Papers

Microplastics alter the equilibrium of plant-soil-microbial system: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to show that microplastics disrupt the balance between plants, soil, and soil microbes. The effects vary depending on the type, size, and concentration of microplastics, suggesting that these tiny plastic particles can alter how nutrients cycle through the soil and ultimately affect the food we grow.

Microplastics in soils: A comprehensive review

This comprehensive review summarizes what is known about microplastics in soil, covering their sources from agriculture, household waste, and industry, as well as how they move through and accumulate in different soil types. The review finds that current methods for measuring soil microplastics are inconsistent, making it difficult to accurately assess the true scale of contamination and its risks to food safety and human health.

A critical review of the adsorption-desorption characteristics of antibiotics on microplastics and their combined toxic effects

This systematic review examines how microplastics absorb and release antibiotics in the environment, and the combined toxic effects of this interaction. When microplastics carrying antibiotics are ingested by living organisms, they may promote antibiotic resistance and cause greater harm than either pollutant alone, which is a growing concern for human health.

Surface change of microplastics in aquatic environment and the removal by froth flotation assisted with cationic and anionic surfactants

This study found that microplastics become less water-repellent after months of sitting in natural river water due to surface weathering and mineral buildup, which makes them harder to remove by flotation methods. The researchers then showed that adding surfactants (soap-like chemicals) could restore the microplastics' water-repellent properties and make flotation effective again. This work advances practical methods for cleaning microplastics out of contaminated water.

Machine learning: Next promising trend for microplastics study

This review explains how machine learning -- a type of artificial intelligence -- is being applied to microplastics research to speed up identification, predict pollution patterns, and analyze environmental risks. Traditional methods of identifying microplastics are slow and labor-intensive, but machine learning can process large datasets much faster and more accurately. Better detection tools are important because they help scientists understand the true scale of human microplastic exposure.

Cellular absorption of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization and the toxicity to RAW264.7 macrophage cells

Researchers tested how polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface coatings affect immune cells (macrophages) and found that positively charged amino-coated particles were the most toxic. All types of nanoplastics were absorbed into the cells, but the amino-coated ones caused the most cell membrane damage, oxidative stress, and cell death through a mitochondrial pathway. This matters because it shows that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, not just their size, determines how dangerous they are to immune cells that serve as the body's first line of defense.

Plastic pollution induced by the COVID-19: Environmental challenges and outlook

Researchers used bibliometric analysis to map research on plastic pollution generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that wealthier nations led early inquiry while developing countries followed, and revealing that pandemic-related plastics — from masks to medical waste — are creating cascading contamination from land to ocean to atmosphere.

Microplastics in arid soils: Impact of different cropping systems (Altay, Xinjiang)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmland soils in an arid region of China, finding extremely high concentrations averaging over 52,000 particles per kilogram of soil. Polyethylene from plastic mulch film accounted for over 90% of the microplastics, with fields growing tall crops like sunflower and maize showing more contamination than potato fields. The study demonstrates that agricultural plastic mulch use is a major source of soil microplastic pollution, particularly in arid farming regions.

Microplastics and their interaction with microorganisms in Bosten Lake sediment

Researchers conducted the first study of microplastic contamination in the sediment of Bosten Lake in China, finding plastics throughout the lake with the highest levels near populated areas. The most common types were PET and polyethylene, primarily in fiber form. Certain bacteria associated with plastic breakdown were more abundant in heavily contaminated areas, but the presence of microplastics in this freshwater system raises concerns about their entry into the food chain.

Involvement of the JNK/HO‑1/FTH1 signaling pathway in nanoplastic‑induced inflammation and ferroptosis of BV2 microglia cells

Researchers found that nanoplastics triggered both inflammation and a type of cell death called ferroptosis in brain immune cells (microglia) grown in the lab. The nanoplastics activated a specific signaling pathway (JNK/HO-1/FTH1) that disrupted iron metabolism in the cells. These findings suggest nanoplastics could contribute to neuroinflammation, which is relevant to understanding potential brain health effects of plastic pollution.

Visual observation of polystyrene nano-plastics in grape seedlings of Thompson Seedless and assessing their effects via transcriptomics and metabolomics

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that polystyrene nanoplastics can be absorbed by grapevine roots and transported throughout the plant, reaching the leaves. The nanoplastics disrupted the plants' metabolism and activated stress-response pathways. This finding is important because it shows nanoplastics from contaminated soil could enter the food chain through grapes and other fruit crops.

Comparative study on the adsorption and desorption behaviors of quinolone pollutants on polystyrene microplastics of different particle sizes

Researchers compared how polystyrene microplastics of different particle sizes adsorb and release the antibiotic pollutants ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin. The study found that smaller microplastics had higher adsorption capacity due to greater surface area and charge, and that pollutants were harder to release from smaller particles, suggesting that fine microplastics may more effectively transport antibiotic contaminants through aquatic environments.

The dual role of alginate extracellular polymeric substances in cleaner flotation of marine microplastics: Modulating microplastic hydrophilicity and microbubble stability

The Microplastic–PFAS Nexus: From Co-Occurrence to Combined Toxicity in Aquatic Environments

This review examines the interconnected environmental behavior of microplastics and PFAS ("forever chemicals"), showing that microplastics can act as carriers, concentrators, and secondary sources of PFAS contamination. Researchers found that co-exposure to both pollutants often produces synergistic toxic effects in aquatic organisms, disrupting processes from photosynthesis to neurological development. The study argues that current regulations assessing these pollutants individually are inadequate and must evolve to address their combined effects.

Comparison of adsorption of seven ionic organic pollutants on polystyrene and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics: UV aging mechanism and role of charge-assisted hydrogen bond

Combined exposure to microplastics and amitriptyline induced abnormal behavioral responses and oxidative stress in the eyes of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microplastics, the antidepressant amitriptyline, and their combination to assess behavioral and oxidative stress effects. The study found that combined exposure significantly increased locomotor activity and shoaling behavior while decreasing antioxidant enzyme levels in the eyes, suggesting that microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants together may produce additive toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

Comparing the adsorption of methyl orange and malachite green on similar yet distinct polyamide microplastics: Uncovering hydrogen bond interactions

Researchers compared how two polyamide microplastic types adsorb anionic and cationic dyes in aquatic environments, finding that hydrogen bonding is the primary interaction mechanism. The study revealed that polyamide 6 formed more hydrogen bonds with dyes than polyamide 66, resulting in higher adsorption capacity, and that pH strongly influenced which dye dominated in competitive adsorption scenarios.

Accelerated aging of polyvinyl chloride microplastics by UV irradiation: Aging characteristics, filtrate analysis, and adsorption behavior

Researchers systematically investigated how UV irradiation ages polyvinyl chloride microplastics, characterizing changes in their physical and chemical properties and the organic matter they release. The study established quantitative relationships between the degree of aging and the capacity of microplastics to adsorb environmental pollutants like malachite green and sulfamethoxazole, providing a tool for predicting contaminant accumulation on weathered microplastics in natural environments.

A comprehensive review of separation technologies for waste plastics in urban mine

Microplastic contamination in fermented beverages: A case study of kvass

Researchers used micro-FTIR spectroscopy to characterize microplastics in kvass, a popular fermented beverage. The study found an average of about 82 microplastic particles per liter, with various polymer types and sizes detected, suggesting that fermented beverages represent a previously underexamined route of dietary microplastic exposure.

Comparison of rhodamine B adsorption and desorption on the aged non-degradable and degradable microplastics: Effects of charge-assisted hydrogen bond and underline mechanism

Researchers compared how the dye rhodamine B adsorbs and desorbs from aged versus fresh forms of both degradable and non-degradable microplastics. They found that UV aging increased adsorption capacity across all plastic types by creating rougher surfaces and more oxygen-containing functional groups. The study reveals that charge-assisted hydrogen bonding plays a key role in how aged microplastics interact with cationic organic pollutants in the environment.

UV and chemical aging alter the adsorption behavior of microplastics for tetracycline

Researchers found that UV and chemical aging significantly increased microplastics' capacity to adsorb tetracycline, with biodegradable PBAT showing more dramatic changes in surface properties and adsorption behavior compared to conventional plastics like polystyrene and polyethylene.

From Soil to Table: Pathways, Influencing Factors, and Human Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastic Uptake by Plants in Terrestrial Ecosystems

This review traces the pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics move from soil into food crops in terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers found that plants absorb these particles through roots and atmospheric deposition, with adverse effects on plant growth and development, raising concerns about food chain contamination and human health risks from consuming affected crops.

Adsorption behavior of UV aged microplastics on the heavy metals Pb(II) and Cu(II) in aqueous solutions

Researchers examined how UV aging affects the adsorption of lead and copper onto polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene microplastics, finding that aging creates new oxidation functional groups that enhance heavy metal adsorption capacity.