Papers

Nanoparticles in Plants: Uptake, Transport and Physiological Activity in Leaf and Root

This review examines how nanoparticles are absorbed and transported through plant roots and leaves, and how they affect plant growth and health. Understanding nanoparticle uptake by crops is important because similar mechanisms may apply to nanoplastics, meaning tiny plastic particles in soil could potentially enter the food supply through plants.

Editorial: Advances in marine environmental protection: challenges, solutions and perspectives

This editorial summarizes current challenges in marine environmental protection, including plastic pollution, climate change, and emerging threats like deep-sea mining. Ocean health is directly linked to human well-being, especially for coastal communities that depend on marine resources. The piece calls for stronger international cooperation to address pollution that crosses national boundaries.

Recent Advances on Underwater Soft Robots

This paper describes advances in underwater soft robots made from flexible materials that can adapt to ocean environments. While not directly related to microplastics, these robots have potential applications in ocean monitoring and environmental cleanup. The review covers the materials, movement patterns, power systems, and sensing capabilities that could eventually help address marine plastic pollution.

International Legal Systems in Tackling the Marine Plastic Pollution: A Critical Analysis of UNCLOS and MARPOL

This legal analysis examines how two major international agreements, UNCLOS and MARPOL, address marine plastic pollution and identifies significant gaps in their ability to reduce it. The existing laws lack enforceable requirements for reducing land-based plastic waste and have uneven enforcement of rules for ship-based discharges. The paper proposes strengthening international law to promote a circular economy approach, which matters because marine plastic breaks down into microplastics that enter the seafood supply.

Synergistic dual-defect band engineering for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of microplastics <i>via</i> Nb-induced oxygen vacancies in SnO₂ quantum dots

Researchers engineered a new material using niobium-doped tin oxide quantum dots that can break down polyethylene microplastics in water using visible light. The material works through a photocatalytic process, meaning sunlight can power the degradation of microplastics in real-world water conditions. This technology could offer a practical way to clean microplastic-contaminated water sources.

Recent advances in the detection of microplastics in the aqueous environment by electrochemical sensors: A review

This review surveys recent advances in using electrochemical sensors to detect microplastics in water environments. Researchers evaluated sensors made from carbon materials, metals, biomass materials, and microfluidic chips, comparing their detection capabilities and practical advantages like low cost and high sensitivity. The study highlights electrochemical sensing as a promising approach for real-time, on-site monitoring of microplastic contamination in waterways.

Characterization of microplastic distribution, sources and potential ecological risk assessment of domestic sewage from ships

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in domestic sewage from ships, analyzing both black water and gray water using infrared spectroscopy. They found significant quantities of microplastics, primarily fibers and fragments from synthetic textiles and packaging materials. The study highlights ship-generated wastewater as an underrecognized source of microplastic contamination entering marine environments.

Polystyrene microplastics alleviate adverse effects of benzo[a]pyrene on tissues and cells of the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with the toxic pollutant benzo[a]pyrene in marine mussels. The study found that the presence of microplastics actually reduced the accumulation and toxicity of benzo[a]pyrene by approximately 6.7%, likely because the microplastics adsorbed the chemical pollutant and reduced its bioavailability in the water.

Uptake, removal and trophic transfer of fluorescent polyethylene microplastics by freshwater model organisms: the impact of particle size and food availability

Researchers used fluorescent polyethylene microplastics of different sizes to track how they move through a freshwater food chain from algae to water fleas to zebrafish. They found that smaller particles were ingested and transferred more readily between organisms, and that food availability influenced how many microplastics accumulated. The study demonstrates that microplastics can move up the food chain and that particle size plays a key role in how they are transported through aquatic ecosystems.

The uptake and elimination of polystyrene microplastics by the brine shrimp, Artemia parthenogenetica, and its impact on its feeding behavior and intestinal histology

Researchers studied the uptake, elimination, and intestinal effects of polystyrene microplastics on brine shrimp larvae. They found that the larvae ingested microplastics at rates dependent on concentration, exposure time, and food availability, and that the particles caused intestinal damage. The study demonstrates that microplastic contamination can harm the health and feeding behavior of zooplankton larvae, which are critical components of marine food webs.

A Systematic Literature Review of Maritime Transportation Safety Management

This systematic literature review of 186 articles found an increasing research trend in maritime transportation safety management, particularly in safety risk analysis and emergency management. The review identified four future research perspectives for developing more resilient maritime transportation systems, which is relevant to ocean pollution because shipping is a significant source of marine microplastic contamination.

Recent Advances in Dielectrophoretic Manipulation and Separation of Microparticles and Biological Cells

This review covers recent advances in using dielectrophoresis, an electric-field-based technique, to manipulate and separate tiny particles and biological cells in microfluidic devices. Researchers highlighted improvements in electrode design and device fabrication that enable higher-throughput and more selective particle sorting. The technology has promising applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and biological research.

Small chips, big ocean: Recent trends in microfluidic technology for marine environmental monitoring

Distribution and characteristics of Microplastics in leachate and underneath soil of two informal landfills

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in leachate and underlying soils at two informal landfill sites. They found high concentrations of microplastics in both leachate and soil samples, with abundance varying by depth and landfill characteristics. The study indicates that informal landfills are significant sources of microplastic contamination that can leach into surrounding soil and potentially reach groundwater.

Identification of marine microplastics by a combined method of principal component analysis and random forest for fluorescence spectrum processing

Researchers developed a combined principal component analysis and random forest method to identify microplastics from overlapping fluorescence spectra. The technique achieved 99.7% accuracy for component identification and a correlation coefficient exceeding 0.99 for predicting microplastic concentrations. The model, initially trained on commercial plastic samples, was also successfully applied to identify real marine microplastics.

Research progress on microplastics pollution in polar oceans

Identification of marine microplastics based on laser-induced fluorescence and principal component analysis

Researchers developed a method to identify different types of marine microplastics using laser-induced fluorescence combined with principal component analysis. The technique successfully distinguished nine types of microplastics based on their fluorescence signatures and could detect microplastic concentrations as low as 0.03% by mass. The study suggests this approach could be a practical tool for rapid microplastic identification in marine environments.

PM2.5 Concentration Prediction Based on CNN-BiLSTM and Attention Mechanism

Researchers developed a CNN-BiLSTM deep learning model combined with an attention mechanism to predict PM2.5 concentrations, finding that the hybrid model outperformed individual architectures and achieved high accuracy in forecasting air quality.

Effects of ingested polystyrene microplastics on brine shrimp, Artemia parthenogenetica

Brine shrimp larvae (Artemia parthenogenetica) were exposed to 10 μm polystyrene microspheres at concentrations close to environmentally extrapolated levels, with microspheres clearly ingested and accumulated in the gut, resulting in reduced feeding rates and growth at higher concentrations. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion by brine shrimp, a widely used aquaculture feed organism, occurs at ecologically relevant concentrations and causes sublethal harm.

Separation and characterization of microplastic and nanoplastic particles in marine environment

This review examined methods for separating and characterizing microplastics and nanoplastics in marine environments, addressing challenges posed by their tiny size, diverse properties, and ability to adsorb pollutants.

Aquatic toxicity of iron-oxide-doped microplastics to Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Daphnia magna

Researchers tested the toxicity of iron-oxide-doped polystyrene microplastic particles with different surface coatings to green algae and Daphnia, finding that amine-modified iron-doped MPs were more toxic than non-iron counterparts, while carboxyl-modified variants showed lower toxicity. The study reveals how metal dopants and surface chemistry interact to determine the ecotoxicity of engineered microplastic particles.

Historical behaviors of microplastic in estuarine and riverine reservoir sediment

Researchers examined how microplastics accumulate in sediment cores from the Yalu River Estuary and an upstream reservoir in China, revealing distinct deposition patterns between the two environments. The reservoir sediments contained more plastic fragments, while estuarine samples showed greater color variation. The study suggests that microplastic sedimentation behaviors differ significantly between riverine and estuarine habitats, reflecting different pollution sources and transport mechanisms.

International Law and Regulation of Marine Microplastics: Current Situation, Problems, and Development

This study evaluated the current international legal framework governing marine microplastic pollution and identified significant gaps in regulatory coverage. Researchers found that existing global and regional legal instruments lack the specificity and enforcement mechanisms needed to effectively address microplastic contamination. The study offers recommendations for strengthening international law to better regulate the sources and impacts of marine microplastic pollution.

Aquatic behavior and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic particles with different functional groups: Complex roles of pH, dissolved organic carbon and divalent cations

Researchers systematically examined how water chemistry — pH, dissolved organic carbon, and divalent calcium and magnesium ions — affects the stability, aggregation, and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functional groups, finding that complex solution conditions enhanced aggregation through cation bridging and increased oxidative gut damage in Daphnia magna.