Papers

Do’s and don’ts of microplastic research: a comprehensive guide

This guide, created by surveying researchers in the field, addresses the biggest challenges in microplastic science, including the lack of standardized methods, limited access to analytical equipment, and difficulty replicating real-world exposure levels in lab tests. It provides best practices for defining, sampling, and testing the health effects of microplastics, aiming to make research more consistent and reliable across studies.

Nanomaterials and biochar mediated remediation of emerging contaminants

This review covers how nanomaterials and biochar can be used to remove emerging contaminants, including microplastics, from the environment through techniques like photocatalysis and enhanced filtration. Developing effective cleanup methods is critical because these contaminants can persist in water and soil for long periods, eventually reaching humans through food and drinking water.

Microfluidic Devices: A Tool for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Performance Evaluation

This review covers how tiny chip-like devices called microfluidic systems can be used to manufacture nanoparticles with precise control and then test their safety and effectiveness in realistic lab environments. While focused on medical nanoparticles, the technology is also relevant to studying how nanoplastics behave in biological systems.

Marine Plastic Waste in Construction: A Systematic Review of Applications in the Built Environment

This systematic review evaluates how recycled marine plastic waste can be used in construction materials like concrete, asphalt, bricks, and insulation. Reusing ocean plastics in buildings could help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the environment. While performance varies, this approach offers a promising way to address marine plastic waste while creating useful building materials.

Valorization of textile waste: non-woven structures and composites

This review explores how textile waste -- millions of tons discarded annually -- contributes to pollution in air, water, and soil, even when disposed of in landfills. The paper discusses ways to repurpose waste textiles from materials like polyester and nylon into useful products for construction, insulation, and agriculture. This is relevant to microplastic concerns because synthetic textiles are one of the largest sources of microfiber pollution, and finding ways to recycle them reduces the microplastics released into the environment.

Development of Smart Clothing to Prevent Pressure Injuries in Bedridden Persons and/or with Severely Impaired Mobility: 4NoPressure Research Protocol

This research protocol describes the development of smart clothing with embedded sensors for thermoregulation, pressure monitoring, and antibacterial properties to prevent pressure injuries in bedridden patients. The eight-phase project aims to create an innovative medical textile that actively reduces pressure ulcer risk.

A global synthesis of ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalve molluscs

Researchers conducted a global synthesis of ecosystem services provided by freshwater bivalve mollusks, compiling over 900 records from 69 countries. These species contribute important benefits including water filtration, food provisioning, and serving as biological indicators of water quality. The study also documented cases where invasive bivalve species disrupt ecosystem services, highlighting the complex role these organisms play in freshwater environments worldwide.

Wastewater Treatment of Real Effluents by Microfiltration Using Poly(vinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene) Membranes

Researchers developed a special polymer membrane (PVDF-HFP) for filtering industrial wastewater. The membrane effectively removed organic matter, reduced salinity by 50%, and captured heavy metals like nickel, cadmium, and lead with about 60% efficiency. This low-cost filtration approach shows promise as a practical pretreatment step for cleaning contaminated industrial water.

Bacterial biofilm attachment to sustainable carriers as a clean-up strategy for wastewater treatment: A review

This review covers the use of sustainable materials like bamboo, coconut husks, and volcanic rocks as surfaces for bacterial biofilms that clean wastewater. While focused on wastewater treatment technology rather than microplastics directly, better biological treatment systems could help remove microplastics from wastewater before it reaches rivers and oceans. Replacing conventional plastic carriers with natural materials also reduces the potential for treatment infrastructure itself to generate microplastic pollution.

Microbial degradation of dyes: An overview

Researchers reviewed microbial degradation of synthetic dyes — major industrial wastewater pollutants — summarizing the bacterial, fungal, and genetically engineered organism pathways involved in azo dye breakdown, and discussing factors such as pH, temperature, and co-substrate availability that govern decolorization efficiency.

Microplastics Biodegradation by Estuarine and Landfill Microbiomes

Researchers tested whether natural microbes from landfills and estuaries could break down common plastics. While one biodegradable plastic (PCL) was almost completely broken down in weeks, polyethylene and PET — the plastics most commonly found as microplastics — showed no significant degradation. This highlights how persistent everyday plastics are in the environment and why microplastic pollution continues to accumulate.

Plastic Pollution Meets Biological Invasions: A Systematic Review of Emerging Interactions

This systematic review summarizes research on how plastic pollution and invasive species interact in ecosystems. Plastic debris can transport invasive organisms to new environments, compounding ecological damage and potentially affecting the safety of food sources that humans rely on.

Piezoresistive materials based on natural polymers for medical device applications

This review explores how natural polymer-based materials with piezoresistive properties, meaning they change electrical resistance under pressure, can be used in flexible medical sensors. Researchers highlight how these materials offer advantages over synthetic alternatives because they are biocompatible and reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics. The study suggests these natural polymer sensors could play a growing role in wearable health monitoring devices.

Evaluation of Heavy Metal Content in Plastic Bags Used as Improvised Food Cooking Covers: A Case Study from the Mozambican Community

Researchers analyzed plastic bags commonly used as improvised food cooking covers in Mozambican communities and found they contained concerning levels of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium. When heated during cooking, these metals can leach into food, posing health risks to consumers. The study underscores the dangers of using non-food-grade plastics in food preparation, particularly in communities where safer alternatives may not be readily available.

Decolorization and Detoxification of Industrial Wastewater Containing Indigo Carmine by Aspergillus niger AN400 in Sequential Reactors

Researchers used immobilized Aspergillus niger fungus in a series of reactors to treat real textile wastewater containing indigo carmine dye. The system achieved up to 93 percent color removal and produced an effluent that was less toxic than the untreated wastewater. The study demonstrates that biological treatment methods can be effective and practical alternatives to energy-intensive conventional approaches for cleaning textile industry waste.

Nanocellulose Bio-Based Composites for Food Packaging

This review explores the use of nanocellulose-based bio-composites as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastic packaging in the food industry. Researchers found that nanocellulose materials offer improved mechanical strength, barrier properties, and biodegradability compared to conventional plastics. The study highlights how these plant-derived materials could help reduce plastic packaging waste while maintaining food quality and safety standards.

Plastic Interactions with Pollutants and Consequences to Aquatic Ecosystems: What We Know and What We Do Not Know

Researchers reviewed the interactions between plastic debris and environmental pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, examining what is known and what knowledge gaps remain. The study analyzed how plastics can adsorb and transport various contaminants, potentially altering their bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic organisms. The review highlights that the non-biodegradable nature of plastics means they may persist for thousands of years, serving as long-term vectors for pollutant transport.

Bio-Inspired Eco-Composite Materials Seaweed Waste Integration for Sustainable Structural Applications

Researchers developed biodegradable substrates incorporating seaweed residue for cultivating algae in marine environments, aiming to address both plastic pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Adding algae powder accelerated degradation in seawater, with up to 12% mass loss after two months of immersion. The study suggests these bio-inspired composites could serve dual purposes: supporting marine algae growth while gradually breaking down instead of persisting as plastic waste.

Quantitative image analysis for assessing extracellular polymeric substances in activated sludge under atrazine exposure

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Researchers developed biodegradable composite films using pectin combined with waste materials from cork stoppers, coffee grounds, and walnut shells as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. The films showed antioxidant properties, were non-genotoxic, and biodegraded effectively in both soil and seawater within weeks. The study demonstrates that food industry and agricultural waste can be repurposed into functional, environmentally friendly packaging materials.

Nanosafety: An Evolving Concept to Bring the Safest Possible Nanomaterials to Society and Environment

Researchers reviewed the evolving field of nanosafety, examining approaches to evaluate the potential toxicity and risks of nanomaterials used across industries including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture. The study discusses how traditional toxicological methods are being adapted alongside new nanotoxicology approaches to assess immunotoxicity and genotoxicity of nanomaterials. The review highlights the need for comprehensive safety frameworks as the rapid development of new nanomaterials continues to outpace our understanding of their potential health effects.

Review of the globally invasive freshwater mussels in the genus Sinanodonta Modell, 1945

Researchers synthesize knowledge about Sinanodonta freshwater mussels — native to East Asia but now invasively spreading through Europe, Central America, and North Africa — examining how traits like high reproduction rates and fish-dependent larvae dispersal fuel their spread. These invasive mussels threaten native species through larval parasitism and competition, but their full ecological impact remains poorly quantified.

Microplastics and silver nanoparticles compromise detrital food chains in streams through effects on microbial decomposers and invertebrate detritivores

Researchers tested how microplastics and silver nanoparticles, both common pollutants from personal care products, affect stream food webs built around decomposing leaf litter. They found that both pollutants, alone and in combination, reduced fungal decomposition and harmed invertebrate feeding and growth, disrupting the base of the food chain. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of these contaminants in freshwater could impair nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems.

Exploring Microbial-Based Green Nanobiotechnology for Wastewater Remediation: A Sustainable Strategy

This review examines how microbial-based green nanotechnology can serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment methods. Researchers found that nanoparticles synthesized using microorganisms offer a cost-effective, eco-friendly approach to removing a broad range of water contaminants. The study compares the performance of these green nanomaterials against traditional treatment methods across factors like reusability, efficiency, and scalability.