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Microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment: Macroscopic transport and effects on creatures
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This review takes a big-picture look at how microplastics and nanoplastics move across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments rather than treating each environment in isolation. Researchers emphasize that these tiny plastic particles cycle between water, land, and air, and they examine the effects on organisms across all of these interconnected systems.
Industrial progress has brought us an important polymer material, i.e. plastic. Because of mass production and use, and improper management and disposal, plastic pollution has become one of the most pivotal environmental issues in the world today. However, the current researches on microplastics/nanoplastics are mainly focused on individual aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments, ignoring the fact that the natural environment is a whole. In this regard, the transport of microplastics/nanoplastics among the three environment compartments, including reciprocal contributions and inherent connections, and the impact of microplastics/nanoplastics on organisms living in multiple environments are research problems that we pay special attention to. Furthermore, this paper comprehensively reviews the transport and distribution of microplastics/nanoplastics in individual compartments and the toxicity of organisms, either alone or in combination with other pollutants. The properties of microplastics/nanoplastics, environment condition and the growth habit of organisms are critical to the transport, distribution and toxicity of microplastics/nanoplastics. These knowledge gaps need to be addressed urgently to improve cognition of the degree of plastic pollution and enhance our ability to deal with pollution. Meanwhile, it is hoped that the paper can provide a relatively complete theoretical knowledge system and multiple "leads" for future innovative ideas in this field.
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Microplastics: An introduction to environmental transport processes
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This review introduces a new concept called the Plastic Cycle to describe how microplastics move between land, water, and air environments, rather than treating these as separate systems. Researchers outline the sources, transport processes, and ultimate fate of microplastics across environmental compartments. Understanding these interconnected pathways is essential for assessing long-term ecological and human health risks from pervasive microplastic pollution.
Unveiling the complex impact of microplastics on environmental health, ecosystems, and humans
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This comprehensive review consolidates current knowledge on microplastic pollution across marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Researchers examined sources, transport pathways, impacts on living organisms, sampling techniques, and regulatory challenges, highlighting significant gaps in understanding the full scope of microplastic effects on ecosystems and human well-being.
Source and Route of Microplastics in Terrestrial, Atmospheric, and Aquatic Environments, and Effects of Microplastics on Organisms
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This review summarizes the sources, transport routes, and ecological effects of microplastics across terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic environments, highlighting how trophic transfer through food chains can ultimately lead to human ingestion.
Micro/nanoplastics as environmental mediators: A systematic review of sources and interfacial processes driving cross-media transport and impacts
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This systematic review advances a process-based framework for understanding how micro- and nanoplastics move between terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments. The findings reveal that cross-media transport pathways are poorly integrated in existing research, meaning the full scope of human exposure to microplastics across environmental compartments is likely underestimated.
Microplastics in the environment: A critical review of current understanding and identification of future research needs
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This critical review synthesizes microplastic research across land, water, and air environments, highlighting that these compartments are closely linked despite often being studied separately. Researchers identified key knowledge gaps in understanding microplastic transport between environments and the associated risks to ecosystems and human health. The study calls for standardized methods and more integrated research to better assess the full scope of microplastic contamination.
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.