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Papers
464 resultsShowing papers from East China Normal University
ClearA global estimate of multiecosystem photosynthesis losses under microplastic pollution
This meta-analysis pooled data from over 3,200 measurements and found that microplastic pollution reduces photosynthesis by 7–12% in plants and algae worldwide. This matters because less photosynthesis means lower crop yields and disrupted ecosystems, which can ultimately affect food security and human nutrition.
The distribution of subsurface microplastics in the ocean
This study combined data from nearly 2,000 ocean sampling stations to map how microplastics are distributed at different depths. Smaller microplastics spread more evenly through the water column, while larger ones tend to concentrate near the surface. At deep ocean depths, microplastics make up an increasing share of total organic particles, suggesting they are becoming a significant part of the deep ocean environment.
Environmental behaviors of microplastics in aquatic systems: A systematic review on degradation, adsorption, toxicity and biofilm under aging conditions
Aging processes like UV irradiation and physical abrasion alter microplastic surface properties, increasing their capacity to adsorb environmental pollutants while also enhancing leaching of toxic additives like phthalates, collectively amplifying the environmental toxicity of weathered microplastics.
A systematic review of sources, occurrence, behavior and risks of global marine antibiotics
This systematic review of global marine antibiotic contamination found that sulfamethoxazole is the most frequently detected antibiotic in seawater, sediment, and marine organisms, with the highest concentrations along coastal China. Coexisting contaminants like microplastics may enhance antibiotic impacts and drive antibiotic resistance gene development in marine environments.
Microplastics and Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Critical Reflection on Meta-Analyses
This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to assess whether microplastics in agricultural soil affect greenhouse gas emissions. The findings reveal that the environmental impact of microplastics extends beyond direct toxicity, as they may alter soil microbial activity in ways that contribute to climate change.
Microplastic-mediated new mechanism of liver damage: From the perspective of the gut-liver axis
This review describes how microplastics can damage the liver through the gut-liver axis: they first disrupt the gut's protective barrier and beneficial bacteria, allowing harmful substances to leak through the weakened intestinal wall into the bloodstream and travel to the liver. Once there, these substances cause inflammation, metabolic problems, and oxidative stress, offering a new explanation for how microplastic exposure could lead to liver disease.
National-scale distribution of micro(meso)plastics in farmland soils across China: Implications for environmental impacts
Farmland soils across 30 sites in China contained an average of 358 microplastic items/kg, with concentrations higher in arid northern regions; meta-analysis showed that while current soil levels are generally below minimum effective concentrations for harming crops and soil enzymes, they are approaching those thresholds.
Differences of microplastics and nanoplastics in urban waters: Environmental behaviors, hazards, and removal
This review compares microplastics and nanoplastics in urban water systems, finding that nanoplastics are harder to remove but potentially more dangerous because their tiny size allows them to penetrate human tissue barriers more easily. The authors evaluate emerging technologies like advanced filtration and chemical oxidation that could help remove these particles from drinking water and wastewater.
New Horizons in Micro/Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress: Overlooked Free Radical Contributions and Microbial Metabolic Dysregulations in Anaerobic Digestion
Researchers found that polypropylene micro- and nanoplastics generate persistent free radicals that produce harmful reactive oxygen species, reducing the effectiveness of anaerobic digestion (a common waste treatment process) by up to 50%. This means microplastic contamination could undermine waste treatment systems, potentially allowing more pollutants to reach waterways and increase human exposure.
Effect of alkaline-thermal pretreatment on biodegradable plastics degradation and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in co-compost system
This study found that pretreating biodegradable plastics with heat and alkaline solutions speeds up their breakdown during composting, but the process releases large numbers of smaller microplastic fragments. These smaller particles can carry microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes into the environment, raising concerns that even "eco-friendly" plastics may pose risks to public health during disposal.
Unveiling the Environmental Characteristics of Sub-1000-nm Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Review of the Preparation Methods for Nanoplastic Model Samples
This review addresses the challenge of creating realistic nanoplastic samples for lab research, since most studies have only used polystyrene spheres that do not represent the diverse shapes and types of nanoplastics found in the real environment. Better lab models are essential for accurately understanding the health risks these tiny plastic particles pose to humans.
Reproductive Effects of Phthalates and Microplastics on Marine Mussels Based on Adverse Outcome Pathway
Researchers found that microplastics and the chemical plasticizer DEHP that leaches from them work together to disrupt reproductive function in female mussels by interfering with estrogen signaling and reducing hormone levels. While this study focused on marine mussels, DEHP is a known endocrine disruptor in humans as well, and the findings illustrate how microplastics can release harmful chemicals that affect hormone systems.
Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes defective retinal development and function in progeny mice by disturbing metabolic profiles
When pregnant mice drank water containing nanoplastics at levels found in the environment, their pups were born with defective eye development -- fewer retinal nerve cells, slower blood vessel growth in the retina, and abnormal visual function. The nanoplastics disrupted key amino acids needed for normal retinal development. This is one of the first studies to show that prenatal nanoplastic exposure can harm eye development in offspring.
Microplastics promote methane emission in estuarine and coastal wetlands
This study found that microplastics in coastal and estuarine wetlands increase methane emissions by boosting the activity of methane-producing microorganisms while reducing methane-consuming ones. Both conventional and biodegradable plastics had this effect, meaning microplastic pollution is not just a direct health concern but also contributes to climate change by amplifying greenhouse gas release from natural ecosystems.
Identification and analysis of microplastics in human lower limb joints
Researchers found microplastics in the joint tissue of all 45 patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery, identifying nine different types of plastic. Hip joints contained more microplastics than knee joints, and higher concentrations were linked to increased cellular stress responses. This is one of the first studies to confirm that microplastics accumulate in human joints, raising questions about their potential role in joint disease.
Interactions between microplastics and contaminants: A review focusing on the effect of aging process
This review explains how aging and weathering change microplastics in ways that make them interact differently with environmental pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides. Aged microplastics tend to absorb more contaminants than fresh ones, and they can also release those pollutants under certain conditions. This is important for human health because the microplastics we encounter in food and water are typically weathered, meaning they may carry higher loads of toxic substances than laboratory studies suggest.
Process-oriented impacts of microplastic fibers on behavior and histology of fish
Researchers exposed goldfish to microplastic fibers in water and observed changes in feeding behavior, coughing, and mucus production across fish tissues. At higher concentrations, the fish ate significantly less food and coughed more frequently as they tried to expel the fibers. The study shows that microplastic fibers can directly interfere with basic fish behaviors and trigger defensive responses, which could affect fish health and growth in contaminated waterways.
Bio-based microplastic polylactic acid exerts the similar toxic effects to traditional petroleum-based microplastic polystyrene in mussels
Researchers exposed mussels to bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics and traditional polystyrene microplastics and found that both caused similar levels of harm, including oxidative stress, immune disruption, and impaired feeding and respiration. PLA is often promoted as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics, but this study shows it poses comparable ecological risks once it breaks down into microplastics in the ocean. The findings suggest that switching to biodegradable plastics alone will not solve the marine microplastic problem.
Sorption of representative organic contaminants on microplastics: Effects of chemical physicochemical properties, particle size, and biofilm presence
This study examined how organic pollutants like flame retardants and industrial chemicals attach to microplastics in saltwater conditions. Smaller microplastic particles absorbed more contaminants per unit weight, and natural biofilms growing on the plastic surfaces changed how much pollution they could carry. The findings help explain how microplastics act as carriers of toxic chemicals through the environment and potentially into the food chain.
The hidden risk of microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments
This review examines the overlooked risk that microplastics in water can serve as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens. Microplastics provide a surface where harmful microorganisms can grow, survive longer, and travel farther than they would on their own. This means microplastic pollution in lakes, rivers, and oceans could increase the risk of waterborne infections in people who swim in, drink from, or eat seafood from contaminated water.
Pioneer plants enhance soil multifunctionality by reshaping underground multitrophic community during natural succession of an abandoned rare earth mine tailing
Researchers studied natural plant colonization of an abandoned rare earth mine and found that pioneer plants increased soil multifunctionality by up to 525% by reshaping underground microbial communities and building more complex multitrophic networks, pointing to plant-driven succession as a viable strategy for degraded mine rehabilitation.
Upcycling of polyethylene to gasoline through a self-supplied hydrogen strategy in a layered self-pillared zeolite
Researchers developed a special zeolite material (a porous mineral catalyst) that converts polyethylene plastic waste into high-quality gasoline with over 80% yield, without needing expensive metals or added hydrogen. This breakthrough offers a practical pathway for recycling one of the most common plastics into usable fuel, potentially reducing plastic waste and reliance on fossil fuel extraction.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces apoptosis, autophagy, histopathological damage, and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
Exposing Pacific white shrimp to nanoplastics caused intestinal damage, cell death, disrupted immune function, and increased the abundance of harmful gut bacteria. Higher concentrations of nanoplastics led to more severe effects, including visible damage to the intestinal lining and formation of autophagosomes (cellular waste structures). These findings add to growing evidence that nanoplastic contamination in seafood farming can compromise the health of organisms that many people eat.
Exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics
This paper presents a standardized testing protocol for evaluating the environmental toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics. Current studies often use uniform lab-made plastic particles that do not represent the irregular shapes and mixed compositions found in nature. The new protocol addresses this gap by providing methods for creating more realistic test particles and adapting existing guidelines for both soil and water organisms.