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Nanoplastics occurrence, detection methods, and impact on the nitrogen cycle: a review
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Researchers reviewing nanoplastic contamination find these particles are widespread across ecosystems but true concentrations remain unknown due to detection limitations, and laboratory studies show nanoplastics disrupt microbial membranes, induce oxidative stress, and significantly inhibit nitrogen cycling.
The recent discovery of nanoplastics in most ecosystems is a major, yet poorly known health issue. Here, we review nanoplastics with focus on their presence in the environment, their methods of detection, and their impact on the nitrogen cycle. Nanoplastics are widely distributed in ecosystems; however, their real concentrations are not known due to the limitation of actual detection methods. Detection methods include techniques based on mass spectrometry, optical instruments, and total organic carbon. Total organic carbon-based methods involve first membrane filtration and oxidation as pretreatment, then the measurement of total organic carbon as the total concentration of nanoplastics. Total organic carbon-based methods are easy and cost-effective, compared with other methods. Nanoplastics negatively impact ecosystems and nitrogen removal. Nanoplastics can adsorb on microbial cell membranes then disrupt the membrane integrity. Nanoplastics can also induce oxidative stress. Nitrogen cycling is substantially inhibited by nanoplastics during laboratory tests.
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Micro- and Nanoplastics in Environment: Degradation, Detection, and Ecological Impact
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Researchers review how micro- and nanoplastics degrade, spread, and accumulate across ecosystems, synthesizing evidence of ecological harm at multiple levels of the food chain and warning that their near-invisible size makes them especially difficult to monitor and regulate.
Micro-nanoplastics in the Environment: Current Research and Trends
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Researchers review current knowledge on micro- and nanoplastic distribution across environmental compartments, documenting ingestion and inhalation pathways through food chains and evaluating trends in contamination levels in agricultural, aquatic, and human biological systems.
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.
Nanoplastics in Wastewater: Monitoring, Ecotoxicity, and Remediation
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Researchers explore the challenges posed by nanoplastics in wastewater, examining monitoring methods for detecting these extremely small particles, their ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms and ecosystems, and promising remediation strategies for reducing nanoplastic contamination before treated water is discharged into the environment.
Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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Micro- and nanoplastics have spread ubiquitously across terrestrial ecosystems, persisting in soil and affecting plant health, soil organisms, and nutrient cycling. Their slow degradation and widespread distribution make them a long-term threat to ecosystem function and agricultural productivity.
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