Conditions for homoaggregation of pristine polystyrene microplastic in aquatic environments

Polystyrene microplastics: environmental presence, pathways, and biological impact

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Researchers reviewed the environmental presence, transport pathways, and biological impacts of polystyrene microplastics, documenting how widespread food packaging use leads to pervasive contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and raises concerns for organismal and human health.

Homoaggregation of environmentally realistic polystyrene microplastic

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Researchers studied how environmentally realistic polystyrene microplastics — obtained by cryomilling real plastic products rather than using manufactured spheres — aggregate together (homoaggregation) in water under different conditions. Aggregation increases sinking rates, which affects how long microplastics remain in the water column and how accessible they are to filter-feeding organisms.

Determining the Impact of Surfactant Type, Concentration, and Solubility on Microplastic Aggregation

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Undergraduate researchers tested the surfactant Tween 80 and Span 80 at varying concentrations to aggregate and recover microplastics from water samples, exploring how surfactant type and preparation methodology affect recovery efficiency. This novel aggregation methodology could improve detection and quantification of microplastics in water, which is critical for understanding exposure levels in drinking water and aquatic ecosystems.

Antibiotic-mediated heteroaggregation and sedimentation of nanoplastics with minerals: Mechanisms and environmental implications in natural water

Aggregation of positively charged polystyrene nanoplastics in soil–root systems

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Researchers showed that positively charged polystyrene nanoplastics aggregate in the presence of plant root exudates and soil leachate while negatively charged nanoplastics remain stable and mobile, driven by organic acid adsorption onto nanoparticle surfaces. Understanding nanoplastic charge-dependent behavior in soil-root systems is crucial for assessing how nanoplastics are taken up by crops and may enter the human food supply.