Adil Bakir, Steven J. Rowland, Richard C. Thompson, Enhanced desorption 
of persistent organic pollutants from microplastics under simulated 
physiological conditions, Environmental Pollution, Volume 185, February 
2014, Pages 16-23, ISSN 0269-7491, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.007.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749113005277)
Abstract: Microplastics have the potential to uptake and release 
persistent organic pollutants (POPs); however, subsequent transfer to 
marine organisms is poorly understood. Some models estimating transfer 
of sorbed contaminants to organisms neglect the role of gut surfactants 
under differing physiological conditions in the gut (varying pH and 
temperature), examined here. We investigated the potential for 
polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) to sorb and desorb 
14C-DDT, 14C-phenanthrene (Phe), 14C-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 
14C-di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Desorption rates of POPs were 
quantified in seawater and under simulated gut conditions. Influence of 
pH and temperature was examined in order to represent cold and warm 
blooded organisms. Desorption rates were faster with gut surfactant, 
with a further substantial increase under conditions simulating warm 
blooded organisms. Desorption under gut conditions could be up to 30 
times greater than in seawater alone. Of the POP/plastic combinations 
examined Phe with PE gave the highest potential for transport to organisms.