Nexus between environmental aging, ecological risks, and removal strategies for micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic systems
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are ubiquitous emerging contaminants in water; their environmental impacts, risks, and treatment performance strongly depend on particle-state (particle size, aging status, oxidation level, surface chemistry, colloidal stability, biological/organic coatings, and contaminant affinity). Environmental aging progressively and irreversibly reshapes the surface chemistry, morphology, and bulk polymer integrity of MPs and NPs. These transformations act as a mechanistic bridge linking (i) ecological risks, via altered transport, biological interactions, size-resolved toxic pathways, additive leaching, and amplified vector effects with co-pollutants, to (ii) treatment performance, by the changing aggregation/coagulation behavior, adsorption affinity, membrane retention and fouling, and reactivity toward advanced oxidation and bio-utilization. While previous literature on aging, ecological risks, and removal technologies has addressed these aspects in isolation rather than as a coupled cause-effect chain, this review summarizes evidence along an aging-risk-removal nexus and proposes a risk-based removal strategy that prioritizes the most hazardous aged and nano-sized fractions. We evaluate how aging can both facilitate capture and exacerbate operational risks in water treatment, and highlight integrated, multi-barrier strategies that couple pre-aggregation, physical separation, and risk reduction. By establishing an aging-risk-removal nexus, this review provides a risk-oriented perspective for identifying high-risk aged MP/NP fractions and guiding targeted removal strategies for risk reduction, beyond apparent removal efficiency, in aquatic systems. This aging-risk-removal nexus gives a useful basis for MP/NP management in both MP/NP research and governance.
Date Issued
2026-09-15
Date Acceptance
2026-07-02
Citation
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2026, 544
ISSN
1385-8947
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Chemical Engineering Journal
Volume
544
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
179072
Date Publish Online
2026-07-03