Papers

The Environmental Impact of E-Waste Microplastics: A Systematic Review and Analysis Based on the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) Framework

This systematic review examines microplastics that come from electronic waste like old phones and computers. E-waste microplastics are particularly concerning because they can carry toxic metals like lead and flame retardants. These contaminated particles enter the soil near disposal sites and can work their way into the food chain, potentially affecting gut health and overall well-being.

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.

Microplastics and human health: Integrating pharmacokinetics

This review takes a pharmacology-based approach to understanding how microplastics move through the human body, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Evidence suggests that smaller particles (under 10 micrometers) can cross the gut barrier and accumulate in organs like the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Understanding these pathways is essential for determining what levels of microplastic exposure might actually cause harm to human health.

Microplastics in Terrestrial Domestic Animals and Human Health: Implications for Food Security and Food Safety and Their Role as Sentinels

This review examines how farm animals and pets are exposed to microplastics, and what that means for human health. Livestock can accumulate microplastics in their tissues during their lifetime and from processing equipment, meaning meat and dairy products may contain plastic particles. Pets like cats and dogs, who share our living spaces, could serve as early warning indicators for the levels of microplastic exposure that humans face at home.

Environmental Xenobiotics and Epigenetic Modifications: Implications for Human Health and Disease

This review examines how environmental pollutants, including microplastics, can change gene activity through epigenetic modifications without altering DNA itself. These changes to how genes are turned on and off can contribute to cancer, brain diseases, and developmental problems, and may even be passed down to future generations. The research highlights that microplastics and other common pollutants could have long-lasting health effects that go beyond direct chemical toxicity.

C. elegans as a powerful model for neurotoxicity assessment

This review highlights the roundworm C. elegans as a valuable model organism for studying how toxic substances, including microplastics and nanoplastics, affect the nervous system. The worm's simple but well-mapped nervous system allows researchers to observe neurological damage at the cellular and molecular level. The study notes that C. elegans research has been instrumental in identifying how environmental pollutants can impair nerve function, memory, and behavior.

Current insights into the effects of cationic biocides exposure on Enterococcus spp.

This review examines how widespread use of cationic biocides like quaternary ammonium compounds may be driving resistance in Enterococcus bacteria, a major cause of hospital-acquired infections. Researchers found that frequent low-level exposure to these disinfectants in clinical, food, and environmental settings could promote both biocide and antibiotic resistance. The study identifies significant gaps in current research methods and highlights the need for better monitoring strategies to maintain the effectiveness of these important antimicrobial agents.

Plastic Particles on the Plate: Impact on Food Security and Human Health

This research review found that people eat tiny plastic particles called microplastics in their food every year - roughly the same weight as eating 32 plastic grocery bags annually. These plastic bits get into our food both from polluted environments (like contaminated fish) and from plastic packaging materials. While scientists have already found these microplastics in human body tissues, they still don't fully understand what health problems they might cause.

Microplastics altered cellular responses, physiology, behaviour, and regeneration of planarians feeding on contaminated prey

Researchers found that planarians feeding on microplastic-contaminated prey showed altered behavior, impaired physiology, and reduced regeneration capacity, demonstrating that microplastics can transfer through freshwater food chains and harm predatory invertebrates.

Long-term effects of lithium and lithium-microplastic mixtures on the model species Daphnia magna: Toxicological interactions and implications to ‘One Health’

Researchers investigated long-term effects of lithium and lithium-microplastic mixtures on Daphnia magna, finding that combined exposure produced toxicological interactions different from individual exposures, with implications for freshwater ecosystem health under a One Health framework.

(Micro)Plastic Foreign Bodies in Food and Feed: Notifications in the European Union

Researchers analyzed notifications of plastic foreign bodies in the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed from 2020 to 2023. They found that visible plastics became the third most common foreign body type reported, after glass and metal, with contamination likely originating during food processing and packaging. The study highlights microplastic contamination of the food chain as a growing concern for consumer safety.

Warmer water, high light intensity, lithium and microplastics: Dangerous environmental combinations to zooplankton and Global Health?

Researchers examined the combined effects of warmer water, high light intensity, lithium, and microplastics on Daphnia magna, finding that environmental stressors like temperature and light amplify the long-term toxicity of lithium and lithium-microplastic mixtures to freshwater zooplankton.

Effects of acute metaphedrone exposure on the development, behaviour, and DNA integrity of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers examined the effects of the new psychoactive substance metaphedrone (3-MMC) on zebrafish embryo development, finding that acute exposure caused developmental abnormalities, behavioral changes, and DNA damage, raising concerns about this emerging contaminant in aquatic environments.

Author comment: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R0/PR1

An author comment responding to peer reviews of a letter calling for bans on non-essential microplastics in cosmetics and holiday decorations, addressing reviewer feedback on the scope and evidence base for proposed restrictions on glitter and confetti. (Author comment document.)

Decision: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R0/PR4

An editorial decision supported publication of a letter calling for bans on non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics and holiday decorations, agreeing that such particles represent a significant and avoidable source of environmental contamination. (Editorial decision document.)

Recommendation: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R0/PR3

A peer reviewer recommended publication of a letter calling for bans on non-essential microplastics in cosmetics and festive decorations, supporting the argument that glitter and confetti represent avoidable sources of environmental microplastic contamination. (Peer review document.)

Review: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R0/PR2

A peer review assessed a letter calling for bans on non-essential microplastics in cosmetics and festive decorations, evaluating arguments and evidence regarding glitter, confetti, and decorative materials as significant and avoidable sources of seasonal microplastic pollution. (Peer review document.)

Review: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R1/PR6

A peer review of a letter calling for bans on non-essential microplastics in cosmetics and holiday decorations, evaluating the evidence and argumentation for restricting festive glitter and confetti as significant seasonal microplastic sources. (Peer review document.)

Recommendation: A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations — R1/PR7

A recommendation supporting a call to ban non-essential microplastics in cosmetics and festive decorations (glitter, confetti, balloons), noting that such items contribute significantly to seasonal microplastic pollution with no offsetting benefit. (Peer review recommendation.)

A call to ban non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics, festival and holiday decorations

This commentary calls for banning non-essential microplastics used in cosmetics and festive items like glitter, confetti, and balloons, arguing that their environmental impact during holidays and celebrations is significant and unnecessary.

Impact of Poor Municipal Waste Management on Ruminant Livestock

A study at an abattoir in Maiduguri, Nigeria found that nearly three-quarters of examined cattle had ingested non-biodegradable waste, with plastics (mostly polypropylene and polyethylene) present in 95% of those cases. The findings highlight how poor municipal waste management in African cities allows plastic litter to reach livestock through open grazing, creating both animal welfare concerns and potential food safety issues when contaminated animals enter the human food chain.

Influence of intrinsic plastics characteristics on Nile Red staining and fluorescence

Researchers evaluated Nile Red fluorescent staining performance on 60 plastic particles from sandy beaches, finding that polymer type, weathering degree, and crystallinity did not significantly affect fluorescence intensity, but particle color did — with blue, green, and red particles showing lower fluorescence and white, yellow, and orange particles showing higher fluorescence. The findings suggest that plastic pigments interfere with Nile Red detection, complicating standardization of microplastic identification methods.

The steps of microplastic analysis and their consistency

Plastic Pollution: Challenges and Innovative Solutions

This review examines the multifaceted challenges of plastic pollution and surveys innovative solutions spanning material design, waste management, and remediation technologies. The paper synthesises current research on microplastic sources, environmental persistence, and emerging approaches to reducing plastic releases into ecosystems.