Papers

Effect of polypropylene microplastics on the performance of membrane bioreactors in wastewater treatment

Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect membrane bioreactors, a type of wastewater treatment system. They found that while these systems can effectively filter out microplastics, higher concentrations and smaller particle sizes caused membrane clogging and reduced treatment efficiency over time, which is important for designing better wastewater treatment facilities.

Polystyrene nanoplastics promote muscle cell senescence through microtubule hyper-stabilization-mediated mitophagy dysfunction and cGAS-Sting activation

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause premature aging in human muscle cells by disrupting the internal skeleton of cells and impairing the cleanup of damaged mitochondria. The nanoplastics made the cell's structural framework too rigid, which blocked normal cell signaling and triggered an inflammatory aging response. This study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could contribute to muscle weakness and age-related muscle loss in humans.

Activation of pyroptosis and ferroptosis is involved in the hepatotoxicity induced by polystyrene microplastics in mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles caused significant liver damage, including structural changes and impaired function. The study identified two specific cell death pathways, pyroptosis and ferroptosis, as key mechanisms driving the liver injury. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure may harm liver health through multiple biological pathways that warrant further investigation.

Microplastics exhibit accumulation and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes

Researchers investigated whether microplastics in wastewater treatment plants can accumulate and spread antibiotic resistance genes. They found that bacteria growing on microplastic surfaces in treatment tanks harbored antibiotic resistance genes and transferred them at higher rates than bacteria in the surrounding water. This suggests microplastics in wastewater systems may serve as hotspots for spreading antibiotic resistance, posing potential risks to both ecosystems and human health.

Intestinal flora and pregnancy complications: Current insights and future prospects

This review examines how changes in gut bacteria during pregnancy can contribute to complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth. An imbalanced gut microbiome during pregnancy poses risks to both mother and baby, and the review explores whether gut bacteria may even colonize the uterus and placenta. While not directly about microplastics, this is relevant because microplastic ingestion has been shown to disrupt gut bacteria, meaning microplastic exposure during pregnancy could potentially worsen these risks.

Polystyrene nanoparticles induced mammalian intestine damage caused by blockage of BNIP3/NIX-mediated mitophagy and gut microbiota alteration

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoparticles can damage the intestines of mammals by blocking a cellular cleanup process called mitophagy, which normally removes damaged mitochondria. In both cell cultures and animal models, exposure to these nanoparticles disrupted gut barrier function and altered gut microbiota composition. The study suggests that nanoplastic accumulation in food sources could pose a real risk to digestive health.

Co-exposure to nanoplastics and acetaminophen causes skeletal dysplasia and behavioral abnormalities in zebrafish

Researchers studied the combined effects of nanoplastics and acetaminophen on zebrafish embryo development. The study found that co-exposure caused skeletal abnormalities, spinal curvature, reduced body length, and behavioral changes including decreased swimming activity, with gene expression analysis revealing significant downregulation of genes critical for bone formation.

Microplastics enhance the risk of cross-genus dissemination of carbapenemase resistance plasmids in ICU patients

Researchers demonstrated that hospital-derived microplastics significantly increase the conjugation rate of carbapenemase resistance plasmids between drug-resistant bacteria by stimulating biofilm formation, with the effect amplified more than 3.9-fold under conditions simulating diabetic patient urine — identifying medical plastics as a potential environmental driver of untreatable ICU infections.

Intergenerational and transgenerational reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in female mice

Female mice were exposed to polystyrene microplastics during lactation and researchers tracked reproductive outcomes in both exposed mothers and their offspring through multiple generations, finding that even at doses comparable to human infant bottle-feeding exposure, microplastics induced ovarian damage and reduced fertility that persisted across generations.

Toxicity and transcriptome sequencing analyses of nanoplastics combined with acetaminophen on zebrafish bone development

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to nanoplastics and acetaminophen individually and in combination, finding that co-exposure produced synergistic disruption of spinal development including increased vertebral malformations and altered bone mineral density, with transcriptomic evidence of disrupted ossification pathways.

The effect of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes signaling pathway on organ inflammatory injury and fibrosis

This review examined the role of the cGAS-STING innate immune signaling pathway in the pathomechanisms of disease across multiple organs, focusing on its involvement in fibrosis, inflammation, and infection responses. Understanding STING pathway activation has implications for therapeutic targeting in conditions linked to environmental stressors including nanoplastic-induced inflammation.

Flexible multiscale cavity with omnidirectionality and high stability for in-site SERS detection of nanoplastics on oyster

LSP-SPP Coupling Structure Based on Three-Dimensional Patterned Sapphire Substrate for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensing

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it describes a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor substrate fabricated using three-dimensional patterned sapphire and silver nanoparticles for chemical detection applications.

Study based on bibliometric analysis: potential research trends in fluid management for sepsis

This bibliometric analysis examines research trends in fluid management for sepsis treatment, finding that this field is at an advanced stage of inquiry with growing focus on identifying optimal fluid strategies to improve patient outcomes in sepsis care.

[Aging and Small-sized Particles Release Characteristics of Tire Microplastics in Various Environmental Media].

Researchers simulated the aging of tire microplastics from cars and electric bicycles under UV illumination in both dry and aquatic environments, finding that 30 days of UV exposure caused surface roughening, cracking, and flaking while increasing the carbonyl index and releasing smaller particles, revealing distinct aging and fragmentation behaviors across environmental media.

Preparation of Simulated Naturally-Derived Nanoplastics from Polypropylene-Food Packaging Material as Standard Substance

This study prepared nanoplastic particles from polypropylene food packaging under conditions that better simulate natural environmental weathering compared to commercial laboratory standards. The work argues that research accuracy is improved when standard substances more closely match the physical and chemical properties of naturally-derived nanoplastics.