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Multi-omics in nanoplastic research: a spotlight on aquatic life
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Researchers reviewed how multi-omics tools — analyzing genes, proteins, and metabolites together — are revealing the molecular damage nanoplastics cause in aquatic organisms. Because aquatic life sits at the base of food chains, understanding these toxicity mechanisms helps predict risks that ultimately reach human seafood consumers.
Amidst increasing concerns about plastic pollution’s impacts on ecology and health, nanoplastics are gaining global recognition as emerging environmental hazards. This review aimed to examine the complex molecular consequences and underlying fundamental toxicity mechanisms reported from the exposure of diverse aquatic organisms to nanoplastics. Through the comprehensive examination of transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies, we explored the intricate toxicodynamics of nanoplastics in aquatic species. The review raised essential questions about the consistency of findings across different omics approaches, the value of combining these omics tools to understand better and predict ecotoxicity, and the potential differences in molecular responses between species. By amalgamating insights from 37 omics studies (transcriptome 22, proteome six, and metabolome nine) published from 2013 to 2023, the review uncovered both shared and distinct toxic effects and mechanisms in which nanoplastics can affect aquatic life, and recommendations were provided for advancing omics-based research on nanoplastic pollution. This comprehensive review illuminates the nuanced connections between nanoplastic exposure and aquatic ecosystems, offering crucial insights into the complex mechanisms that may drive toxicity in aquatic environments.
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Exploring the detrimental effects of nanoplastics on ecosystems and human health
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Tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics, so small they can pass through cell walls, have been found everywhere from polar ice to human tissue, and this review pulls together existing research on how they might harm both the environment and our bodies. While scientists are still working out the exact health risks, the concern is that these particles could build up in our organs over time, which is why researchers are calling for more study and better plastic waste management. The takeaway: plastic pollution isn't just an environmental issue anymore, it's becoming a personal health question too.
Micro/nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: An Integrated Review of Occurrence, Toxicological Implications, Case Studies, Methodologies, and Future Recommendations
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This integrated review covers the occurrence, toxicology, and detection of micro- and nanoplastics across freshwater, marine, and estuarine ecosystems, using case studies to illustrate biomagnification through aquatic food webs and the compounding risk from co-occurring chemical contaminants. The review calls for stronger international collaboration and policy frameworks grounded in scientific evidence, recognizing that the pervasive nature of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic systems poses escalating risks to both ecosystem integrity and human health.
The threats of micro- and nanoplastics to aquatic ecosystems and water health
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This review details how micro- and nanoplastics in global water sources indirectly threaten water quality by disrupting carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur biogeochemical cycles, transporting pathogens, and amplifying the persistence and bioavailability of co-occurring contaminants. The analysis calls for advanced water treatment technologies, early warning systems, and integrated regulatory frameworks to protect water security from the cascading effects of microplastic pollution.
Challenges in characterization of nanoplastics in the environment
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Nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer — pose significant analytical challenges because existing spectroscopic techniques like FTIR and Raman spectroscopy lack the sensitivity to reliably detect and characterize them in environmental samples. This gap in detection capability means nanoplastic abundance and toxicity are severely underestimated, representing a critical frontier for understanding the full scope of plastic pollution's health impacts.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Challenges and Threats to Aquatic Organisms
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Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected across a wide range of aquatic organisms from microalgae to fish, disrupting metabolic, physiological, and behavioral processes at both cellular and ecosystem levels. Their persistence and increasing abundance in oceans make them a growing food safety threat as plastic contamination moves up the aquatic food chain toward human consumption.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.