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Papers
108 resultsShowing papers from Oregon State University
ClearEarth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just and sustainable future
This broad review argues that humanity faces converging crises including climate change, pollution, ecosystem destruction, and inequality, all driven by extractive economic practices. Plastic and chemical pollution are highlighted as part of a larger pattern of environmental destruction that disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. The authors call for systemic economic transformation, including replacing exploitative capitalism with models that prioritize sustainability and justice.
Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails
About 3 billion new tires are produced every year, and the particles they shed during use are one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, especially in urban areas. Tire wear particles contain a cocktail of heavy metals, plastics, and toxic organic compounds that wash into waterways during rain. Even recycled tire products like crumb rubber fields and rubber-modified pavement continue to release pollutants, making tire pollution a complex lifecycle problem.
Risk-based management framework for microplastics in aquatic ecosystems
This meta-analysis pooled data from 21 toxicity studies to create a risk management framework for microplastics in water. The researchers identified specific concentration thresholds where microplastics begin to harm aquatic life — either by diluting their food supply or by particles entering their tissues. This framework could help regulators set pollution limits to protect ecosystems and, ultimately, human food sources.
The Toxicity of Microplastics Explorer (ToMEx) 2.0
This paper describes an update to the Toxicity of Microplastics Explorer (ToMEx), a public database of microplastic toxicity studies used by researchers worldwide for risk assessment. The updated database roughly doubled in size, yet key trends held steady: smaller particles tend to be more toxic, and there is still a lack of dose-response data needed to set safe exposure limits. This tool is important because it helps scientists and regulators determine what levels of microplastic contamination might actually harm human health and ecosystems.
Machine learning-driven optical microfiltration device for improved nanoplastic sampling and detection in water systems
Researchers developed a new device combining agarose-based microfiltration with machine learning-assisted Raman spectroscopy to detect nanoplastics in water more accurately and efficiently. The system achieved over 96% accuracy in identifying nanoplastic particles while dramatically reducing analysis time compared to traditional methods. Better detection tools like this are essential for monitoring nanoplastic levels in drinking water and assessing risks to human health.
Quantitative assessment of visual microscopy as a tool for microplastic research: Recommendations for improving methods and reporting
Researchers conducted a multi-laboratory study across six countries to assess how accurately visual microscopy identifies microplastics in water samples. They found significant variability between laboratories in particle counts, size measurements, and material identification, with accuracy declining for smaller and transparent particles. The study recommends improved standardization and quality control measures to make microscopy a more reliable tool in microplastic research.
Toxicity of micro and nano tire particles and leachate for model freshwater organisms
Researchers tested the toxicity of micro- and nano-sized tire particles and their chemical leachates on zebrafish embryos and water fleas, two commonly used model organisms. They found that nano-sized tire particles were more toxic than micro-sized ones, and that the chemical leachate alone also caused significant developmental harm to zebrafish. The study demonstrates that tire debris poses a meaningful environmental risk to freshwater organisms through both direct particle exposure and the release of harmful chemicals.
Natural and synthetic microfibers alter growth and behavior in early life stages of estuarine organisms
Researchers exposed early life stages of estuarine fish and invertebrates to natural cotton and synthetic polyester and polypropylene microfibers commonly found in coastal waters. Both natural and synthetic fibers affected growth and behavior, though synthetic fibers tended to cause more pronounced effects. The study suggests that microfiber pollution in coastal environments poses risks to young marine organisms during their most vulnerable developmental stages.
Behavioral and molecular effects of micro and nanoplastics across three plastic types in fish: weathered microfibers induce a similar response to nanosized particles
This study compared the effects of different types of micro and nanoplastics on fish behavior and gene expression, including weathered microfibers that better represent what is actually found in the environment. Weathered microfibers caused behavioral and molecular changes similar to much smaller nanoplastics, suggesting that the aging process makes larger particles more biologically active. This is important because most lab studies use pristine plastic beads, which may underestimate the true toxicity of real-world microplastic pollution.
Research recommendations to better understand the potential health impacts of microplastics to humans and aquatic ecosystems
An international expert group identified critical research gaps that must be addressed to properly assess the health risks of microplastic exposure to humans and aquatic ecosystems. They outlined four priority areas: better particle characterization for toxicity testing, improved experimental designs for dose-response analysis, development of adverse outcome pathways, and clearer understanding of real-world exposure levels. Addressing these gaps is essential for determining the concentrations at which microplastics may cause harmful effects.
Characterizing microplastic hazards: which concentration metrics and particle characteristics are most informative for understanding toxicity in aquatic organisms?
An international panel of researchers concluded that microplastic particle size is the most critical factor determining harm to aquatic organisms, and recommended that toxicity studies report both mass and count measurements of plastic concentrations — along with surface area when possible — to better compare findings across studies and set meaningful safety limits.
Reporting Guidelines to Increase the Reproducibility and Comparability of Research on Microplastics
A group of 23 researchers developed standardized reporting guidelines to improve the reproducibility and comparability of microplastic studies across different laboratories and settings. They created a detailed checklist covering best practices for materials, sampling, sample preparation, identification, and quantification of microplastics. The guidelines aim to address a major bottleneck in the field where inconsistent methods have made it difficult to compare findings or conduct reliable large-scale analyses.
Critical gaps in nanoplastics research and their connection to risk assessment
This paper identifies critical knowledge gaps in nanoplastics research and explains why they matter for assessing health and environmental risks. Nanoplastics are harder to detect and measure than larger microplastics, meaning current pollution estimates likely undercount total plastic contamination. The authors call for better detection methods and standardized research approaches to understand the true scope of nanoplastic exposure.
Fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages reveal extensive degradation of the world's rivers
Researchers assessed the biological health of rivers worldwide using fish and macroinvertebrate data from over 100,000 sites across 45 countries, including the most comprehensive coverage of the Global South to date. They found that roughly one-third of assessed river sites showed signs of significant biological degradation. The study highlights that freshwater biodiversity loss is a global crisis, with pollution and habitat alteration affecting rivers on every inhabited continent.
Behavior of compounds leached from tire tread particles under simulated sunlight exposure
This study examined what happens to chemicals that leach from tire tread particles when exposed to sunlight. While sunlight broke down about a third of the leached compounds, it also created new transformation products, some of which may be more harmful than the originals. Since tire particles are a major source of microplastics in waterways, understanding how their chemicals change in sunlight is important for assessing real-world health risks.
Prevalence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, microplastics and co-infecting microbes in the post-COVID-19 era and its implications on antimicrobial resistance and potential endocrine disruptive effects
This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic increased environmental contamination from pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, all of which can promote antibiotic resistance and disrupt hormones. The surge in mask use, sanitizer disposal, and medication contributed to higher levels of these pollutants in waterways. The combination of microplastics with pharmaceutical residues creates a compounding threat where plastics can carry drug-resistant bacteria and hormone-disrupting chemicals into water supplies.
Microplastics in aquatic organisms: Improving understanding and identifying research directions for the next decade
This meta-analysis reviews a decade of research on microplastic ingestion by aquatic organisms, from tiny plankton to large fish. It identifies major knowledge gaps, including the long-term health effects of ingestion and what happens as microplastics move up the food chain toward human consumers.
Marine mammal conservation: over the horizon
This review examines the conservation status of marine mammals, which play important ecological roles and serve as indicators of ocean health. The researchers found that at least 25% of marine mammal species are classified as threatened, facing risks from climate change, fisheries bycatch, pollution, and maritime development. The study outlines research priorities and conservation strategies needed to protect at-risk species while building on recent recovery successes.
Daphnia reproductive impacts following chronic exposure to micro- and nano-scale particles from three types of rubber
Researchers exposed tiny freshwater crustaceans called Daphnia to micro- and nano-sized rubber particles from tires and recycled rubber over their full lifespan. They found that all three types of rubber particles drastically reduced reproduction and that these effects carried over into the next generation. The study demonstrates that tire-related microplastics pose a serious long-term threat to aquatic invertebrate populations.
Development and application of a health-based framework for informing regulatory action in relation to exposure of microplastic particles in California drinking water
Researchers developed a health-based framework to inform regulatory action on microplastic exposure in California drinking water through a comprehensive expert workshop conducted over a year. The team reviewed mammalian hazard studies to evaluate the feasibility of deriving a human health-based threshold value for microplastics. The study supports California's efforts to develop monitoring and management strategies for microplastics in drinking water, though it notes that the health effects and concentration thresholds are not yet fully established.
Interactive effects between water temperature, microparticle compositions, and fiber types on the marine keystone species Americamysis bahia
Scientists studied how rising water temperatures interact with different types of microparticles and fibers to affect mysid shrimp, a key species in marine food webs. Researchers found that the combination of warmer water and microplastic exposure produced more severe effects than either stressor alone. The study suggests that climate change could amplify the harmful impact of microplastic pollution on important marine organisms.
Moving beyond “the” business case: How to make corporate sustainability work
This article examines the debate over whether the business case alone can drive meaningful corporate sustainability efforts. Researchers argue that neither purely voluntary corporate action nor regulation alone is sufficient, and that firms need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all business case to context-specific approaches. The study suggests that combining private-sector innovation with supportive regulatory frameworks is the most effective path toward achieving sustainability goals.
Ocean Solutions That Benefit People, Nature and the Economy
This report examines ocean-based solutions that can simultaneously benefit people, nature, and the economy. The study balances hope and concern while presenting concrete examples of sustainable approaches to ocean management and conservation.
Micron-size tire tread particles leach organic compounds at higher rates than centimeter-size particles: Compound identification and profile comparison
Researchers compared how micro-sized and centimeter-sized tire tread particles release chemicals into water and found that smaller particles leached organic compounds at substantially higher rates due to their greater surface area. The chemical analysis revealed hundreds of distinct compounds in the leachate, many of which have not been previously identified from tire wear. The findings suggest that as tire particles break down into smaller pieces in the environment, they become increasingly potent sources of chemical pollution in waterways.