Papers

Interactions Between Microplastic and Heavy Metals in the Aquatic Environment: Implications for Toxicity and Mitigation Strategies

Integration of machine learning and meta-analysis reveals the behaviors and mechanisms of antibiotic adsorption on microplastics

Combining meta-analysis of 6,805 records with machine learning, this study found that polyamide microplastics have the highest capacity to adsorb antibiotics via hydrogen bonding, with chlortetracycline showing the strongest affinity to microplastic surfaces. Particle size, pH, and pollutant concentrations were the key factors governing adsorption, and the study deployed a predictive tool for estimating antibiotic loading on microplastics.

How does the climate change effect on hydropower potential, freshwater fisheries, and hydrological response of snow on water availability?

This review examines how climate change affects water resources, hydropower potential, and freshwater fisheries in snow-fed river basins. While not directly about microplastics, the paper is relevant because changes in water flow and temperature can alter how microplastics are transported and concentrated in rivers and lakes. Understanding these hydrological shifts helps predict where microplastic pollution may worsen as the climate changes.

Interactive effects of hydrodynamics and microplastics on bioaccumulation, histopathological alterations, biomarker responses, and gene expression in grass carp brain

This study found that water flow conditions significantly affect how microplastics accumulate in fish brains, with faster-moving water increasing the uptake of polystyrene particles. Fish exposed to microplastics under high water velocity showed the most severe brain damage, oxidative stress, and changes in gene activity. The findings suggest that environmental conditions like water speed need to be considered when assessing the real-world risks of microplastic pollution to aquatic life and the food chain.

Polystyrene microplastics alter the behavior, energy reserve and nutritional composition of marine jacopever (Sebastes schlegelii)

Researchers exposed juvenile jacopever fish to polystyrene microplastics and observed significant changes in feeding behavior, swimming activity, and energy reserves. The fish took longer to find food, moved less, and showed reduced levels of stored energy and altered nutritional composition in their tissues. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can impair the basic survival behaviors and overall fitness of marine fish.

Polystyrene microplastics induced male reproductive toxicity and transgenerational effects in freshwater prawn

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused significant reproductive harm in male freshwater prawns, including oxidative stress in testis tissue, hormonal imbalances, and reduced sperm quality. Notably, the offspring of exposed prawns also showed reduced survival and weakened immunity even when they were not directly exposed to microplastics. The study reveals that microplastic exposure can produce transgenerational effects in aquatic organisms, passing harm from parents to offspring.

Ecotoxicological effects of emerging pollutants (nanomaterials and microplastics) on fish biology

This review compiles current knowledge on how emerging pollutants including nanomaterials and microplastics affect fish biology, covering impacts on physiology, behavior, and molecular function. Researchers highlight that advanced methods like genomics and micro-CT imaging are revealing new details about how these pollutants damage fish at the cellular and tissue level. The study underscores the growing threat these contaminants pose to aquatic ecosystems and the fish species within them.

A review of microplastics pollution in the soil and terrestrial ecosystems: A global and Bangladesh perspective

This review examined microplastic pollution in soils and terrestrial ecosystems from both global and Bangladesh perspectives. Researchers found that while microplastics are well-studied in aquatic environments, their presence in agricultural soils poses a largely unexplored threat to food safety, with evidence suggesting microplastics can transfer from soil through terrestrial agriculture into the human food chain.

Flow-dependent modulation of microplastic toxicity in grass carp: Insights from multi-level biological endpoints and machine learning

Researchers studied how water flow conditions affect microplastic toxicity in grass carp, finding that faster-moving water significantly worsened the harmful effects of polystyrene microplastics. Fish exposed to microplastics under high water velocity showed more severe gill damage, intestinal inflammation, immune system activation, and shifts in gut bacteria compared to still-water conditions. The study suggests that real-world flowing water environments may amplify the biological impact of microplastic pollution on freshwater fish.

Potential use of gammarus (Pontogammarus maeoticus) and shrimp (Palaemon elegans) as biomonitors of microplastics pollution in coastal environments

Researchers investigated whether two crustacean species, gammarus and shrimp, could serve as biological indicators of microplastic pollution in coastal environments. They found microplastics in both organisms as well as in surrounding water and sediment, with fibers being the dominant type. The study suggests these common coastal species could be useful biomonitors for tracking microplastic contamination levels in marine ecosystems.

Effects of polystyrene microspheres on the swimming behavior and metabolism of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers exposed juvenile grass carp to polystyrene microspheres of different sizes and measured effects on swimming ability, metabolism, and oxidative stress. They found that smaller particles caused more severe impairment to swimming performance and triggered greater metabolic disruption over time. The study suggests that the size of microplastic particles matters significantly when assessing their potential harm to freshwater fish.

Molecularly Engineered Covalent Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Peroxide Photosynthesis

Researchers developed a covalent organic framework photocatalyst for producing hydrogen peroxide from water and air using solar energy, achieving a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of up to 1.08%. The resulting hydrogen peroxide solution was capable of degrading pollutants. While not directly about microplastics, this research presents a potentially useful technology for environmental remediation including pollutant degradation in water systems.

Assessing microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: Sources, effects, and nature-based solution. A review

Mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Semen cuscutae in treating recurrent spontaneous abortion based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Researchers used network pharmacology and molecular docking to investigate how compounds from the traditional Chinese medicine Semen cuscutae may interact with inflammatory targets related to recurrent spontaneous abortion. The study identified sesamin as a key compound that showed strong binding affinity to relevant molecular targets, providing a theoretical basis for further investigation of this traditional remedy.

The role of organisms’ size in microplastic pollution monitoring: Insights from Mytilaster lineatus and Amphibalanus improvisus

Researchers compared two small filter-feeding organisms, the mussel Mytilaster lineatus and the barnacle Amphibalanus improvisus, as potential bioindicators of microplastic pollution in the Caspian Sea. Microplastics were found in all water, sediment, and organism samples, with barnacles accumulating higher concentrations per gram of body weight than mussels. Smaller organisms showed a stronger correlation with waterborne microplastic levels, suggesting that organism size matters when selecting species for pollution monitoring.

Hydrodynamic modulation of microplastic bioaccumulation in edible fish: Integrating biomarker networks, machine learning, and food safety perspectives

Scientists found that fish in faster-moving water absorb much more microplastic pollution than fish in still water, and these fish also showed more tissue damage and health problems. This matters because many of the fish we eat live in rivers and streams with flowing water, which means they could contain higher levels of harmful microplastics than previous studies suggested. The research shows we may be underestimating how much plastic pollution is getting into our seafood.

Microplastics abundance, distribution and composition in surface waters, sediments and fish species from Amir˗Kalayeh Wetland, Northern Iran

This study examined microplastic pollution in surface waters, sediments, and fish species from Amir-Kalayeh Wetland in Northern Iran. Researchers found microplastics across all sampled compartments, with varying abundance and composition, highlighting that wetland ecosystems are also susceptible to widespread microplastic contamination.

Exposure to microplastics impairs fish's major behaviors. A novel threat to aquatic ecosystem

This review synthesises evidence on how microplastic exposure alters key behaviours in fish including feeding, reproduction, predator avoidance, and social interaction. It identifies neurological disruption, chemical co-toxicity, and gut effects as primary mechanisms, and highlights exposure to realistic environmental concentrations as an ongoing knowledge gap.

Microplastic and nanoparticles contaminated feed impairs common carp (Cyprinus carpio) growth performance and metabolic regulation

[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Multi-environmental Media and <i>Bellamya aeruginosa</i> of Manao River].

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in water, sediment, and the snail Bellamya aeruginosa from multiple environmental compartments of the Manao River in China, finding microplastics across all matrices with the snail accumulating higher concentrations than surrounding water.

[Occurrence Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Surface Water, Sediments, and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Huangbai River].

This Chinese study examined microplastic contamination across water, sediment, and bottom-dwelling invertebrates in the Huangbai River, finding widespread pollution at all levels. On average, each invertebrate contained roughly 2 microplastic particles, mostly fiber-shaped and under 500 micrometers. The feeding behavior of different invertebrate groups — whether they filter water, shred debris, or scrape surfaces — influenced how many microplastics they accumulated, showing that diet and ecology shape exposure. The findings demonstrate that microplastics are moving through freshwater food webs, not just sitting in the water or sediment.

[Distribution, Respiratory Exposure, and Traceability of Atmospheric Microplastics in Yichang City].

Researchers sampled airborne microplastics at 16 locations across Yichang City, China, and found them in every area, with the highest concentrations settling over urban residential neighborhoods. The particles were mostly polyester fibers and came predominantly from nearby sources rather than long-range transport. Daily inhalation estimates were calculated for both adults and children, highlighting indoor and outdoor respiratory exposure as a meaningful human health concern that warrants tighter monitoring.

[Assessment of Microplastic Pollution and Estimation of Annual Emission Volume in the Dongshan Canal of Yichang City].

Researchers sampled the Dongshan Canal in the Chinese city of Yichang and found microplastic concentrations averaging around 5,000–7,300 particles per cubic meter, dominated by tiny fibers smaller than 0.5 mm made mostly of polyethylene and PET. The canal is estimated to transport roughly 3.4 tonnes of microplastics into the Yangtze River every year, with laundry wastewater, personal care products, and discarded plastics identified as the main sources. The study illustrates how urban waterways act as continuous conduits delivering microplastic pollution into major river systems.

Ultrastable Co-NC membrane for sterilization of Escherichia coli in flowing water

Researchers built a durable membrane embedded with cobalt nanoparticles that, when combined with a chemical activator, eliminated 99.9999% of E. coli bacteria in continuously flowing water and maintained over 96% effectiveness after 40 uses. The membrane works by generating high-energy reactive species that penetrate bacterial cell walls, offering a promising tool for real-world water disinfection.