Papers

Engineering green MOF-based superhydrophobic sponge for efficiently synchronous removal of microplastics and pesticides from high-salinity water

Engineers developed a special sponge coated with a metal-organic framework that can simultaneously remove both microplastics and pesticides from salty water. The sponge repels water but captures plastic particles and breaks down pesticides using light-activated chemical reactions, and it can be reused multiple times. This technology could help clean up coastal and agricultural water sources where microplastics and chemical pollutants coexist, reducing human exposure through drinking water and seafood.

Selenium alleviates the adverse effects of microplastics on kale by regulating photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, secondary metabolism and hormones

Researchers found that treating soil with selenium could protect kale plants from the harmful effects of microplastic contamination. Microplastics triggered damaging oxidative stress in the plants, but selenium helped restore the balance by boosting antioxidant defenses, improving photosynthesis, and regulating plant hormones. This suggests selenium supplementation could help maintain food crop health in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils.

Microplastics impacts the toxicity of antibiotics on Pinellia ternata: An exploration of their effects on photosynthesis, oxidative stress homeostasis, secondary metabolism, the AsA-GSH cycle, and metabolomics

This study found that polyethylene microplastics changed how the medicinal plant Pinellia ternata responds to antibiotic contamination in soil. At low concentrations, microplastics slightly reduced the toxicity of the antibiotic, but at higher levels they worsened the damage to plant photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and metabolic pathways. The findings show that microplastics can alter how other pollutants affect crop plants, making the real-world impacts of soil contamination harder to predict.

Constructing green superhydrophilic and superoleophobic COFs-MOFs hybrid-based membrane for efficiently emulsion separation and synchronous removal of microplastics, dyes, and pesticides

Researchers built a new type of environmentally friendly membrane that can simultaneously filter out microplastics, dyes, and pesticides from oily wastewater with over 99% efficiency. The membrane uses a combination of two advanced porous materials (MOFs and COFs) with a surface coating that repels oil but lets water through. This technology could improve water treatment and reduce the amount of microplastics and other pollutants that reach drinking water sources.

Microplastic effects on zooplankton: meta-analysis dataset and code (48 studies; 1,468 effect sizes)

This meta-analysis pools data from 48 studies covering nearly 1,500 measurements to assess how microplastics affect zooplankton, the tiny animals at the base of aquatic food chains. The research found that microplastics pose significant risks to zooplankton, especially as water temperatures rise with climate change. Since zooplankton are a critical food source for fish, harm to these organisms can ripple up the food chain to affect the seafood people eat.

Vertical microplastic distribution in sediments of Fuhe River estuary to Baiyangdian Wetland in Northern China

Researchers studied how microplastics are distributed at different depths in river sediments near a major wetland in northern China, where treated wastewater is a primary water source. They found that microplastic concentrations were highest in the top layer of sediment and decreased with depth, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. The spatial distribution was closely linked to nearby human activities, with more contaminated areas found near population centers.

Evidence for the transportation of aggregated microplastics in the symplast pathway of oilseed rape roots and their impact on plant growth

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics are absorbed by oilseed rape roots not as individual particles but as clumps, and they travel through the plant's living cell network into the root vascular system. The microplastics caused oxidative stress that affected photosynthesis and plant growth, though the plants activated defense mechanisms to partially cope. This study shows how microplastics can enter food crops through the roots, potentially introducing plastic particles into the food supply.

Size-dependent adverse effects of microplastics on intestinal microbiota and metabolic homeostasis in the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics for 60 days and found that particle size was a key factor in determining health effects. Larger particles (200 micrometers) caused weight gain and fat accumulation, while smaller particles (2 and 10 micrometers) led to liver inflammation and damage. The study also revealed that microplastics disrupted the balance of gut bacteria, particularly with larger particle exposure.

Microplastic effects on zooplankton: meta-analysis dataset and code (48 studies; 1,468 effect sizes)

This meta-analysis dataset accompanies research pooling data from 48 studies to examine how microplastics affect zooplankton across different environmental conditions. The analysis covers nearly 1,500 effect measurements and found that microplastics pose elevated risks to these tiny aquatic organisms, particularly under warming conditions. This is concerning because zooplankton form the foundation of aquatic food webs that ultimately supply seafood to human diets.

A multi-levels analysis to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics on aquatic insects: A case study with damselfly larvae (Ischnura elegans)

Researchers conducted a comprehensive study of how polystyrene microplastics affect damselfly larvae, a sensitive freshwater insect, examining effects from the whole organism down to the molecular level. Higher concentrations of microplastics impaired the larvae's movement, disrupted their gut bacteria, and caused oxidative stress in their tissues. Since aquatic insects are an important part of freshwater food webs, their sensitivity to microplastics signals broader risks to ecosystem health.

Soil viral–host interactions regulate microplastic-dependent carbon storage

Researchers discovered that microplastics in soil affect carbon storage by changing how viruses and bacteria interact underground. Non-biodegradable microplastics reduced soil carbon by over 17%, while biodegradable ones slightly increased it, through different effects on microbial communities. This matters for human health because soil carbon cycling influences agricultural productivity and the broader climate system.

Effects of polypropylene micro(nano)plastics on soil bacterial and fungal community assembly in saline-alkaline wetlands

Scientists found that polypropylene nano-sized plastics disrupted soil bacterial communities more severely than micro-sized particles in saline wetland soil, reducing network complexity and altering how communities form. Bacteria were more sensitive to the plastic stress than fungi, and nanoplastics disrupted important interactions between soil microbes and plants. This suggests that as plastics break down into ever-smaller pieces in the environment, their impact on soil health may actually increase.

Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers studied the combined effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics with the antibiotic oxytetracycline on zebrafish intestines over 30 days. Nano-sized plastics caused more intestinal damage than micro-sized ones, and combined exposures altered gut bacterial communities and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that the co-occurrence of plastic particles and antibiotics in aquatic environments may have compounding negative effects on fish gut health.

Mechanisms for iron oxide nanoparticle alleviation of nanoplastic-induced stress in Perilla frutescens revealed by integrated physiological and transcriptomic analysis

Researchers found that iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) added to soil reduced polystyrene nanoplastic uptake in Perilla frutescens plants by 24–46%, improved plant height and biomass by 20–34%, and mitigated nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress by upregulating photosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis genes.

Interactions between nanoplastics and Tetrahymena thermophila: Low toxicity vs. potential biodegradation

Researchers investigated how nanoplastics interact with single-celled organisms called ciliates, which are common in freshwater environments. They found that even at high concentrations, the nanoplastics had minimal toxic effects on the ciliates, but the organisms repackaged and expelled the particles in ways that changed their physical properties. The study suggests that microscopic organisms may play an underappreciated role in transforming nanoplastics and influencing their environmental fate.

Risks of microplastics on germination and growth of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) depending on the type, concentration, and particle size

Researchers tested how different types, concentrations, and sizes of microplastics affect pepper seed germination and seedling growth. They found that most microplastic treatments inhibited germination and that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles were generally the most harmful to seedling development. The study also revealed that larger microplastic particles tended to cause more oxidative stress in the plants, suggesting particle size plays an important role in toxicity.

Silicon alleviates the toxicity of microplastics on kale by regulating hormones, phytochemicals, ascorbate-glutathione cycling, and photosynthesis

Researchers found that microplastic pollution inhibits the growth of kale by disrupting its photosynthesis, hormone regulation, and antioxidant defenses. However, adding silicon to the soil helped protect the plants by strengthening their natural stress-response systems, suggesting silicon could be a practical strategy for growing safer food in microplastic-contaminated soils.

Designing MOFs/CuCo-LDHs hybrid-based superhydrophobic sponge for speedy eliminating microplastics, dyes, and oils from high-salinity water

Comparative analysis of the effects of microplastics and nitrogen on maize and wheat: Growth, redox homeostasis, photosynthesis, and AsA-GSH cycle

Researchers compared how microplastics and nitrogen fertilizer, alone and together, affect the growth of maize and wheat. They found that microplastics inhibited growth in both crops but had more severe effects on maize, while nitrogen application helped alleviate some of the damage. The study suggests that adding nitrogen fertilizer may partially offset the harmful effects of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.

Binding of Perfluoroalkyl Substances to Nanoplastic Protein Corona Is pH‐Dependent and Attenuates Their Bioavailability and Toxicity

Researchers studied how common industrial pollutants called PFAS chemicals interact with nanoplastics and blood proteins in the human body. The study found that when nanoplastics are present, they actually reduce the cellular uptake of PFAS chemicals and lessen their toxicity, because the protein layer that forms on nanoplastic surfaces traps the pollutants and limits their availability to cells.

Root carbon inputs outweigh litter in shaping grassland soil microbiomes and ecosystem multifunctionality

Researchers analyzed 13 years of field data from a semi-arid grassland and found that carbon inputs from plant roots matter more than leaf litter in sustaining soil microbial diversity and overall ecosystem health. Removing plants caused greater microbial and functional declines than removing surface litter, underscoring the hidden importance of below-ground carbon in maintaining healthy soils.

Accumulation and ecotoxicological effects induced by combined exposure of different sized polyethylene microplastics and oxytetracycline in zebrafish

Researchers conducted a 30-day experiment exposing zebrafish to different sized polyethylene microplastics combined with the antibiotic oxytetracycline. They found that smaller nanoplastics increased antibiotic accumulation in fish liver by up to 44.5%, and the combined exposure caused more severe liver damage than either contaminant alone, with effects worsening as particle size decreased. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the toxicity of antibiotics in aquatic organisms through enhanced bioaccumulation.

Mass-based fates of microplastics throughout wastewater treatment processes

Binding of Tetrabromobisphenol A and S to Human Serum Albumin Is Weakened by Coexisting Nanoplastics and Environmental Kosmotropes

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with human serum albumin and brominated flame retardants (TBBPA and TBBPS) under various conditions. The study found that while the protein helped disperse nanoplastics alone, adding flame retardants promoted aggregate formation, with environmental salt conditions further influencing these interactions. These findings suggest that the behavior of nanoplastics and co-occurring pollutants in both biological and natural water systems may be more complex than previously understood.