LAUSR

Considering the omnipresence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments, their potential as carriers for diverse waterborne pollutants has been recognized. In this work, various aspects of the adsorptive behavior of two ionic components, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and Cr(VI), are explored using two types of MPs as model adsorbents, namely poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polystyrene (PS). The influence of key variables (pH, particle size, and dose of the MPs) on adsorption is evaluated systematically. The maximum adsorption capacity values of SDBS on PET and PS are estimated to be 4.80 and 4.65 mg⋅g-1, respectively, while those of Cr(VI) ions are significantly lower at 0.080 and 0.072 mg⋅g-1. The influence of pH and MP particle size on the adsorptive equilibrium of SDBS is best described by a Freundlich isotherm, while the behavior of Cr(VI) is best accounted for by a Langmuir isotherm that takes into account associative adsorption across at least two active surface sites.