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Papers
73 resultsShowing papers from University of Minnesota
ClearEnvironmental Applications of Mass Spectrometry for Emerging Contaminants
This review covers how mass spectrometry, a powerful analytical technique, is being used to detect and measure emerging contaminants including microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment. Advances in this technology are enabling researchers to identify smaller plastic particles and trace the chemical additives they carry, which is critical for understanding human exposure risks.
Interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with PVC-microplastics and chromium counteracts oxidative injuries in Trachyspermum ammi L. by modulating antioxidants and gene expression
Scientists studied how PVC microplastics and chromium (a toxic heavy metal) together affect the growth of ajwain, an important medicinal and food plant. The combination of these pollutants reduced plant growth, damaged photosynthesis, and increased toxic stress more than either pollutant alone. This is relevant to food safety because agricultural soils are increasingly contaminated with both microplastics and heavy metals, which together could reduce crop quality and nutritional value.
International consensus guidelines for the definition, detection, and interpretation of autophagy-dependent ferroptosis
This scientific review provides guidelines for understanding a specific type of cell death called autophagy-dependent ferroptosis, where cells essentially digest their own protective components and then die from iron-driven damage. While not directly about microplastics, this process is relevant because microplastics and nanoplastics have been shown to trigger oxidative stress and iron-related cell damage in tissues. Understanding these cell death pathways helps researchers assess how plastic particle exposure could harm organs like the liver, brain, and lungs.
Rethinking the rise of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: a call to action
A multidisciplinary team of researchers is raising the alarm about a dramatic increase in gastrointestinal cancers in people under 50 since the early 1990s, including colorectal, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. The causes remain poorly understood, but the researchers call for studying environmental exposures including the full range of chemicals people encounter throughout their lives. While the paper does not name microplastics specifically, the rise in early-onset GI cancers coincides with increasing environmental plastic pollution, and the gut is a primary site of microplastic accumulation in the body.
Microplastics in Soil Increase Cadmium Toxicity: Implications for Plant Growth and Nutrient Imbalance
A pot experiment showed that adding polyethylene microplastics to soil contaminated with cadmium made the toxic metal more available to plants, increasing cadmium uptake in both roots and shoots. The combined exposure reduced crop yields by up to 38% and disrupted the plant's ability to absorb essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. This research is important for food safety because it shows microplastics in farm soil can make heavy metal contamination worse, potentially increasing toxic metal levels in crops people eat.
Nanoscale Abrasive Wear of Polyethylene: A Novel Approach To Probe Nanoplastic Release at the Single Asperity Level
Scientists created a new method using atomic force microscopy to measure exactly how nanoplastics are released when sand grains scrape against polyethylene surfaces. They found that UV-weathered plastic released nanoplastics at ten times the rate of new plastic, through a different mechanism (cutting instead of plowing). This research provides the first quantitative measurements of nanoplastic release rates, helping predict how much nanoplastic pollution enters the environment from degrading plastic waste.
Preparation and application of metal-modified biochar in the purification of micro-polystyrene polluted aqueous environment
Researchers developed iron-modified biochar, a charcoal-like material, that can remove over 96% of polystyrene microplastics from water under controlled lab conditions. The material worked well in tap water and lake water but was less effective in heavily polluted water with high levels of organic matter. This type of low-cost water treatment technology could help reduce the amount of microplastics in drinking water, though more work is needed to apply it at larger scales.
Co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and biomass for stabilizing heavy metals and reducing biochar toxicity: A review
This review examines how mixing sewage sludge with plant-based biomass during pyrolysis can produce safer biochar by stabilizing heavy metals and reducing toxicity. Researchers found that co-pyrolysis improves the quality of the resulting biochar, making it more suitable for use in soil applications compared to sludge-only biochar. The approach offers a promising solution for managing sewage sludge waste while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
Anthropogenic contamination of tap water, beer, and sea salt
Researchers tested tap water from 14 countries, beer from the Great Lakes region, and commercial sea salt for microplastic contamination and found anthropogenic particles in the majority of all samples. Tap water was contaminated in 81% of samples tested, with fibers being the most common particle type. The study highlights that microplastics are present in everyday foods and beverages, contributing to routine human exposure through multiple dietary sources.
A Hyperspectral Reflectance Database of Plastic Debris with Different Fractional Abundance in River Systems
Researchers created an open-access database of spectral signatures for plastic debris floating in river systems to improve remote sensing detection methods. Using water from the Mississippi River, they measured how different types of weathered and new plastic debris reflect light across ultraviolet to shortwave infrared wavelengths. The database provides a valuable resource for developing satellite and drone-based tools to track and intercept floating plastic waste in freshwater environments.
Transformation of microplastics by oxidative water and wastewater treatment processes: A critical review
This review evaluates the potential of various oxidation processes used in water and wastewater treatment to transform and degrade microplastics. Researchers found that most previous studies used chemical doses far exceeding what is applied in real treatment plants, meaning the observed microplastic degradation is unlikely to occur under practical conditions. The study cautions that discharging oxidized microplastics in treated water may pose additional environmental risks, including the release of harmful organic compounds.
Removal of Pristine and UV-Weathered Microplastics from Water: <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Seed Protein as a Natural Coagulant
Researchers tested a natural plant-based coagulant from Moringa oleifera seeds for removing microplastics from water, comparing it to conventional chemical treatments. The natural coagulant effectively removed both fresh and UV-weathered polyethylene microplastics, performing comparably to synthetic alternatives. This approach offers a more eco-friendly and less toxic option for cleaning microplastics from water systems.
Specimen collection is essential for modern science
This commentary argues that collecting physical specimens of animals and plants remains essential for scientific research, despite growing interest in non-lethal alternatives like photography and DNA sampling. Researchers highlight that preserved specimens provide irreplaceable data for taxonomy, evolutionary studies, and environmental monitoring, including tracking chemical contaminant levels over time. The piece emphasizes that responsible specimen collection is a cornerstone of natural history research.
Potential applications for multifunctional microalgae in soil improvement
This review explored the potential of microalgae for improving soil health, including their ability to fix carbon and nitrogen, produce plant hormones, enhance soil fertility, and help control soil pollutants. The study discusses how microalgae-based approaches could contribute to sustainable agriculture by improving soil ecological health and helping remediate contaminated soils.
Microplastic Abundance and Composition in Western Lake Superior As Determined via Microscopy, Pyr-GC/MS, and FTIR
Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in western Lake Superior surface waters using microscopy, pyrolysis-gas chromatography, and FTIR spectroscopy. Fibers were the most common particle type found, and polyethylene was among the most frequently identified polymers. The study establishes baseline microplastic contamination levels in the Great Lakes and demonstrates the value of combining multiple analytical methods for accurate characterization.
Current methods and future needs for visible and non-visible detection of plant stress responses
This review examines current and emerging methods for detecting plant stress responses, from molecular-level techniques like genomics and metabolomics to whole-plant remote sensing approaches. Researchers highlight that climate change is creating more complex combinations of stresses that no single detection technology can fully capture. The study calls for integrative multi-omic approaches that connect cellular changes to visible plant-level symptoms for more effective agricultural stress management.
Responses of Southern Ocean Seafloor Habitats and Communities to Global and Local Drivers of Change
This synthesis reviewed current knowledge on Southern Ocean seafloor habitats and benthic communities, documenting how both global drivers (ocean warming, acidification) and local human activities are altering community structure, and identifying priority areas for expanded monitoring.
Earth worlds and Indigenous dream-making: A reflection on teaching for beauty, repair, and balance
This article reflected on place-based Indigenous education across Peru, the U.S., and Canada, proposing that Indigenous educators engage in daily dream-making practices that honor earth-centered knowledge systems and challenge destructive development paradigms.
Degradation of microplastic seed film-coating fragments in soil
Researchers measured degradation rates of seed film-coating microplastic fragments in soil and found highly variable breakdown, ranging from over 48 days for commercial polymer coatings to under 24 days for bioplastic formulations containing Bacillus subtilis spores, with insecticide dissipation accelerating when entrapped in biodegradable coatings compared to direct soil application.
Enteric virus infection was boosted by the accumulation of micro- and nano-particles in host cells
Researchers discovered that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics can boost viral infection by promoting the release of virus-carrying extracellular vesicles from host cells. In experiments with murine norovirus, pre-exposure to the plastic particles enhanced viral spread while simultaneously suppressing key immune responses. The study identifies a previously unrecognized mechanism by which environmental plastic pollution could increase vulnerability to enteric virus infections.
Novel Release Mechanism of Microplastics and Nanoplastics by Environmentally Relevant Sand Abrasion
Researchers designed a device to quantify microplastic and nanoplastic release from LDPE films through surface abrasion by dry sand over seven months. They found that degradation produced particles across a wide size range and characterised dynamic changes in surface chemistry, identifying abrasion as a significant but underappreciated MP generation mechanism.
Microplastic uptake by birds: from observation to development of a novel seed coating to prevent bird predation of corn seeds
Researchers used camera traps to document microplastic uptake by foraging birds (magpie, hooded crow, wood pigeon) in agricultural fields and found that MPs associated with corn seeds or grits elevated uptake risk by 27–78%. They then developed a tannin-based seed coating that successfully reduced bird predation of corn seeds without the MPs being associated with food cues.
Social dominance influences individual susceptibility to an evolutionary trap in mosquitofish
Social dominance hierarchy in mosquitofish groups influenced individual susceptibility to plastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap, with subordinate fish in larger groups showing altered plastic consumption behavior—demonstrating that social context mediates how animals fall into evolutionary traps posed by plastic pollution.
Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by microplastic films: Characterizing kinetics, isotherms, and impacts of sludge exposure
This study characterized the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons onto microplastic films in sludge and wastewater systems, finding that MP type and surface properties strongly influence PAH binding capacity and may facilitate PAH transport and bioavailability in contaminated environments.