We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environmental weathering transforms plastic pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
This brief editorial describes how environmental weathering transforms plastic pollution from intact discarded items to micro- and nano-sized particles found globally, including in remote unpopulated locations. The author discusses how the smallest particles have been observed to translocate into animal tissues, amplifying concerns about the biological effects of plastic degradation products.
Environmental weathering transforms plastic pollution The prevalence of plastics in our daily lives is reflected by their ubiquity in nature. Jeffrey M. Farner from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, details how environmental weathering transforms plastic pollution. Due to use, improper disposal, and environmental transport, plastics are found globally, including in unpopulated locations. This pollution ranges from intact discarded items large enough to be choking hazards for marine life to particles at the nanometer scale. These smallest particles have been observed to translocate into animal tissues, raising concerns about toxicity. The concentrations of plastic particles vary widely, as do the morphology and other characteristics, but they exist.
More Papers Like This
Degradation of Commonly Used Plastics into Nanoparticles
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how commonly used plastics degrade into nanosized particles under environmental conditions, tracking the formation of nanoplastics from bulk plastic materials. Nanoplastics are of particular health concern because their tiny size allows them to cross biological barriers more readily than larger microplastic particles.
Editorial: Microplastics and nanoplastics in polar areas: Arctic, Antarctica, and the world’s glaciers
AI summary Read the abstract
This editorial introduces a research collection on micro- and nanoplastic pollution in polar regions and glaciers worldwide. The authors highlight that despite their remoteness, the Arctic, Antarctica, and mountain glaciers are accumulating plastic pollution transported via atmospheric and oceanic pathways, with potential consequences including interference with sea ice formation, contribution to glacier melting, and threats to fragile polar ecosystems.
Migration, transformation, and ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics migrate, transform, and affect aquatic ecosystems, summarizing evidence that physical aging, photochemical weathering, and biofouling reshape particle surfaces and enhance co-contaminant uptake, while ecological effects span oxidative stress and genotoxicity at the organism level to disrupted biogeochemical cycling at the ecosystem level.
Micro(nano)plastic toxicity and health effects: Special issue guest editorial
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers summarized the state of microplastic and nanoplastic toxicology research, noting that while studies in animals show these particles accumulate in tissues and trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and developmental harm, the actual health risks to humans remain largely unknown and urgently require further investigation.
Microplastic Pollution in the Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the ubiquitous presence of microplastics as emerging environmental pollutants across all major environmental compartments, synthesizing data on their sources, fates, and concentrations over time and space to characterize the scale of global contamination.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.