About the Journal
In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki
Ownership and Management Statement
Editorial Office
Editorial Board
Scope
Impact Factor
Indexed by
Journal Impact Factor contributing items
Publication Frequency
Revenue Sources & Business Model
Contact
Subscription
Journals Statistics
Current issue
Online first
Instructions for Authors
Copyright & Licensing
Publication Fees
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
Complaints and Appeals Procedure
Archive
Publication Fees
Copyright & Licensing
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
Complaints and Appeals Procedure
eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Root Exudates Alter the Adsorption
and Desorption Capacities of Aged MPs for Cd2+
1
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology,
Beijing, 100029, PR China
Submission date: 2026-05-12
Final revision date: 2026-07-08
Acceptance date: 2026-07-29
Online publication date: 2026-09-30
Corresponding author
Shuguang Wang
Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beisanhuan East Road No. 15#, 100029, Beijing, China
Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beisanhuan East Road No. 15#, 100029, Beijing, China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Microplastics (MPs) and Cd widely coexist in the soil environment. However, how root exudates
(REs) affect the interactions between MPs and Cd2+ remains poorly understood. In this study, we
investigated the effects of simulated and real REs on the adsorption of Cd2+ by and desorption of
Cd2+ from aged MPs (polystyrene, PS; polylactic acid, PLA). Results showed that simulated single
root exudate (SSRE) significantly decreased the adsorption capacities of the two aged MPs for Cd2+,
especially citric acid (CA). Simulated mixed REs (SMREs) and real mixed REs (RMREs) showed
inhibitory trends, where the Cd2+ adsorption capacity of MPs declined as RE concentrations increased.
With regard to Cd2+ desorption, CA dramatically boosted desorption rates by 228% for aged PS-MPs
and 489% for aged PLA-MPs compared with the control group. In contrast, individual serine and
glucose reduced Cd2+ desorption efficiency. SMREs and RMREs generally facilitated Cd2+ desorption,
except at high RMRE concentrations, but these promoting effects did not show a linear correlation with
RE concentrations. Cd2+ adsorption by the two aged MPs in the presence of SSRE was well fitted by
the quasi-secondary kinetic model. These findings highlight that the environmental fate of heavy metals
in rhizosphere soil containing MPs deserves greater research attention.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
REFERENCES (66)
1.
JIANG Y., YANG F., KAZMI S.S.U.H., ZHAO Y., CHEN M., WANG J. A review of microplastic pollution in seawater, sediments and organisms of the Chinese coastal and marginal seas. Chemosphere, 286, 131677, 2022.
2.
REN S.Y., KONG S.F., NI H.G. Contribution of mulch film to microplastics in agricultural soil and surface water in China. Environmental Pollution, 291, 118227, 2021.
3.
WEI X.F., CAPEZZA A.J., CUI Y.X., LI L., HAKONEN A., LIU B.C., HEDENQVIST M.S. Millions of microplastics released from a biodegradable polymer during biodegradation/enzymatic hydrolysis. Water Research, 211, 118068, 2022.
4.
BISWAS B., JOSEPH A., RANJAN V.P., GOEL S. Adsorption of emerging contaminants on microplastics in the environment: A systematic review. ACS ES&T Water, 4 (12), 5207, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsest....
5.
DUAN Y.Y., SUN S.Y., ZHAO J., YUAN H. Microplastics affect the removal of dye in textile wastewater: Adsorption capacity and its effect on coagulation behavior. Separation and Purification Technology, 359 (Part 2), 130505, 2025.
6.
MAO R.F., LANG M.F., YU X.Q., WU R.R., YANG, X.M., GUO X.T. Aging mechanism of microplastics with UV irradiation and its effects on the adsorption of heavy metals. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 393, 122515, 2020.
7.
CHENG X., YANG Z., JI K., HU Z., XI Y., XIANG X. Enhanced copper adsorption by polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics: The role of biofilm development and chemical aging. Environmental Research, 282, 122040, 2025.
8.
MA J., ZHAO J., ZHU Z., LI L., YU F. Effect of microplastic size on the adsorption behavior and mechanism of triclosan on polyvinyl chloride. Environmental Pollution, 254, 113104, 2019.
9.
HOU D.Y., JIA X.Y., WANG L.W., MCGRATH S.P., ZHU Y.G., HU Q., ZHAO F.J., BANK M.S., O'CONNOR D., NRIAGU J. Global soil pollution by toxic metals threatens agriculture and human health. Science, 388 (6744), 316, 2025.
10.
SARKAR D.J., DAS S.S., DAS B.K., SAHOO B.K., DAS A., NAG S.K., MANNA R.K., BEHERA B.K., SAMANTA S. Occurrence, fate and removal of microplastics as heavy metal vector in natural wastewater treatment wetland system. Water Research, 192, 116853, 2021.
11.
WANG F., YANG W., CHENG P., ZHANG S., ZHANG S., JIAO W., SUN Y. Adsorption characteristics of cadmium onto microplastics from aqueous solutions. Chemosphere, 235, 1073, 2019.
12.
JĘDRUCHNIEWICZ K., BOGUSZ A., CHANKÓ M., BANK M.S., ALESSI D.S., OK Y.S., OLESZCZUK P. Extractability and phytotoxicity of heavy metals and essential elements from plastics in soil solutions and root exudates. Science of the Total Environment, 905, 166100, 2023.
13.
MUTHURAJA R., OU B., THANGAVELU M., NARHAYANAN T.N., CHITTAMART N., JANJAROEN D. Effects of particle size and aging on heavy metal adsorption by polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics under varying environmental conditions. Chemosphere, 369, 143843, 2024.
14.
BI S.S., LIU S.F., LIU E.F., XIONG J., XU Y., WU R.Y., LIU X., XU J.L. Adsorption behavior and mechanism of heavy metals onto microplastics: A meta-analysis assisted by machine learning. Environmental Pollution, 360, 124634, 2024.
15.
LU X., ZENG F., WEI S., GAO R., ABDURAHMAN A., WANG H., LIANG W.Q. Effects of humic acid on Pb2+ adsorption onto polystyrene microplastics from spectroscopic analysis and site energy distribution analysis. Scientific Reports, 12 (1), 2022.
16.
AFZAL M.R., NAZ M., YU Y., YAN L., WANG P.Y., MOHOTTI J., HAO G.F., ZHOU J.J., CHEN Z., ZHANG L.B., WANG Q. Root exudates: The rhizospheric frontier for advancing sustainable plant protection. Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 21, 100249, 2025.
17.
ZHANG H., ZHANG R., LU T., QI W., ZHU Y., LU M., QI Z., CHEN W. Enhanced transport of heavy metal ions by low-molecular-weight organic acids in saturated porous media: link complex stability constants to heavy metal mobility. Chemosphere, 290, 133339, 2022.
18.
LUO H., LIU C., HE D., SUN J., ZHANG A., LI J. PAN X. Interactions between polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) and humic acid influenced by aging of MPs. Water Research, 222, 118921, 2022.
19.
LUO H., TU C., LIU C., ZENG Y., HE D., ZHANG A., XU J., PAN X. Probing the molecular interaction between photoaged polystyrene microplastics and fulvic acid. Science of the Total Environment, 920, 170933, 2024.
20.
ZHAO M., XU L., WANG X.X., LI C.P., ZHAO Y.J., CAO B., ZHANG C.G., ZHANG J.J., WANG J.C., CHEN Y.H., ZOU G.Y. Microplastics promoted cadmium accumulation in maize plants by improving active cadmium and amino acid synthesis. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 447, 130788, 2023.
21.
ABBASI S., MOORE F., KESHAVARZI B., HOPKE P.K., NAIDU R., RAHMAN M.M., OLESZCZUK P., KARIMI J. PET-microplastics as a vector for heavy metals in a simulated plant rhizosphere zone. Science of the Total Environment, 744, 140984, 2020.
22.
LIU Y.W., LI B.Q., ZHOU J.J., LI D.Q., LIU Y.Y., WANG Y., HUANG W.G., RUAN Z.P., YAO J., QIU R.L., CHEN G.K. Effects of naturally aged microplastics on arsenic and cadmium accumulation in lettuce: Insights into rhizosphere microecology. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 486, 136988, 2025.
23.
HIDALGO-CRESPO J., MOREIRA C.M., JERVIS F.X., SOTO M., AMAYA J.L., BANGUERA L. Circular economy of expanded polystyrene container production: Environmental benefits of household waste recycling considering renewable energies. Energy Reports, 8 (S3), 306, 2022.
24.
SUN Y., WANG X., XIA S., ZHAO J. Cu(II) adsorption on poly(Lactic Acid) microplastics: Significance of microbial colonization and degradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 429, 132306, 2022.
25.
KUPERKAR K., ATANASE L.I., BAHADUR A., CRIVEI I.C., BAHADUR P. Degradable polymeric bio(nano)materials and their biomedical applications: A comprehensive overview and recent updates. Polymers, 16 (2), 206, 2024.
26.
WEI W., WANG C., SHI X., ZHANG Y.T., CHEN Z., WU L., NI B.J. Multiple microplastics induced stress on anaerobic granular sludge and an effectively overcoming strategy using hydrochar. Water Research, 222, 118895, 2022.
27.
VELO-GALA I., LOPEZ-PENALVER J.J., SANCHEZ-POLO M., RIVERA-UTRILLA J. Comparative study of oxidative degradation of sodium diatrizoate in aqueous solution by H2O2/Fe2+, H2O2/Fe3+, Fe (VI) and UV, H2O2/UV, K2S2O8/UV. Chemical Engineering Journal, 241, 504, 2014.
28.
STEINAUER K., CHATZINOTAS A., EISENHAUER N. Root exudate cocktails: the link between plant diversity and soil microorganisms? Ecology and Evolution, 6 (20), 7387, 2016.
29.
WILLIAMS A., LANGRIDGE H., STRAATHOF A.L., FOX G., MUHAMMADALI H., HOLLYWOOD K.A., XU Y., GOODACRE R., DE VRIES F.T. Comparing root exudate collection techniques: An improved hybrid method. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 161, 108391, 2021.
30.
LI W., ZU B., YANG Q., HUANG Y., LI J. Adsorption of lead and cadmium by microplastics and their desorption behavior as vectors in the gastrointestinal environment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10 (3), 107379, 2022.
31.
NODA I. Two-dimensional correlation and codistribution spectroscopy (2DCOS and 2DCDS) analyses of time-dependent ATR IR spectra of D-glucose anomers undergoing mutarotation process in water. Spectrochimica Acta, Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 197, 4, 2018.
32.
PÄRNAMÄE R., MAREEV S., NIKONENKO V., MELNIKOV S., SHELDESHOV N., ZABOLOTSKII V., HAMELERS H.V.M., TEDESCO M. Bipolar membranes: A review on principles, latest developments, and applications. Journal of Membrane Science, 617, 118538, 2021.
33.
BEYGI M., JALALI M., WANG J.X. Effect of co-existence of organic acids in the single and competitive adsorption of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn to the nanoparticle-treated vineyard soils. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 23 (8), 3043, 2023.
34.
JIANG O.Y., LI L., DUAN G.L., GUSTAVE W., ZHAI W.W., ZOU L.N., AN X., TANG X.J., XU J.M. Root exudates increased arsenic mobility and altered microbial community in paddy soils. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 127, 410, 2023.
35.
WANG Z.Y., WANG B.J., LIU Q., HUO X.Q., CHANG T., SUN J., ZHAO Z.L., WANG G.W., LIU J. Predicting heavy metals adsorption on microplastics and unraveling the adsorption mechanism with machine learning methods. Surfaces and Interfaces, 72, 107101, 2025.
36.
YAO C.Y. Comparative study of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and phloretic acid on the interaction of Cd and BSA. Dissertation for the Master Degree. Tianjin: Tianjin University of Science and Technology, 2021 [in Chinese].
37.
FARAH S., ANDERSON D.G., LANGER R. Physical and mechanical properties of PLA, and their functions in widespread applications - a comprehensive review. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 107, 367, 2016.
38.
GUO X., WANG J. The chemical behaviors of microplastics in marine environment: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 142, 1, 2019.
39.
DING L., MAO S., MA S., GUO X., ZHU L. High temperature depended on the ageing mechanism of microplastics under different environmental conditions and its effect on the distribution of organic pollutants. Water Research, 174, 115634, 2020.
40.
WEN Z.H., WHITE P.J., SHEN J.B., LAMBERS H. Linking root exudation to belowground economic traits for resource acquisition. New Phytologist, 233 (4), 1620, 2022.
41.
CHAI Y.N., SCHACHTMAN D. Root exudates impact plant performance under abiotic stress. Trends in Plant Science, 27 (1), 80, 2022.
42.
BALI A.S., SIDHU G.P.S., KUMAR V. Root exudates ameliorate cadmium tolerance in plants: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 18 (4), 1243, 2020.
43.
LI X.C., YAN L., ZHONG W., KERSTEN M., JING C.Y. Competitive arsenate and phosphate adsorption on α-FeOOH, LaOOH, and nano-TiO2: Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy study. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 414, 125512, 2021.
44.
LIAO H.K., RAN T., ZHAO Y.X., ZHENG C.L. Polypropylene microplastics reshape diazotrophic community composition and interactions in the plastisphere without affecting the rhizosphere of Capsicum annuum L. Science of the Total Environment, 978, 179449, 2025.
45.
SU X.M., HUANG X.J., BAO Y.Y. Rice rhizosphere and microplastic synergistically reshaping antibiotic resistome in soil. Applied Soil Ecology, 206, 105796, 2025.
46.
PANCHAL P., MILLER A.J., GIRI J. Organic acids: versatile stress-response roles in plants. Journal of Experimental Botany, 72 (11), 4038, 2021.
47.
LIAO Y.L., YANG J.Y. Microplastic serves as a potential vector for Cr in an in-vitro human digestive model. Science of the Total Environment, 703, 134805, 2020.
48.
HUANG D., YANG Y., DENG R., GONG X., ZHOU W., CHEN S., LI B., WANG G. Remediation of Cd-contaminated soil by modified nanoscale zero-valent iron: Role of plant root exudates and inner mechanisms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (11), 5887, 2021.
49.
SCHUURMANS STEKHOVEN F.M.A.H., GORISSEN M.H.A.G., FLIK G. The isoelectric point, a key to understanding a variety of biochemical problems: a minireview. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 34 (1), 1, 2008.
50.
KOCHERGINA L.A., KHOKHLOVA E.A., DROBILOVA O.M. Thermodynamic characteristics of the formation of Cd2+ ion-L-serine complexes in aqueous KNO3 solutions at 288-308 K. Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 88 (6), 922, 2014.
51.
HOLMES L.A., TURNER A., THOMPSON R.C. Adsorption of trace metals to plastic resin pellets in the marine environment. Environmental Pollution, 160, 42, 2012.
52.
HALEEM A., SHAFIQ A., CHEN S.Q., NAZAR M. A comprehensive review on adsorption, photocatalytic and chemical degradation of dyes and nitro-compounds over different kinds of porous and composite materials. Molecules, 28 (3), 1081, 2023.
53.
CAO Y.X., ZHAO M.J., MA X.Y., SONG Y.W., ZUO S.H., LI H.H., DENG W.Z. A critical review on the interactions of microplastics with heavy metals: Mechanism and their combined effect on organisms and humans. Science of the Total Environment, 788, 147620, 2021.
54.
WANG J.L., GUO X. Adsorption kinetic models: Physical meanings, applications, and solving methods. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 390, 122156, 2020.
55.
REVELLAME E.D., FORTELA D.L., SHARP W., HERNANDEZ R., ZAPPI M.E. Adsorption kinetic modeling using pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order rate laws: A review. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 1, 100032, 2020.
56.
YU F., LI Y., HUANG G., YANG C., CHEN C., ZHOU T., ZHAO Y., MA J. Adsorption behavior of the antibiotic levofloxacin on microplastics in the presence of different heavy metals in an aqueous solution. Chemosphere, 260, 127650, 2020.
57.
WANG Q., GAO Y.N., TANG X.Y., YANG Z.L., TANG L., LUO G.J., LIU C.S., TONG H. How aging microplastics influence heavy metal environmental fate and bioavailability: A systematic review. Environmental Research, 271, 121128, 2025.
58.
CHON Y.J., KOO J.M., PARK Y.J., HWANG S.Y., JUNG Y.M., IM S.S. Synthesis of a high-performance citric acid-based polyester elastomer by a hot-pressing technique. Polymer, 125, 283, 2017.
59.
SONG Y., ZHAO J., ZHENG L., ZHU W., XUE X., YU Y., DENG Y., WANG H. Adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of humic acid on virgin and aging microplastics. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 363, 119819, 2022.
60.
CHEN W., OUYANG Z.Y., QIAN C., YU H.Q. Induced structural changes of humic acid by exposure of polystyrene microplastics: A spectroscopic insight. Environmental Pollution, 233, 1, 2018.
61.
XU H., COOPER W.J., JUNG J., SONG W. Photosensitized degradation of amoxicillin in natural organic matter isolate solutions. Water Research, 45 (2), 632, 2011.
62.
ZHU G.Q., YUE K., NI X.Y., YUAN C.X., WU F.Z. The types of microplastics, heavy metals, and adsorption environments control the microplastic adsorption capacity of heavy metals. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 80807, 2023.
63.
JOSEPH A., XIE R., FENG Z., WU H., LI J., YUAN Y., ZHU N., WANG Y. Adsorption behaviors of cadmium regulated by microplastics properties in a forest soil. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 114, 56, 2025.
64.
BHAUMIK S., CHAKRABORTY P. Interactions between microplastics (MPs) and trace/toxic metals in marine environments: implications and insights-a comprehensive review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31 (50), 59681, 2024.
65.
WU X.Y., LIN L.H., LIN Z., DENG X.Y., LI W.L., HE T., ZHANG J.X., WANG Y.F., CHEN L.L., LEI Z.X., LIU C.G., XU Z.M. Influencing mechanisms of microplastics existence on soil heavy metals accumulated by plants. Science of the Total Environment, 926, 171878, 2024.
66.
GAN C.D., LIAO Y.L., LIU H.B., YANG J.Y., NIKITIN A. Microplastic-induced changes in Cd and Cr behavior in the agricultural soil-wheat system: Insights into metal bioavailability and phytotoxicity. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 482, 136592, 2025.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
