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Microplastics are a big and growing part of global pollution, which has aroused increasing concern in recent years because of their large amount, wide distribution, and adverse effects. Microplastics can sorb various pollutants from aquatic environments and act as vectors of pollutants. Most studies mainly focused on the virgin microplastics. However, microplastics in environments can be easily colonized by microorganisms, and form biofilm, which will influence the behaviors and potential risks of microplastics. The formation of biofilm on microplastics and its effects on their properties have been studied before, but their sorption and transport behaviors, and potential risks for pollutants' transfer have not been reviewed. In this paper, the role of biofilm-developed microplastics as vectors of pollutants was thoroughly analyzed and summarized. First, the formation of biofilm on microplastics, the compositions of microorganisms in biofilm, the influencing factors, and the property changes of microplastics after biofilm attachment are thoroughly reviewed. Second, the sorption of pollutants onto biofilmdeveloped microplastics is discussed. Third, the role of biofilm-developed microplastics as vector of pollutants are analyzed. We concluded that microplastics could provide unique substrates for microorganisms. Biofilm-developed microplastics can sorb more pollutants than the virgin ones, then act as vectors to introduce pollutants and attached microorganisms to aquatic environments and to organisms.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the production of plastic but has oestrogenic activity. Therefore, BPA substitutes, such as fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF), have been introduced for the production of so-called ‘BPA-free' plastics. Here we show that BHPF is released from commercial ‘BPA-free' plastic bottles into drinking water and has anti-oestrogenic effects in mice. We demonstrate that BHPF has anti-oestrogenic activity in vitro and, in an uterotrophic assay in mice, induces low uterine weight, atrophic endometria and causes adverse pregnancy outcomes, even at doses lower than those of BPA for which no observed adverse effect have been reported. Female mice given water containing BHPF released from plastic bottles, have detectable levels of BHPF in serum, low uterine weights and show decreased expressions of oestrogen-responsive genes. We also detect BHPF in the plasma of 7/100 individuals, who regularly drink water from plastic bottles. Our data suggest that BPA substitutes should be tested for anti-oestrogenic activity and call for further study of the toxicological effects of BHPF on human health.

The genesis of the Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the Dahalajunshan group, mainly consisting of trachytes and trachy-andesites and distributing widely in western Tianshan Mountains, remains to be controversial. It has been proposed to be relevant to "rift" or "plume". Detailed petrology and geochemical data presented in this paper show that these volcanic rocks represent typical continental arc magmatism. The volcanic rocks are mainly trachy-andesitic, and the magma source is enriched in LILE, Th and Pb, and depleted in HFSE and Ce. Trace element geochemical study suggests that the basalts could be modeled by 7%-11% partial melt of garnet lherzolite. The volcanic rocks in the Dahalajunshan group are neither the products of "rift" nor so-called "plume" but represent the continental island arc of the Paleo-Southern Tianshan Ocean. The mantle wedge had been modified by the melt generating in subduction zone during a long evolution history of this island arc. The continental crust materials (i.e. mainly sediment on ocean floor) had been added into island arc through melt in subduction zone. Volcanic rocks occurring in different regions might represent magma eruption in different time. The zircon SHRIMP dating indicates that the ages of the basalt varies between334.0 Ma and 394.9 Ma. The 13 analyses give an average age of 353.7 ±4.5 Ma (MSWD = 1.7). The apparent ages of zircons in trachy-andesite vary between 293.0 Ma and 465.4 Ma. All analyses fall on the U-Pb concordant line and are divided into two groups. 8 analyses produce an average age of 312.8±4.2 Ma (MSWD = 1.7), which represents the crystallizing age of zircon rims in trachy-andesite. The acquired two ages (i.e. 354 and 313 Ma) belong to the Early Carboniferous and Late Carboniferous epochs, respectively. Thus, the Dahalajunshan group would be separated into several groups with the accumulation of high-quality age dating and data of trace element and isotopic geochemistry, in our opinion.