Papers

Environmental health science research: opportunities and challenges for some developing countries in Africa

This systematic review examines the challenges and opportunities in environmental health research across African countries. While broader than microplastics alone, the findings highlight that developing nations face significant gaps in monitoring pollutants, including plastic contamination, which means health risks may be underestimated in regions with less research infrastructure.

Towards a Reduced Pollution Society: Systematic Review on the Role of Storytelling, Social Media, Humor and Celebrities’ Influence for Research Communication

This systematic review explores how storytelling, humor, and celebrity influence can help communicate the dangers of pollution, including microplastics, to the public. The study found that these creative communication strategies can effectively raise awareness and motivate people to change behaviors that contribute to environmental and health problems.

From oceans to dinner plates: The impact of microplastics on human health

This review summarizes how microplastics travel from the environment to the human body through food, air, and skin contact. Ingesting microplastics has been linked to gut problems and hormone disruption, while inhaling airborne microplastics may affect the lungs and heart. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened microplastic pollution due to increased use of disposable masks and other plastic products.

Nanoparticles for targeted removal of emerging contaminants in wastewater: mechanisms and sustainable practices

This study investigates the use of biologically produced nanoparticles, such as silver and titanium dioxide particles made from plant extracts, for removing pollutants including microplastics from wastewater. The green-synthesized nanoparticles showed promising antibacterial and pollutant-degrading abilities, though challenges remain in scaling up production. Better wastewater treatment methods like these could help reduce the amount of microplastics and other harmful contaminants that reach drinking water sources.

Algal bloom-mediated microplastic dispersion in coastal areas of West Africa: Integrated insights and risk projections from molecular models and remote-sensed evaluations

This study used satellite data and molecular models to examine how algal blooms along the West African coast can trap and transport microplastics. The models predict that certain types of microplastics, particularly polycarbonate, bind strongly to algal proteins, meaning blooms could concentrate plastics and increase exposure risks for marine life. Since algal blooms are becoming more frequent due to climate change, this pathway could amplify how microplastics move through ocean food chains and ultimately reach people through seafood.

Adsorption of Organic Pollutants from Wastewater Using Chitosan-Based Adsorbents

This review examines how chitosan, a natural material made from shrimp and crab shells, can be used to remove organic pollutants including microplastics from wastewater. Different modified forms of chitosan can effectively absorb a range of contaminants like antibiotics, pesticides, and plastic particles from water. Since chitosan is biodegradable and non-toxic, it offers a sustainable alternative to chemical-based water treatment methods for reducing human exposure to microplastics and other pollutants.

Groundwater systems under siege: The silent invasion of microplastics and cock-tails worldwide

This review reveals that groundwater, a critical drinking water source for billions of people, is increasingly contaminated with microplastics from surface pollution seeping downward through soil. Unlike ocean and river pollution, groundwater microplastic contamination has received far less research attention, leaving major gaps in understanding how plastics migrate underground. The findings are alarming because contaminated groundwater directly enters drinking water supplies with little to no treatment in many regions.

Lycopene againsts the polystyrene microplastics-induced neurotoxicity via modulation of mTOR/Beclin-1 activities in adult male Wistar rats

Researchers found that lycopene, a natural compound found in tomatoes, protected rat brains from damage caused by polystyrene microplastics. The microplastics caused oxidative stress, disrupted neurotransmitter balance, and triggered harmful cellular processes in the brain, but lycopene treatment reversed many of these effects. This study suggests that antioxidant-rich foods might help protect against the brain-damaging effects of microplastic exposure.

Plant Disease Management: Leveraging on the Plant-Microbe-Soil Interface in the Biorational Use of Organic Amendments

This review discusses how organic soil amendments can help restore soil health and manage plant diseases by supporting beneficial microbial communities in the root zone. Researchers found that organic amendments improve the interactions between plants, soil microbes, and the surrounding soil environment, creating conditions less favorable for plant pathogens. The study emphasizes that sustainable agricultural practices that nurture soil biology may reduce the need for synthetic pesticides and plastics in farming.

Microplastics in the marine environment: Current trends in environmental pollution and mechanisms of toxicological profile

This review examines current trends in marine microplastic pollution and the mechanisms through which these particles cause toxicity in marine organisms. Researchers found that microplastics can cause physical damage to digestive tracts, transfer absorbed chemical pollutants to tissues, and trigger inflammatory and oxidative stress responses. The study highlights the growing scale of the problem as global plastic production continues to rise.

Environmental Pollutants and Oxidative Stress in Terrestrial and Aquatic Organisms: Examination of the Total Picture and Implications for Human Health

This comprehensive review examines how various environmental pollutants, including microplastics, toxic metals, and pesticides, induce oxidative stress in both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. The study highlights the interconnected pathways through which pollution-driven oxidative damage in wildlife may carry implications for understanding broader environmental health risks.

Advances and recent trends in plant-based materials and edible films: a mini-review

This review highlights recent advances in plant-based packaging materials and edible films made from natural polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. Researchers explored how 3D printing and functionalization strategies can enhance the mechanical strength, barrier properties, and shelf-life extension of these materials. The findings point toward a growing toolkit of biodegradable options that could help reduce plastic waste in food packaging.

Mitigation measures to avert the impacts of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment (a review)

This review examines the growing problem of plastic and microplastic pollution in marine environments and evaluates various mitigation strategies. The authors discuss approaches including reducing plastic production, improving waste management, developing biodegradable alternatives, and implementing cleanup technologies. The study emphasizes that a combination of prevention, policy intervention, and innovative solutions is needed to address the scale of marine plastic contamination.

Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on reproductive parameters of male rats

Researchers studied the chronic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on the reproductive system of male rats over 90 days. The study found significant reductions in sperm volume, motility, epididymal count, and serum testosterone levels, along with disrupted testicular architecture and decreased antioxidant capacity. The findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure may adversely affect male reproductive parameters in mammals.

Microplastics in agroecosystems-impacts on ecosystem functions and food chain

Exploring the toxicology, socio-ecological impacts and biodegradation of microplastics in Africa: Potentials for resource conservation

This review examines the production, toxicology, and socio-ecological impacts of microplastic pollution across Africa, where limited waste management infrastructure and weak policy enforcement intensify the problem. Researchers found that microplastics threaten aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, reduce fertility in organisms, and disrupt economic activities. The study calls for expanded recycling, upcycling, and biodegradation strategies tailored to the African context to mitigate plastic pollution.

Lycopene supplement mitigates polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs)-induced reproductive alteration in rats via modulation of steroidogenic enzymes, inhibition of apoptosis and oxido-inflammatory reaction

Researchers found that lycopene, a natural antioxidant found in tomatoes, helped protect male rats from reproductive damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure. The microplastics disrupted hormone levels and sperm quality, but lycopene supplementation reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in reproductive tissues. The study suggests that dietary antioxidants may help counteract some of the harmful reproductive effects associated with microplastic exposure.

Microplastic burden in Africa: A review of occurrence, impacts, and sustainability potential of bioplastics

Researchers reviewed the occurrence, impacts, and distribution of microplastic pollution across Africa, where over 70% of daily waste is mismanaged. The review found that microplastics facilitate environmental consequences including metal toxicity in aquatic environments and enter the food chain, while also discussing the potential of bioplastics as a more sustainable alternative.

Streptomycetes

This chapter reviews the potential of Streptomyces bacteria as a biological tool for environmental remediation, including the degradation of both conventional pollutants and emerging contaminants like microplastics and nanoplastics. Researchers examine the diverse enzymatic capabilities of streptomycetes, which naturally produce antibiotics, enzymes, and bioactive compounds useful for breaking down complex polymers and pollutants. The study highlights how this genus of actinomycetes could contribute to addressing plastic pollution through biodegradation.

Prospects and challenges of utilizing sugarcane bagasse as a bio-coagulant precursor for water treatment

This review examined the potential of sugarcane bagasse as an eco-friendly and cost-effective bio-coagulant precursor for water treatment, assessing its chemical properties, bioactive compounds, and the challenges that must be addressed for practical implementation.

Detection and occurrence of microplastics in the stomach of commercial fish species from a municipal water supply lake in southwestern Nigeria

Researchers screened and detected microplastics in the stomachs of commonly consumed fish from a Nigerian municipal water supply lake, providing baseline data for a region where such records are scarce and raising concerns about human dietary exposure.

Artificial intelligence for modeling and reducing microplastic in marine environments: A review of current evidence

This review examines how artificial intelligence is being applied to address marine microplastic pollution, including modeling accumulation zones, developing real-time detection systems using remote sensing and robotics, and creating AI-based filtration technologies. The study suggests that while AI holds significant promise for predicting microplastic flows and supporting targeted cleanup efforts, challenges remain around data availability, model refinement, and international collaboration.

Determinants of environmental changes in human-modified ecosystems: Effects of plastics on moisture gradients, nutrients, and clay properties

Researchers examined how plastic pollution affects soil properties in human-modified ecosystems through field experiments in China and Rwanda, combined with laboratory tests on clay mixed with PET microplastics. They found that microplastics altered the structural properties of natural clay, decreasing moisture content while increasing density and load-bearing capacity. The study suggests that plastic accumulation in soils can fundamentally change moisture gradients, nutrient availability, and physical soil characteristics.

Microplastic dynamics and risk projections in West African coastal areas: Developing a vulnerability index, adverse ecological pathways, and mitigation framework using remote-sensed oceanographic profiles

Researchers analyzed microplastic dynamics along West African coastal areas using remote-sensed oceanographic data from 2019 to 2024. They developed a vulnerability index to assess ecological risk and identified key environmental factors driving microplastic transport in the region. The study proposes a mitigation framework to help coastal communities and policymakers address this growing pollution challenge.