Microplastics (MPs) can pose ecological risk to the environment and have the potential to negatively affect human health, raising serious public concerns. It is recognized that MPs could act as a vector for various environmental pollutants including heavy metals and potentially influencing their mobility, fate, and bioavailabilty in the environment. However, knowledge on the mechanisms underpinning the interaction processes between MPs and heavy metals is far from clear. This review discusses the effects of MPs on the adsorption/desorption, speciation and bioavailability, and toxicity of various heavy metals. The present review also systematically identifies the environmental factors (e.g., pH, ionic strength, and organic matters) that could affect their interaction processes. This work aims to establish a meaningful perspective for a comprehensive understanding of the indirect ecological risks of MPs as vectors for contaminants. The work also provides a reference for the development of better regulatory strategies in mitigating the negative effects caused by the co-existence of MPs and heavy metals.

微塑料 (MP) 会对环境构成生态风险，并有可能对人类健康产生负面影响，引起严重的公众关注。众所周知，MPs 可以作为包括重金属在内的各种环境污染物的载体，并可能影响它们在环境中的流动性、归宿和生物利用度。然而，关于支持 MP 与重金属之间相互作用过程的机制的知识尚不清楚。本综述讨论了 MPs 对各种重金属的吸附/解吸、物种形成和生物利用度以及毒性的影响。本综述还系统地确定了可能影响其相互作用过程的环境因素（例如，pH、离子强度和有机物）。这项工作旨在建立一个有意义的视角，以全面了解 MP 作为污染物载体的间接生态风险。该工作还为制定更好的监管策略以减轻 MP 和重金属共存造成的负面影响提供了参考。