Supplementary data for: Limited transferability of microplastic adverse-effect models across studies, polymers, taxa, and time

Summary

Scientists tried to build models that predict when microplastics will harm aquatic life, hoping to use data from one study to make reliable predictions elsewhere. The results show these models don't transfer well, a model built on one type of plastic, animal, or experiment often fails to predict outcomes in a different one, meaning we can't yet reliably generalize findings across studies. This matters because it shows current research isn't giving us a clear, unified picture of microplastic risks, so more consistent testing methods are needed before we can confidently assess how these particles affect ecosystems and, ultimately, human health.