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Papers
34 resultsShowing papers from Ikerbasque
ClearWastewater Treatment of Real Effluents by Microfiltration Using Poly(vinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene) Membranes
Researchers developed a special polymer membrane (PVDF-HFP) for filtering industrial wastewater. The membrane effectively removed organic matter, reduced salinity by 50%, and captured heavy metals like nickel, cadmium, and lead with about 60% efficiency. This low-cost filtration approach shows promise as a practical pretreatment step for cleaning contaminated industrial water.
Evidence of internalized microplastics in mussel tissues detected by volumetric Raman imaging
Using advanced 3D Raman imaging, researchers confirmed that microplastics become internalized within mussel tissue cells, not just trapped in the gut. The technique allowed them to identify the specific plastic types embedded inside the tissue. This is significant for human health because it demonstrates that microplastics in seafood are not limited to the digestive system that might be removed before eating, but are present within the meat itself.
Mechanism of quiescent nanoplastic formation from semicrystalline polymers
Researchers uncovered the mechanism by which semicrystalline polymers, which make up about 70% of commercial plastics, spontaneously release nanoplastic particles even without mechanical force. They found that chemical bond-breaking events concentrate in the non-crystalline regions of the plastic, eventually causing those layers to fail and release stacks of crystalline fragments as nanoplastics. This discovery helps explain why plastics continuously shed tiny particles into the environment under normal conditions.
Piezoresistive materials based on natural polymers for medical device applications
This review explores how natural polymer-based materials with piezoresistive properties, meaning they change electrical resistance under pressure, can be used in flexible medical sensors. Researchers highlight how these materials offer advantages over synthetic alternatives because they are biocompatible and reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics. The study suggests these natural polymer sensors could play a growing role in wearable health monitoring devices.
International Society for Extracellular Vesicles workshop. QuantitatEVs: Multiscale analyses, from bulk to single extracellular vesicle
This workshop report summarizes discussions among scientists about improving methods for measuring and analyzing extracellular vesicles, which are tiny particles released by cells. Researchers explored strategies for standardizing both laboratory techniques and computational approaches, from bulk samples down to individual vesicles. The report identifies key challenges and emerging technologies needed to advance this rapidly growing field of biomedical research.
Microplastic concentration, distribution and dynamics along one of the largest Mediterranean-climate rivers: A whole watershed approach.
Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution across the entire Biobio river watershed in Chile, one of the largest rivers in South America. They found microplastics at all 18 sampling sites, with concentrations linked to urbanization, wastewater discharge, and agricultural activities. The study reveals that both environmental and human factors drive microplastic distribution patterns throughout large river systems.
Joint effects of warming and salinization on instream leaf litter decomposition assessed through a microcosm experiment
Researchers tested how rising water temperature and increasing salinity together affect the breakdown of leaf litter in tropical streams, a key process for stream ecosystem health. They found that while moderate warming slightly sped up decomposition, higher salinity levels significantly slowed it down, especially the portion driven by shredding invertebrates. The study suggests that the combination of warming and salinization could impair nutrient cycling in tropical freshwater ecosystems.
Paradigms to assess the human health risks of nano- and microplastics
Researchers proposed a new, comprehensive framework for assessing the health risks of nano- and microplastics (tiny plastic particles), addressing key gaps in how we analyze these particles, model their behavior, and use that information to protect human health — since no such standard risk assessment system currently exists.
Classification and Quantification of Microplastics (<100 μm) Using a Focal Plane Array–Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging System and Machine Learning
Researchers developed a method using focal plane array Fourier transform infrared imaging to classify and quantify microplastics smaller than 100 micrometers. The technique allows simultaneous chemical identification and size measurement of individual particles across a filter sample, significantly improving throughput compared to manual analysis. The study demonstrates that automated spectroscopic imaging can reliably detect and categorize very small microplastics that are often missed by conventional methods.
Microplastics alter the functioning of marine microbial ecosystems
Researchers used experimental mesocosms to investigate how microplastics affect the structure and functioning of marine microbial ecosystems. They found that microplastics indirectly altered marine productivity by shifting the composition of bacterial and phytoplankton communities. The study provides evidence that microplastic pollution can disrupt fundamental ecological processes in ocean ecosystems beyond effects on individual organisms.
Entropy and Fractal Techniques for Monitoring Fish Behaviour and Welfare in Aquacultural Precision Fish Farming—A Review
This review explores how entropy and fractal analysis techniques can be applied to monitor fish behavior and welfare in aquaculture, revealing hidden behavioral patterns from non-linear biological systems that classical methods cannot detect.
Issues with the detection and classification of microplastics in marine sediments with chemical imaging and machine learning
Researchers tested near-infrared hyperspectral imaging combined with four common machine learning algorithms to detect microplastics directly in marine sediment samples, finding that the method produced a large proportion of false positives and false negatives even in simple test conditions. The results raise serious concerns about the reliability of this widely used approach for environmental microplastic monitoring.
River ecosystem processes: A synthesis of approaches, criteria of use and sensitivity to environmental stressors
This synthesis reviewed approaches to studying river ecosystem processes, evaluating criteria for selecting sensitive indicators and methods for detecting ecological change driven by pollution and land-use pressures.
Microplastics have lethal and sublethal effects on stream invertebrates and affect stream ecosystem functioning
Using a mesocosm experiment, researchers showed that microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations caused lethal and sublethal effects on freshwater invertebrates and reduced key ecosystem functions including leaf litter decomposition and algal colonization of streambed substrates.
Microplastics increase susceptibility of amphibian larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Researchers found that microplastic exposure increases the susceptibility of midwife toad larvae to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, suggesting that plastic pollution may worsen the impacts of this devastating amphibian disease.
Studying plant responses to micro- and nanoplastics: a review of experimental design and analytical methods
This review paper summarizes how scientists study the effects of tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) on plants, but doesn't present new findings about health impacts. The authors found that research methods vary widely between studies, making it hard to compare results and understand how plastic pollution truly affects the plants we might eat. They created guidelines to help future studies be more consistent, which could eventually lead to better understanding of whether microplastics in our food chain pose health risks.
Microplastics impair amphibian survival, body condition and function
Tadpoles of the common midwife toad were exposed to polystyrene microspheres at varying concentrations in microcosms, with microplastics reducing feeding, impairing body condition, and showing dose-dependent ingestion of particles. The study provides rare evidence that microplastics harm amphibians, a group already facing global population declines.
A Material Platform Based on Dissociative CO<sub>2</sub>-Derived <i>N,O-</i>Acetals for Tunable Degradation of 3D Printable Materials
Researchers developed a new class of thermoset polymers based on CO2-derived N,O-acetal bonds that allow controlled degradation and reprocessing under mild conditions. The materials can be 3D-printed and are designed with end-of-life recyclability in mind, offering a potential path to reducing plastic waste.
Nationalism in an Overheating World: An Introduction to Thomas Hylland Eriksen's Life and Works
This biographical and intellectual tribute to anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen examined his major scholarly contributions across nationalism, ethnicity, globalization, and overheating world theory. The piece was not a microplastic study but a commemorative academic overview of a prominent social scientist.
Conversion of HDPE into Value Products by Fast Pyrolysis Using FCC Spent Catalysts in a Fountain Confined Conical Spouted Bed Reactor
Researchers studied the catalytic cracking of high-density polyethylene over spent FCC catalyst in a conical spouted bed reactor, finding that this process efficiently converts plastic waste into valuable fuel-range hydrocarbons.
A Review on Current Strategies for the Modulation of Thermomechanical, Barrier, and Biodegradation Properties of Poly (Butylene Succinate) (PBS) and Its Random Copolymers
This review covers strategies for modifying the thermomechanical, barrier, and biodegradation properties of poly(butylene succinate) and its copolymers, positioning PBS as one of the most promising biodegradable plastics for replacing conventional commodity polymers. The authors synthesize research on blending, copolymerization, and nanofiller incorporation as approaches to tailor PBS performance for specific packaging and agricultural applications.
Exploring Sustainable Coating Solutions for Applications in Highly Corrosive Environments
This review evaluates sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polymer coatings for protecting carbon steel from corrosion, examining bio-based and recycled materials as replacements for conventional multilayer paint systems.
Designing antimicrobial biomembranes via clustering amino-modified cellulose nanocrystals on silk fibroin β-sheets
Researchers created an antimicrobial material by blending amino-modified cellulose nanocrystals with silk fibroin, producing a membrane that killed more than 99.9% of E. coli and Staphylococcus bacteria without harming human cells. The bio-based material offers a promising alternative to chemical disinfectants for coating medical devices and reducing hospital-acquired infections.
A 3D-Printed Portable UV and Visible Photoreactor for Water Purification and Disinfection Experiments
Researchers developed a low-cost 3D-printed portable photoreactor capable of UV and visible light-driven water purification and disinfection, demonstrating its effectiveness as an accessible tool for decentralized water treatment.