Papers

Fate, abundance and ecological risks of microcystins in aquatic environment: The implication of microplastics

This review explores how microplastics in water can interact with microcystins, highly toxic compounds produced by harmful algal blooms, by adsorbing and transporting them through aquatic environments. The combination poses increased risks to human health because microplastics can carry these dangerous toxins into drinking water sources and through the food chain.

Targeted activation of ErbB4 receptor ameliorates neuronal deficits and neuroinflammation in a food-borne polystyrene microplastic exposed mouse model

In mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics through food, researchers found significant brain inflammation and cognitive problems, but activating a specific brain receptor (ErbB4) with a small molecule drug helped reverse these effects. This suggests that microplastic exposure through diet may contribute to brain damage, and points toward possible treatments for microplastic-related neurological harm.

Ferroptosis participated in inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics-induced liver injury and fibrosis

Mice that inhaled polystyrene nanoplastics for up to 12 weeks developed liver injury and scarring (fibrosis), with damage worsening over time and at higher doses. The nanoplastics triggered a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis, which involves iron-dependent damage to cell membranes in the liver. This is one of the first studies to show that breathing in nanoplastics can cause serious liver damage, raising concerns about long-term health effects from airborne plastic pollution.

Polystyrene microplastics enhanced the toxicity of cadmium to rice seedlings: Evidence from rice growth, physiology, and element metabolism

Polystyrene microplastics combined with cadmium -- a toxic heavy metal -- caused more damage to rice seedlings than either pollutant alone, reducing growth and disrupting the balance of essential nutrients. At higher concentrations, the microplastics significantly increased how much cadmium the plants absorbed into their above-ground parts. This matters for human health because rice is a staple food for billions of people, and microplastic-contaminated farmland could lead to higher heavy metal levels in the food supply.

Self-powered portable photoelectrochemical sensor based on dual-photoelectrode for microplastics detection

Researchers developed a portable, self-powered sensor that can detect polystyrene microplastics in water at concentrations as low as 1 part per billion. The sensor works without batteries by using light energy and maintains over 97% accuracy even when other pollutants are present. Better detection tools like this could help monitor microplastic contamination in drinking water and food systems, which is a key step toward understanding and reducing human exposure.

The Development of Yellow Mealworm (<scp><i>Tenebrio molitor</i></scp>) as a Cheap and Simple Model to Evaluate Acute Toxicity, Locomotor Activity Changes, and Metabolite Profile Alterations Induced by Nanoplastics of Different Sizes

Researchers developed yellow mealworms as a simple, low-cost model for testing nanoplastic toxicity and found that 100-nanometer particles were more lethal and caused more metabolic disruption than 20-nanometer ones. The nanoplastics altered key metabolic pathways involving fatty acids and energy production in the mealworms. While this is an insect study, the size-dependent toxicity patterns could help predict how different-sized nanoplastics might affect biological systems, including human cells.

Microplastics at an environmentally relevant dose enhance mercury toxicity in a marine copepod under multigenerational exposure: Multi-omics perspective

Researchers exposed tiny marine organisms called copepods to microplastics and mercury together across three generations at levels found in the environment. While microplastics alone had little effect, they made mercury much more toxic by increasing how much mercury built up in the organisms' bodies. This study shows that microplastics can act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants, with the damage worsening over generations.

Multi-dimensional evaluation of cardiotoxicity in mice following respiratory exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nanoplastics through inhalation and found that even short-term breathing exposure caused heart damage, including inflammation and weakened heart function. The damage got worse with higher doses and longer exposure times, with energy production in heart cells being disrupted through mitochondrial damage. This is one of the first studies to show that breathing in nanoplastics can directly harm the heart, raising concerns about airborne plastic particle exposure in humans.

YTHDF2-mediated regulations bifurcate BHPF-induced programmed cell deaths

Researchers found that BHPF, a chemical substitute for BPA commonly used in plastic manufacturing, was detected in 14% of pregnant women's blood samples and caused heart and blood vessel defects in zebrafish embryos. The chemical works by disrupting a key RNA-regulating protein, triggering different types of cell death in different tissues. This study raises concerns that BPA replacement chemicals in plastics may not be safer and could pose risks to developing babies.

Melatonin prevents the transgenerational toxicity of nanoplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This zebrafish study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused harmful effects that passed from exposed parents to their offspring, including developmental problems and oxidative stress in the next generation. The hormone melatonin was able to protect against this transgenerational damage when given alongside the nanoplastic exposure. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure could affect not just the people exposed but potentially their children, and that antioxidants like melatonin might offer some protection.

Polystyrene nanoplastics mediate skeletal toxicity through oxidative stress and the BMP pathway in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Exposing zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics caused skeletal deformities, reduced body length, and disrupted bone development pathways. The nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress and cell death in developing bone tissue, with longer exposure periods causing worse outcomes. While this study was conducted in fish, the bone development pathways affected are similar to those in humans, raising questions about whether nanoplastic exposure could affect skeletal development.

Aged nanoplastics reprogram the ER stress-autophagy crosstalk: A mechanistic gateway to skeletal malformations in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to both new and UV-aged nanoplastics and found that the aged particles caused significantly worse skeletal deformities, higher mortality, and lower hatching rates. The aged nanoplastics disrupted cellular stress responses and a self-cleaning process called autophagy in developing bone and cartilage cells. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may pose greater developmental risks than freshly produced particles.

Oral exposure to nanoplastics altered lipid profiles in mouse intestine

Researchers exposed mice to nanoplastics orally for 14 days and found significant changes in lipid profiles within their intestinal tissue, even without visible tissue damage. The nanoplastics disrupted key fat metabolism pathways and triggered signs of abnormal cellular cleanup processes called autophagy. The study suggests that nanoplastic ingestion may alter how the gut processes fats, with potential implications for metabolic health.

Comprehensive review of ecological risks and toxicity mechanisms of microplastics in freshwater: Focus on zebrafish as a model organism

This comprehensive review examines how microplastics affect zebrafish, a widely used laboratory model, covering impacts on the gut, liver, reproductive system, nervous system, and immune function. Researchers found that microplastics can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of gut bacteria across multiple organ systems. The review highlights that zebrafish studies provide valuable insights into the biological mechanisms by which microplastics may affect freshwater organisms and, potentially, human health.

Smart and accurate detection of nanoplastics in aquatic environments by photoelectrochemical-electrochemical dual-mode portable sensor

Microplastics and Skin Aging: Disruption of Barrier Function and Induction of Fibroblast Senescence

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect skin health using lab-grown skin cells and gene expression analysis. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted the skin's protective barrier by inhibiting normal skin cell development and accelerated aging in the deeper skin layer by triggering cellular senescence. The study suggests that microplastics may contribute to premature skin aging and weakened skin barrier function, adding to the growing understanding of how these particles affect human health.

Oxygen-containing functional groups enhance uranium adsorption by aged polystyrene microplastics: Experimental and theoretical perspectives

The hepatotoxicity assessment of micro/nanoplastics: A preliminary study to apply the adverse outcome pathways

Researchers reviewed the literature on how micro- and nanoplastics cause liver damage and organized the findings into an Adverse Outcome Pathway framework. They found that plastic particles can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disruption in the liver, potentially leading to dysfunction. The study provides a structured way to understand the chain of events from plastic particle exposure to liver harm, highlighting potential health risks for humans.

Metagenomic insight into the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge upon exposure to nanoplastics

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to show that polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations increased antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge by up to 59%, primarily by promoting horizontal gene transfer and enriching Proteobacteria host populations — raising concerns about nanoplastic-driven spread of antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment.

Pb Toxicity on Gut Physiology and Microbiota

This review summarizes the effects of lead toxicity on gut physiology and the intestinal microbiota across animal models and humans. Researchers found that lead exposure disrupts the gut barrier, alters microbial community composition, and can promote inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The study highlights the gut as an important but often overlooked target of lead toxicity, with implications for understanding how heavy metal exposure affects overall health.

Unraveling the influence of pH on uranium adsorption by polystyrene microplastics: An integrated experimental-density functional theory analysis

A platform for microplastic assessment in aquatic environments based on the protein corona-induced aggregation effect

Researchers designed a photoelectrochemical sensor that detects polystyrene microplastics in water based on protein corona-induced aggregation effects. The sensor achieved a detection limit of 0.06 micrograms per milliliter with high sensitivity and reproducibility across real water samples. The study presents a practical platform for real-time, in-situ monitoring of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments without requiring large-scale laboratory instruments.

Polystyrene Nanoparticles Cause Sex‐Specific Toxicity in Male Zebrafish, Which Can Be Mitigated by Melatonin

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles for 14 days and found significant reproductive toxicity that was more pronounced in males, including reduced gonadal size and disrupted hormone signaling along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Co-treatment with melatonin largely reversed these harmful effects by protecting against oxidative damage. The study suggests that melatonin may offer a potential protective strategy against nanoplastic-induced reproductive harm.

CuInSe2 nanoplatelets decorated CdS nanosheets as 2D-2D S-scheme photocatalyst for photocatalytic H2 generation coupled with benzyl alcohol oxidation and microplastic degradation