Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adsorption and Desorption of Steroid Hormones by Microplastics in Seawater

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study evaluated the adsorption and desorption of 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) on microplastics in seawater. The effects of microplastic materials and particle sizes on adsorption of E2 and EE2 were explored. Moreover, effects of salinity, pH, humic acid (HA) concentrations, and initial E2/EE2 concentrations on adsorption were also discussed. Increase in salinity, HA concentration, and initial E2/EE2 concentration would enhance adsorption of E2/EE2 on microplastics. Adsorption capacity of E2/EE2 firstly increased to reach the highest at pH of 8.0 and then decreased when pH further increased. Pseudo-second-order kinetics better fitted adsorption data of E2 while pseudo-first-order model yielded better fitting results for EE2. Freundlich isotherm was better to fit the adsorption data of E2 while Langmuir isotherm yielded better fitting results for EE2. Desorption capacity of E2/EE2 on microplastics was over 40% of its adsorption capacity. This study provides new insights on microplastics and endocrine disrupting chemicals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrady AL (2011) Microplastics in the marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1596–1605

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barboza LGA, Gimenez BCG (2015) Microplastics in the marine environment: current trends and future perspectives. Mar Pollut Bull 97:5–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brian JV, Harris CA, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A, Booy P, Lamoree M, Pojana G, Jonkers N, Marcomini A, Sumpter JP (2007) Evidence of estrogenic mixture effects on the reproductive performance of fish. Environ Sci Technol 41(1):337–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freundlich H (1906) Über die Adsorption in Lösungen. W. Engelmann, Leipzig

    Google Scholar 

  • Giulivo M, Lopez de Alda M, Capri E, Barceló D (2016) Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds: their role in reproductive systems, metabolic syndrome and breast cancer. A review. Environ Res 151:251–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Pang J, Chen S, Jia H (2018) Sorption properties of tylosin on four different microplastics. Chemosphere 209:240–245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang L, Liu Y, Zeng G, Xiao F, Hu X, Hu X, Wang H, Li T, Zhou L, Tan X (2016) Removal of 17b-estradiol by few-layered graphene oxide nanosheets from aqueous solutions: external influence and adsorption mechanism. Chem Eng J 284:93–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Langmuir I (1918) The adsorption of gases on plane surfaces of glass, mica and platinum. J Am Chem Soc 40:1361–1403

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • León VM, García-Agüera I, Moltó V, Fernández-González V, Llorca-Pérez L, Andrade JM, Muniategui-Lorenzo S, Campillo JA (2019) PAHs, pesticides, personal care products and plastic additives in plastic debris from Spanish Mediterranean beaches. Sci Total Environ 670:672–684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu J, Zhang C, Wu J, Luo Y (2017) Adsorptive removal of bisphenol A using n-doped biochar made of Ulva prolifera. Water Air Soil Pollut 228:327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mato Y, Isobe T, Takada H, Kanehiro H, Ohtake C, Kaminuma T (2001) Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environ Sci Technol 35(2):318–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meng F, Yuan G, Wei J, Bi D, Wang H (2017) Leonardite-derived humic substances are great adsorbents for cadmium. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:23006–23014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brine T, Thompson RC (2010) Degradation of plastic carrier bags in the marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull 60(12):2279–2283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogata Y, Takada H, Mizukawa K, Hirai H, Iwasa S, Endo S, Mato Y, Saha M, Okuda K, Nakashima A, Murakami M, Zurcher N, Booyatumanondo R, Zakaria MP, le Dung Q, Gordon M, Miguez C, Suzuki S, Moore C, Karapanagioti HK, Weerts S, McClurg T, Burres E, Smith W, Van Velkenburg M, Lang JS, Lang RC, Laursen D, Danner B, Stewardson N, Thompson RC (2009) International pellet watch: global monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal waters 1 Initial phase data on PCBs, DDTs, and HCHs. Mar Pollut Bull 58(10):1437–1446

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Lu J, Wu J, Liu Q, Zhang H, Jin S (2015) Adsorptive removal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics using bamboo biochar. Sustainability 7:12947–12957

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu P, Yang G-P, Zhao X-K (2003) Sorption behavior of 2,4-dichlorophenol on marine sediment. J Colloid Interf Sci 265(2):251–256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu P, Cai Z, Jin H, Tang Y (2019) Adsorption mechanisms of five bisphenol analogues on PVC microplastics. Sci Total Environ 650:671–678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ying G-G, Kookana RS, Ru Y-J (2002) Occurrence and fate of hormone steroids in the environment. Environ Int 28(6):545–551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Wang J, Zhou B, Zhou Y, Dai Z, Zhou Q, Chriestie P, Luo Y (2018) Enhanced adsorption of oxytetracycline to weathered micro-plastic polystyrene: kinetics, isotherms and influencing factors. Environ Pollut 243:1550–1557

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41671319), Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong Province (No. tsqn201812116), Two-Hundred Talents Plan of Yantai (No. Y739011021), One Hundred Talents Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. Y629041021), and Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of CAS (No. QYZDJ-SSW-DQC015). The authors would like to thank the editor and reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, China

    Jian Lu, Jie Wu, Cui Zhang & Yongming Luo

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Jian Lu, Jie Wu & Cui Zhang

  3. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, Shandong, China

    Jun Wu

Authors
  1. Jian Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jie Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jun Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Cui Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yongming Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Lu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lu, J., Wu, J., Wu, J. et al. Adsorption and Desorption of Steroid Hormones by Microplastics in Seawater. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 107, 730–735 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02784-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02784-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation