Papers

Low-water quality and non-communicable disease nexus: Health impacts, mechanisms, and advanced water treatment approaches

This review summarizes how contaminated water, including water containing microplastics, heavy metals, and other pollutants, can contribute to non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These contaminants can cause cell damage, oxidative stress, and DNA changes that are linked to chronic illness over time. The authors call for better water treatment methods and large-scale health studies to better understand the connection between water quality and long-term disease risk.

Impacts of microplastic accumulation in aquatic environment: Physiological, eco-toxicological, immunological, and neurotoxic effects

This review summarizes how microplastics build up in fish and other aquatic life, causing damage to their immune systems, nervous systems, and overall health. When fish eat microplastics, the particles move up the food chain and can eventually reach humans through seafood consumption. The authors also discuss strategies for removing microplastics from water and reducing plastic pollution.

Assessing the microplastic pandemic: Prevalence, detection, and human health impacts in Asian aquatic environments

Interactive effects of polystyrene microplastics and Pb on growth and phytochemicals in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and lead on mung bean plants. They found that when both pollutants were present together, the damage was more severe, reducing plant weight, impairing photosynthesis, and disrupting chlorophyll production and enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to create amplified harmful effects on crop plants in contaminated agricultural environments.

The threat of microplastics: Exploring pollution in coastal ecosystems and migratory shorebirds along the west coast of India

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across ten coastal sites on India's west coast, testing water, sediment, invertebrate prey, and shorebird droppings. Microplastics, mostly fibers, were found in all sample types, with water identified as the primary pathway for spreading plastics through the food chain. The study demonstrates how microplastics move from water through prey animals to top predators, illustrating the food chain transfer that ultimately could affect human seafood consumption.

Enhancing spinach growth and soil microbial health under sulfadiazine and polypropylene exposure through zinc fortification

Researchers found that zinc oxide nanoparticles can effectively reduce the toxic effects of antibiotics and polypropylene microplastics on spinach plants grown in contaminated soil. The zinc treatment lowered oxidative stress markers by 18-28% while boosting the activity of protective enzymes in roots and shoots. The study suggests that zinc supplementation could be a practical strategy for improving crop health in soils polluted with microplastics and pharmaceutical residues.

Linking effects of microplastics to ecological impacts in marine environments

This review examines how laboratory-scale findings on microplastic toxicity can be connected to ecological-level impacts in marine environments. Researchers highlight that microplastics affect marine organisms through ingestion, chemical leaching, and by serving as vectors for pathogens and invasive species. The study emphasizes the need for more ecologically realistic experiments to bridge the gap between controlled laboratory studies and real-world environmental conditions.

Microplastics and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water and sediment of the Bay of Bengal coastal area, India: sources, pathway and ecological risk

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment along two Bay of Bengal coastal beaches in India and found microplastics present at both sites. They also detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of harmful chemicals, adsorbed onto the microplastic surfaces at concentrations that varied by particle shape. The study highlights that microplastics in coastal waters act as carriers for toxic organic pollutants, potentially increasing ecological risks in the marine environment.

RETRACTED: Proteomic modulation by arsenic and microplastic toxicity in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings

This retracted study originally investigated how iron oxide nanoparticles might protect wheat seedlings from the combined toxic effects of arsenic and PVC microplastics in soil. The researchers had reported that the nanoparticles helped restore normal protein activity and growth in the wheat plants. Note: this paper has been retracted, meaning the scientific community has identified concerns with the findings.

Beyond the surface: Microplastic pollution its hidden impact on insects and agriculture

Elucidation of Mechanisms by Which Microplastics (PET) Facilitates the Rapid Growth of Benthic Cyanobacteria and Toxin Production in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review examines how PET microplastics and their chemical leachates may promote the growth of benthic cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. The study suggests that PET-derived compounds can serve as carbon sources or signaling molecules that alter gene expression related to photosynthesis and stress responses, potentially contributing to harmful cyanobacterial blooms in plastic-polluted waters.

Appraisal of Heavy Metals Accumulation, Physiological Response, and Human Health Risks of Five Crop Species Grown at Various Distances from Traffic Highway

Researchers examined heavy metal accumulation in five crop species grown at various distances from a traffic highway, finding that proximity to roads significantly increased metal contamination in crops and posed potential health risks through the food chain.

Biosynthesis and Characterization of Extracellular Silver Nanoparticles from Streptomyces aizuneusis: Antimicrobial, Anti Larval, and Anticancer Activities

Researchers synthesized silver nanoparticles from Streptomyces aizuneusis and demonstrated their antimicrobial, anti-larval, and anticancer activities, contributing to the development of eco-friendly green nanotechnology approaches.

Response of soil heavy metal forms and bioavailability to the application of microplastics across five years in different soil types

Researchers conducted a five-year experiment examining how microplastics affect the chemical forms and bioavailability of heavy metals across five different soil types. They found that microplastics generally reduced the readily available forms of heavy metals while increasing the mineral- and organic-bound forms, and that the bioconcentration of chromium and lead decreased substantially. The study suggests that soil type and exposure duration both play important roles in how microplastics influence heavy metal behavior in soils.

Ecological-Health Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in Aquatic Sediments from the ASEAN-5 Emerging Developing Countries: A Review and Synthesis

This review compiled copper, lead, and zinc concentrations in aquatic sediments across five ASEAN countries from 1981 to 2021, finding elevated heavy metal levels at sites with high human activity and assessing ecological and health risks from sediment contamination.

Effects of microplastics on growth and metabolism of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers found that polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics inhibited rice growth and disrupted ionic homeostasis and antioxidant metabolism in a dose-dependent manner, with PVC microplastics causing more severe effects than polystyrene.

Exfoliating microplastics intensifies heavy metal uptake and physiological stress in wastewater-irrigated chili plants

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics from exfoliating personal care products interact with heavy metals in wastewater-irrigated chili plants. They found that the combination of microplastics and contaminated wastewater significantly reduced plant growth while increasing the uptake of cadmium, mercury, and lead into plant tissues. The study suggests that microplastics from personal care products may worsen heavy metal contamination risks in crops grown with recycled wastewater.

Ameliorating arsenic and PVC microplastic stress in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using copper oxide nanoparticles: an environmental bioremediation approach

Researchers studied the combined stress of PVC microplastics and arsenic on barley plants, along with the potential mitigating effect of copper oxide nanoparticles. They found that increasing levels of microplastics and arsenic significantly reduced plant growth, photosynthesis, and biomass while increasing oxidative stress markers. Application of copper oxide nanoparticles substantially improved plant health by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing oxidative damage.

Enhancement of environmental microplastics (MPs) degradation via bacteria under stress conditions: key enzymes, pathways, and mechanisms

This review focuses on bacterial, enzymatic, and insect-mediated strategies for microplastic biodegradation, evaluating the effectiveness of multi-organism approaches that combine different degrading agents to enhance the breakdown rate of persistent plastic polymers in the environment.

Cutting-edge strategies for microplastic sampling, analysis, and remediation across different environments

Nanoparticle-driven defense in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Enhancing antioxidant and rhizosphere responses under arsenic and microplastic stress

Researchers tested whether silicon, silicon dioxide, and silver nanoparticles could protect wheat from combined arsenic and microplastic stress in soil, finding that all three nanoparticle types improved antioxidant activity, reduced oxidative damage, and supported rhizosphere microbial community recovery.

Ecotype-specific responses of Typha domingensis to microplastics: Antioxidant defense and biochemical adaptations in wetland ecosystems

Researchers studied six natural varieties (ecotypes) of the wetland plant Typha domingensis growing in microplastic-contaminated wetlands and found significant differences in their ability to tolerate plastic pollution, with some ecotypes maintaining healthy growth and strong antioxidant defenses while others showed oxidative damage and stunted development.

Retraction notice: Proteomic modulation by arsenic and microplastic toxicity in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings

The Ecological-Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Surface Sediments and Leaves of Salt-Secreting Avicennia officinalis as Potential Phytoremediators: A Field-Based Biomonitoring Study from Klang Mangrove Area

Surface sediments in the Klang mangrove ecosystem were analyzed for potentially toxic metals, revealing elevated concentrations of lead, cadmium, and zinc that pose ecological and human health risks. Avicennia officinalis was assessed for phytoremediation potential, showing uptake of certain metals from contaminated sediments.