Papers

Impact of community masking on COVID-19: A cluster-randomized trial in Bangladesh

This large cluster-randomized trial across 600 villages in Bangladesh found that community mask promotion increased mask-wearing from 13.3% to 42.3% and reduced symptomatic COVID-19 by about 9%, with surgical masks proving more effective than cloth masks, especially in people over 60. The intervention used free mask distribution combined with in-person promotion by community volunteers. Disposable surgical masks, while more effective against respiratory illness, contribute significantly to microplastic pollution when improperly discarded in the environment.

Earth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just and sustainable future

This broad review argues that humanity faces converging crises including climate change, pollution, ecosystem destruction, and inequality, all driven by extractive economic practices. Plastic and chemical pollution are highlighted as part of a larger pattern of environmental destruction that disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. The authors call for systemic economic transformation, including replacing exploitative capitalism with models that prioritize sustainability and justice.

Dynamics and Impacts of Microplastics (MPs) and Nanoplastics (NPs) on Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Processes: The Need for Robust Regulatory Frameworks

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics disrupt ecosystems by altering soil health, nutrient cycles, and microbial communities, while also carrying toxic compounds through food chains. The authors highlight a major gap in the field: there are no standardized methods for measuring microplastics, making it hard to compare studies. They call for stronger regulations and consistent research methods to better protect the environment.

Notable ecological risks of microplastics to Minjiang River ecosystem over headwater to upstream in Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Scientists measured microplastic pollution along 291 kilometers of the Minjiang River on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and found levels increased near more populated areas. The most common types were polyethylene and polypropylene fragments smaller than 500 micrometers. Risk assessments showed medium to very high pollution levels in the river water, raising concerns about contamination even in remote highland regions.

Epithelial barrier hypothesis: Effect of the external exposome on the microbiome and epithelial barriers in allergic disease

This review proposes the 'epithelial barrier hypothesis,' which suggests that modern environmental exposures, including microplastics, air pollution, and processed food additives, are damaging the protective barriers of our skin, gut, and airways. When these barriers break down, foreign substances and bacteria can enter the body and trigger allergic and inflammatory diseases, which have been increasing rapidly in recent decades. The research suggests microplastics may be one of many environmental factors driving the rise in conditions like asthma, food allergies, and eczema.

Microplastic generation from field-collected plastic gauze: Unveiling the aging processes

Researchers aged high-density polyethylene plastic gauze through freeze-thaw cycles, mechanical abrasion, and UV irradiation, finding that aged plastic released up to 334 million microplastic particles per square meter during rinsing — two orders of magnitude more than unaged plastic — with UV and abrasion generating unusual sphere and fiber morphologies.

Brain capital is crucial for global sustainable development

Exposure Pathways and Toxicity of Microplastics in Terrestrial Insects

This review summarizes what is known about how land-dwelling insects encounter, consume, and are affected by plastic pollution. Insects can accumulate microplastics and transfer them to animals higher up the food chain, and exposure has been linked to reduced growth, reproduction, and survival. Since insects play critical roles in pollination and soil health, widespread plastic contamination could have cascading effects on ecosystems and agriculture.

Zebrafish Insights into Nanomaterial Toxicity: A Focused Exploration on Metallic, Metal Oxide, Semiconductor, and Mixed-Metal Nanoparticles

This review summarizes research on how various nanomaterials, including nano-sized plastics, affect zebrafish, which are commonly used as stand-ins for studying human health effects. Exposure to nanomaterials caused developmental defects, organ damage, behavioral changes, and reproductive problems in zebrafish. These findings help scientists understand the potential health risks of nanomaterial exposure to humans and the environment.

Biodegradation of various grades of polyethylene microplastics by Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus larvae: Effects on their physiology

Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus) were fed different grades of polyethylene plastic to test their ability to biodegrade this common plastic. Both species could consume and partially break down all three types of polyethylene, though the process caused oxidative stress and shifted their gut bacteria. This research suggests biological degradation of plastic waste is possible, which could help reduce the environmental breakdown of plastics into harmful microplastics.

Environmental factors in epithelial barrier dysfunction

This review examines how environmental factors from the modern industrialized world -- including air pollution, detergents, nanoparticles, and microplastics -- damage the protective lining of the skin, gut, and airways. Researchers describe how these exposures degrade the proteins that hold barrier cells together, increasing permeability and triggering immune responses linked to allergies, asthma, and inflammatory conditions. The study presents an "epithelial barrier hypothesis" suggesting that widespread barrier dysfunction from environmental pollutants may be driving the rise of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Vertical migration of microplastics in porous media: Multiple controlling factors under wet-dry cycling

Researchers studied how microplastics move vertically through sandy soil during cycles of wetting and drying, testing four common plastic types at various particle sizes. They found that smaller, more hydrophobic particles migrated deeper, and that frequent wet-dry cycles and the presence of dissolved organic matter accelerated downward movement. The findings suggest that microplastics in agricultural soils could potentially reach groundwater, posing risks to underground water quality.

The Anthropocene: Comparing Its Meaning in Geology (Chronostratigraphy) with Conceptual Approaches Arising in Other Disciplines

This article compares how the term "Anthropocene" is used in geology versus other academic disciplines like social sciences and humanities. In geology, the Anthropocene is proposed as a formal epoch beginning in the mid-twentieth century, marked by measurable changes in the geological record from industrialization and globalization. Other fields use the term more flexibly, often extending it much further back in time and applying it without reference to specific geological markers.

Exploring multiple stressor effects with Ecopath, Ecosim, and Ecospace: Research designs, modeling techniques, and future directions

This review examined how the popular Ecopath with Ecosim modeling platform has been used to study multiple environmental stressors in ecosystems, including pollution, climate change, and invasive species. Researchers found that most studies focused on single stressors and rarely addressed microplastic pollution or combined effects of multiple threats. The paper calls for more integrated modeling approaches that capture how different stressors interact in real ecosystems.

Field measurements reveal exposure risk to microplastic ingestion by filter-feeding megafauna

Researchers combined ocean microplastic data with high-resolution whale feeding measurements to estimate how much plastic blue, fin, and humpback whales ingest in the California Current Ecosystem. They found that whales likely consume millions of microplastic particles per day, primarily through contaminated prey rather than direct filtration of water. The study reveals that filter-feeding whales face far greater microplastic exposure than previously estimated.

Environmental fate, toxicity and risk management strategies of nanoplastics in the environment: Current status and future perspectives

This review provides a comprehensive look at nanoplastics -- tiny plastic particles smaller than one micrometer -- covering their environmental fate, toxic effects on organisms, and potential risks to ecosystems. Researchers found that nanoplastics can carry other pollutants like heavy metals and even serve as habitats for bacteria and viruses. The study calls for more research across all environmental compartments, including soil, air, and groundwater, to fully understand the scope of nanoplastic contamination.

Interscalar Vehicles for an African Anthropocene: On Waste, Temporality, and Violence

This essay explores how waste, pollution, and environmental destruction in Africa can be understood through the concept of the Anthropocene, the current geological era shaped by human activity. Using a uranium mine in Gabon as a case study, the author examines how waste materials connect deep geological time to everyday human experiences of environmental harm. The work highlights how pollution and resource extraction create lasting impacts that span generations and ecosystems.

Marine top predators as climate and ecosystem sentinels

This review examines how marine apex predators such as whales, seals, and seabirds can serve as sentinel species for monitoring ocean ecosystem health and climate change. Researchers argue that because these animals move across ocean basins and integrate information from multiple levels of the food chain, they provide uniquely valuable signals about environmental shifts. The study proposes a framework for using networks of marine predator sentinels to improve ocean management and early detection of ecosystem changes.

Biodegradation of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polylactic acid microplastics in Tenebrio molitor larvae: Physiological responses

Mealworms were fed three types of microplastics (PVC, polystyrene, and PLA) and successfully biodegraded all three, but with significant physiological costs including weight loss, reduced survival, and increased oxidative stress. PVC was the hardest to degrade and caused the most harm, while biodegradable PLA was the easiest and least damaging. The study shows that biological approaches to breaking down microplastics are possible but that certain plastic types generate toxic byproducts during the process.

Characterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human health

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution, covering sources, environmental distribution, detection methods, health effects, and regulatory efforts. Researchers found that microplastics are now present in virtually every environment on Earth, from deep oceans to remote mountain regions, and can carry harmful chemicals and pathogens. The study calls for coordinated global action to reduce plastic production, improve waste management, and establish health-based exposure limits.

Unraveling the threat: Microplastics and nano-plastics' impact on reproductive viability across ecosystems

This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect reproduction across many species, from aquatic invertebrates to mammals including humans. In males, exposure leads to testicular damage, lower sperm quality, and hormone disruption; in females, it causes ovarian and uterine problems, inflammation, and reduced fertility. The evidence also shows these reproductive harms can be passed to offspring, raising serious concerns about long-term effects on human fertility.

Molecular-Weight-Dependent Degradation of Plastics: Deciphering Host–Microbiome Synergy Biodegradation of High-Purity Polypropylene Microplastics by Mealworms

Researchers confirmed that mealworms can biodegrade polypropylene, one of the most common and persistent plastics, by working together with their gut bacteria. The study found that the worms could break down polypropylene across a range of molecular weights, though higher molecular weight plastics were harder to process. This biological degradation approach is promising for addressing microplastic pollution, as polypropylene is a major source of microplastics found in food, water, and human tissue.

Modeling the Conditional Fragmentation-Induced Microplastic Distribution

Researchers developed a new mathematical model to explain why microplastics in soil break down into specific size distributions rather than random patterns. By testing the model with real-world soil samples from Beijing, they found that microplastic fragmentation is controlled by environmental conditions, with human activities accelerating the breakdown into smaller pieces. The model can describe size distributions from various sources and aging processes, offering a useful tool for predicting how microplastic pollution evolves over time.

Effects of plastic aging on biodegradation of polystyrene by Tenebrio molitor larvae: Insights into gut microbiome and bacterial metabolism

Researchers showed that UV and freeze-thaw pretreatment of polystyrene microplastics modestly improved biodegradation by mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), but more notably reshaped the larvae's gut microbial communities and associated metabolic gene profiles, suggesting that plastic aging mainly affects how the gut microbiome adapts rather than dramatically changing degradation rates.