Interactions between polyaromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics: Environmental mechanisms and ecotoxicological...

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants that act as vectors for organic pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), altering their fate, bioavailability and toxicity in ecosystems. The present review emphasizes on the incidence of these complexes across marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Their adsorption-desorption behavior is governed by MP properties (eg size, shape, polymer types), PAH properties (eg hydrophobicity, molecular weight) and environmental factors (eg pH, temperature). The reported toxicological effects of PAH-MP interactions on living systems based on both enhanced and mitigated PAH bioavailability are presented, backed by recent literature reports. A thorough bibliometric analysis of 300 + studies reveals growth in this field but also highlights critical gaps in chronic exposure studies, multiple pollutant toxicity and standardization of test protocols. Hence, this review provides valuable insights into interactions between PAHs and MPs shedding light on various aspects facilitating further research in this area.