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We Need a “Keeling Curve” Approach for Contaminants of Emerging Concern
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Researchers argued that contaminants of emerging concern, including microplastics, need sustained long-term monitoring programs similar to the Keeling Curve for CO2, emphasizing that current snapshot sampling approaches are insufficient for understanding environmental contamination trends.
Several chemical and particulate species have been designated as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) due to their persistence in the environment, their detrimental effects on human health and ecosystems, and their lack of current regulations. According to the definitions provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), CECs encompass various substances, including industrial additives such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and microplastics. (1) These CECs have been detected around the globe in previously pristine environments that were once considered untouched by human influence, such as remote high-elevation mountain areas, Arctic air, snowpack, and the open ocean. Similar to greenhouse gases, CECs pose a pervasive threat to all regions of the world.
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Microplastics: A Novel Suite of Environmental Contaminants but Present for Decades
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Researchers reviewed the decades-long history of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, finding that despite growing scientific and public attention, the full scope of ecosystem and human health risks from persistent microplastic accumulation remains incompletely characterized.
Microplastics: A Novel Suite of Environmental Contaminants but Present for Decades
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Researchers reviewed the history and scope of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, finding that although recognized as a novel concern, microplastics have been accumulating in ecosystems for decades and pose growing but still incompletely understood risks to wildlife and human health.
Have environmental microplastics levels been overestimated?
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Emerging research suggests that existing measurements of environmental microplastic levels may be inflated due to inconsistent and non-standardized measurement methods across studies. Harmonizing detection and quantification protocols is essential before reliable conclusions can be drawn about true human exposure levels and the actual health risks posed by microplastic pollution.
Potential Environmental Contamination by Microplastics
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This paper reviews the sources, types, and environmental pathways of microplastics, which range from 0.1 micrometers to 5 mm and are generated both as primary manufactured particles and from the breakdown of larger plastics. As these particles accumulate across land, water, and air, their potential to carry toxic chemicals into human bodies is an escalating public health concern.
Microplastics: Emerging Contaminants Requiring Multilevel Management
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Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence on microplastics as widespread environmental pollutants, documenting their presence everywhere from mountain lakes to deep ocean sediments and inside organisms from tiny invertebrates to whales, while outlining the urgent need for coordinated management strategies spanning industrial regulation, waste collection, and government bans on specific plastic products.
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.