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Classic Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems: POPs, PFAS, Heavy Metals, and Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed the behavior and risks of legacy contaminants in aquatic ecosystems—including persistent organic pollutants, PFAS, heavy metals, and microplastics—finding that these co-occurring pollutants interact synergistically to amplify toxicity and complicate remediation efforts.
Legacy contaminants and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) entered the aquatic system from industrial, urban, and agricultural sources in high concentrations often before their high persistence and toxicity were fully understood. Legacy contaminants are highly...
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Research Gaps and Future Directions for Addressing Microplastics and PFAS: Impacts in Aquatic Environments
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This review identifies critical knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics and PFAS (forever chemicals) interact and cause harm in aquatic environments after more than seven decades of production. Addressing these gaps is urgent because both contaminants persist indefinitely, accumulate in living organisms, and are now detectable in virtually every aquatic environment on Earth.
Microplastics Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Environments: An Overview
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Researchers reviewed the sources, distribution, and ecological risks of microplastics as contaminants of emerging concern in aquatic environments, documenting pathways from industrial discharge and wastewater treatment plants and highlighting their capacity to adsorb other pollutants and harm aquatic life.
Combined Toxicity of PFAS and Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Synergistic, Additive, and Antagonistic Interactions
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Researchers reviewed the combined toxicity of PFAS and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, finding that while synergistic interactions receive the most attention, additive and antagonistic outcomes are also common and depend on PFAS congener, polymer type, particle size, and species—warning against treating synergy as the default response and calling for standardized mixture-based exposure protocols to enable ecologically realistic risk assessment.
Effects of plastics and microplastics on aquatic organisms and human health
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This review paper pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are ending up in fish, mussels, shrimp, and other seafood we eat. Because these creatures absorb microplastics from polluted water, the plastic can travel up the food chain and onto our plates, meaning our growing use of plastic may be quietly working its way into our diets. The authors call for more public awareness and action to reduce plastic pollution before its full health effects on people are better understood.
Microplastics in Aquatic Systems: Sources, Accumulation, Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies
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This review synthesizes how microplastics enter aquatic ecosystems, where they accumulate, and what harm they cause to wildlife and water quality — while also evaluating mitigation strategies, highlighting that both primary sources like microbeads and secondary sources like degrading plastic waste need to be addressed.
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.