the currently available literature are described and a prospective outlook for the future research on the topic is presented.