Papers

Stability and dispersibility of microplastics in experimental exposure medium and their dimensional characterization by SMLS, SAXS, Raman microscopy, and SEM

Scientists tested how microplastics behave when suspended in biological fluids containing proteins, which is closer to real-world conditions inside the body. They found that protein coatings on microplastic surfaces actually promoted the formation of even smaller nanoplastic debris over time. This matters for human health because these secondary nanoplastics may be small enough to cross biological barriers and enter cells more easily.

Soil pollution in the European Union – An outlook

This review assesses the state of soil pollution across the European Union, finding that contamination from heavy metals, pesticides, and emerging pollutants like microplastics is widespread but poorly monitored. The authors call for standardized measurement methods and updated regulations, noting that soil pollution can affect human health through contaminated crops and drinking water.

Impacts of microplastics and the associated plastisphere on physiological, biochemical, genetic expression and gut microbiota of the filter-feeder amphioxus

Researchers exposed filter-feeding amphioxus to weathered microplastics colonized by natural marine biofilms and found significant impacts on physiology, biochemistry, and gut microbiota under starvation conditions. The weathered plastics with their attached microbial communities caused more disruption than pristine particles typically used in lab studies. The findings suggest that real-world microplastic pollution, complete with its biofilm coating, may pose greater risks to marine filter feeders than laboratory experiments usually indicate.

A Synthesis of Global Coastal Ocean Greenhouse Gas Fluxes

This large-scale study measured greenhouse gas exchanges between the coastal ocean and atmosphere, finding that while coastal waters absorb carbon dioxide, they also release nitrous oxide and methane that offset much of that climate benefit. While focused on greenhouse gases rather than microplastics, the study is relevant because climate change and ocean chemistry changes affect how microplastics behave in marine environments. Warming oceans and changing chemistry could influence how microplastics break down and move through the food chain.

Exploring the Interaction of Human α-Synuclein with Polyethylene Nanoplastics: Insights from Computational Modeling and Experimental Corroboration

Researchers used computer simulations and lab experiments to study how polyethylene nanoplastics interact with alpha-synuclein, a brain protein linked to neurodegenerative conditions. They found that nanoplastics caused the protein to change its shape and form a compact structure that interacts more strongly with itself, potentially promoting clumping. The study suggests a possible mechanism by which nanoplastics could influence protein behavior in the brain, though the health implications remain to be determined.

Copepods' true colors: astaxanthin pigmentation as an indicator of fitness

This review explores how carotenoid pigmentation, particularly the molecule astaxanthin, serves as a visible indicator of health and fitness in copepods, a dominant type of zooplankton. Researchers found that the bright red-orange coloring in copepods is linked to their ability to handle environmental stressors like UV radiation and oxidative damage. The study proposes that pigmentation could be used as a simple, practical tool for assessing the overall condition of zooplankton populations in aquatic ecosystems.

Spatial variability of Saharan dust deposition revealed through a citizen science campaign

Researchers used a citizen science campaign to collect dust-on-snow samples across the Pyrenees and Alps following a major Saharan dust event in February 2021. They found that the amount and particle size of deposited dust decreased with distance from the source, and south-facing slopes accumulated more dust. The study demonstrates how citizen science can fill gaps in understanding atmospheric dust transport, which also carries microplastics and other pollutants across long distances.

Mission Tara Microplastics: a holistic set of protocols and data resources for the field investigation of plastic pollution along the land-sea continuum in Europe

Researchers present a comprehensive set of sampling protocols from the Tara Microplastics mission, which investigated plastic pollution along nine major European rivers by measuring microplastic concentrations, microbial communities, and biophysicochemical parameters along salinity gradients.

A Pan-European study of the bacterial plastisphere diversity along river-to-sea continuums

Researchers conducted a large-scale study of bacterial communities living on microplastic surfaces along river-to-sea pathways in nine major European rivers during the Tara Microplastics mission. They found that microplastics can transport freshwater bacteria into marine environments, representing a potential dispersal mechanism for microorganisms across ecosystems. The study highlights that the plastisphere community composition shifts along the river-sea continuum.

An integrated metabolomics and proteogenomics approach reveals molecular alterations following carbamazepine exposure in the male mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

An isotope dilution mass spectrometry overview: tips and applications for the measurement of radionuclides

This review provides a guide to isotope dilution mass spectrometry and its applications for measuring radionuclides. Researchers critically evaluate the technique's strengths and limitations across various analytical contexts. The study serves as a practical resource for scientists working on precise radionuclide measurements in environmental and nuclear monitoring applications.

Toxicity of polycaprolactone nanoplastics, pristine or weathered in environmental conditions, to human intestinal epithelial cells, in vitro

Researchers tested whether nanoplastics made from polycaprolactone — a biodegradable plastic — harmed human colon cells in lab conditions, including cells engineered to mimic genetic susceptibility to Crohn's disease, and found only mild toxicity even after the plastics were artificially aged to simulate environmental weathering. The results suggest that biodegradable nanoplastics may be less harmful to gut cells than conventional plastics, though longer-term and in vivo studies are still needed.

Role of the Protein Corona in the Colloidal Behavior of Microplastics

Researchers investigated how protein coronas form on polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in biological media, finding that proteins act as surfactants that alter the colloidal behavior and stability of microplastics in aquatic environments.

Microbial Diversity and Activity During the Biodegradation in Seawater of Various Substitutes to Conventional Plastic Cotton Swab Sticks

This study examined microbial community composition and biodegradation activity in seawater during degradation of several biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic cotton swabs, finding that material type shaped which microbial taxa were enriched and that degradation rates varied substantially across substitute materials.

Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity

This study evaluated the relative influence of plastic debris size, shape, chemical composition, and environmental conditions on the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics (the plastisphere). Results showed that multiple plastic properties and environmental factors jointly shape which microorganisms colonize plastic surfaces in the marine environment.

Bacterial Abundance, Diversity and Activity During Long-Term Colonization of Non-biodegradable and Biodegradable Plastics in Seawater

Biofilm communities on conventional (polyethylene and polystyrene) and biodegradable plastics were tracked over 7 months of seawater immersion, finding highly abundant and diverse plastisphere communities on all polymer types but limited evidence of active plastic biodegradation under natural marine conditions.

Biodegradability under marine conditions of bio-based and petroleum-based polymers as substitutes of conventional microparticles

Analysis of chlordecone and its transformation products in environmental waters by a new SPME-GC-MS method and comparison with LLE-GC-MS/MS and LLE-LC-MS/MS: A case study in the French West Indies

Researchers developed a new analytical method to detect chlordecone — a banned but long-persistent pesticide still contaminating soil and water in the French West Indies — along with its breakdown products, which had previously been underdetected. The study found that existing routine monitoring methods may overestimate or underestimate certain compounds, calling for improved standardized protocols to accurately track this toxic legacy pollutant.

The Impact of Virgin and Aged Microstructured Plastics on Proteins: The Case of Hemoglobin Adsorption and Oxygenation

This study compared the effects of virgin and aged microstructured plastics on primary productivity in aquatic environments, finding that weathered plastics had greater inhibitory effects on algal growth than pristine particles. Aging altered particle surface chemistry in ways that increased toxicity to photosynthetic organisms.

Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems

Researchers from the Tara Pacific expedition collected nearly 58,000 samples from coral reefs and ocean surface waters across 32 Pacific islands between 2016 and 2018, creating a massive open-access dataset for studying ocean ecosystems. This publicly available resource allows scientists worldwide to investigate a wide range of questions about coral reef health, ocean biodiversity, and environmental change.

Polyethylene nanoplastic-protein interactions assessed via corona adsorption isotherms from Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)

Computing marine plankton connectivity under thermal constraints

Researchers modeled how temperature constraints affect marine plankton dispersal by combining Lagrangian particle tracking with network theory, finding that while thermal limits reduced connectivity between ocean sampling stations, plankton could navigate slightly longer pathways to stay within favorable thermal ranges.

Tara Mission Microplastics rDNA 18S V9 ASV table (DADA2)

Researchers released an 18S V9 amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table generated via DADA2 from the Tara Mission Microplastics expedition, providing a eukaryotic community dataset linked to microplastic-associated samples across global ocean transects. The dataset includes contextual metadata on sampling protocols, temperature, and nutrient concentrations to facilitate ecological analysis of plastisphere communities.

Tara Mission Microplastics rDNA 18S V9 ASV table (DADA2)

Researchers released an 18S V9 amplicon sequence variant (ASV) table generated via DADA2 from the Tara Mission Microplastics expedition, providing a eukaryotic community dataset linked to microplastic-associated samples across global ocean transects. The dataset is a duplicate record of the same Tara Mission Microplastics 18S V9 ASV table, including contextual data and phyloseq-formatted outputs.