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Molecular and Microstructural Bases for Understanding Microplastic Origin, Transport, and Fate
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This project report investigates the molecular and microstructural properties that determine how microplastics form from parent plastic materials, transport through environments, and ultimately accumulate. It aims to understand physicochemical mechanisms of microplastic fragmentation and mobility.
The formation of micro and nanoplastics from parent plastics is one of the most challenging ecological threats since plastic pollution reaches even the most desolate places on earth and is expected to double by 2030. The goal of this project is to understand physico-chemical properties on microplastics formation, transport, and fate by analyzing the microplastics found in environmentally collected samples at SRS, supported by lab-based experiments. An initial assessment found and identified microplastics and micronizing plastics in Fourmile Branch and the Savannah River. Fourmile Branch also carried trace-level radioactive contaminants associated with the Site’s legacy missions, which may incorporate into entrained microplastics.
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Role of Structural Morphology of Commodity Polymers in Microplastics and Nanoplastics Formation: Fragmentation, Effects and Associated Toxicity in the Aquatic Environment
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This review examines how the structural morphology and chemical composition of commodity polymers influence the formation and environmental behaviour of microplastics and nanoplastics, arguing that chemical degradation pathways have been largely overlooked in favour of purely physical abrasion explanations for plastic fragmentation.
Recent advances in research from plastic materials to microplastics
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This review traced recent advances in understanding plastic material degradation into microplastics, covering mechanical, photochemical, and biological fragmentation pathways and reviewing current knowledge on environmental fate and biological effects.
Sources, fate and behaviour of microplastics in the aquatic environment
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This Croatian thesis reviews sources, fate, and behavior of microplastics in aquatic environments. The author synthesizes research on how plastic particles enter water systems, how they are transported and transformed, and what risks they pose to freshwater and marine organisms.
Microplastics: From Intrinsic Properties to Environmental Fate
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This review examines how the built-in properties of plastics — their chemical structure, additives, and molecular weight — determine how quickly they break down in the environment and what happens when they do. As microplastics degrade, they fragment into even smaller particles that may be more harmful because they can more easily enter living organisms. Understanding these degradation pathways is essential for predicting the long-term environmental and health risks of plastic pollution.
Polymer science for an overall study of micro and nanoplastic hazards: Sources, fate and effects
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This review applied polymer science principles to comprehensively examine the hazards of micro- and nanoplastics, covering their sources, fate in the environment, and biological effects across marine and terrestrial systems. The polymer-science framing helps explain how plastic particle properties such as size, shape, and surface chemistry govern environmental behavior.
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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.