http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es405721v

Ilona Velzeboer, Christiaan Kwadijk, and Albert Aart Koelmans
Strong sorption of PCBs to nanoplastics, microplastics, carbon nanotubes
and fullerenes
Environ. Sci. Technol., Just Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1021/es405721v
Publication Date (Web): April 1, 2014

Abstract
The presence of microplastic and carbon-based nanoparticles in the
environment may have implications for the fate and effects of
traditional hydrophobic chemicals. Here we present parameters for the
sorption of 17 CB congeners to 10-180 µm sized polyethylene (micro-PE),
70 nm polystyrene (nano-PS), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT),
fullerene (C60) and a natural sediment, in the environmentally relevant
10-5 to 10-1 ?g L-1 concentration range. Effects of salinity and
sediment organic matter fouling were assessed by measuring the isotherms
in fresh- and seawater, with and without sediment present. Sorption to
the ?bulk? sorbents sediment organic matter (OM) and micro-PE occurred
through linear hydrophobic partitioning with OM and micro-PE having
similar sorption affinity. Sorption to MWCNT and nano-PS was non-linear.
PCB sorption to MWCNT and C60 was 3 to 4 orders of magnitude stronger
than to OM and micro-PE. Sorption to nano-PS was 1 to 2 orders of
magnitude stronger than to micro-PE, which was attributed to the higher
aromaticity and surface-volume ratio of nano-PS. Organic matter effects
varied among sorbents, with the largest OM fouling effect observed for
the high surface sorbents MWCNT and nano-PS. Salinity decreased sorption
for sediment and MWCNT, but increased sorption for the polymers nano-PS
and micro-PE. The exceptionally strong sorption of (planar) PCBs to C60,
MWCNT and nano-PS may imply increased hazards upon membrane transfer of
these particles.

http://pubs.acs.org/toc/esthag/0/ja