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

Summary

Scientists tried to build models that predict how microplastics harm aquatic life, hoping to use data from one study to make broader predictions. But they found these models don't transfer well, a model built using one type of plastic, animal, or lab setup often fails to accurately predict effects in a different context. This matters because it shows we can't yet reliably generalize microplastic risk from limited lab studies to the real world, so claims about "safe" or "dangerous" exposure levels should be viewed with caution until more consistent research is done.