Papers

Microplastics in commercial marine fish species in the UK – A case study in the River Thames and the River Stour (East Anglia) estuaries

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in three commercially important fish species from UK estuaries, finding that over 41% of fish had ingested at least one microplastic particle. Larger and heavier fish were more contaminated, and the results highlight that humans who eat these common fish species are likely being exposed to microplastics through their diet.

Including environmental and climatic considerations for sustainable coral reef restoration

This essay argues that coral reef restoration projects need to give more weight to environmental conditions like water quality, temperature trends, and pollution levels when planning where and how to restore reefs. While not specifically about microplastics, marine microplastic pollution is among the environmental stressors that can undermine restoration efforts. Considering these factors during planning could improve the long-term success of reef conservation.

Microplastics in fish and fishmeal: an emerging environmental challenge?

Researchers found that commercial fishmeal, which is used in animal and fish feed, contains about 124 microplastic particles per kilogram, potentially more than the original fish it was made from. This suggests that the manufacturing process may add extra microplastics to the final product. Through marine aquaculture alone, over 300 million microplastic particles could be released into the ocean annually via fishmeal, creating a cycle where microplastics contaminate both farmed and wild seafood that people eat.

Animal migration in the Anthropocene: threats and mitigation options

This review examines the many human-caused threats facing migratory animals worldwide, including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, disease, and overexploitation. While broadly focused on wildlife conservation, the paper is relevant to microplastic research because plastic pollution is identified as one of the threats affecting migratory species across aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial environments. The review emphasizes that these threats often interact in unpredictable ways, making the combined impact worse than any single stressor alone.

Microplastics in European sea salts – An example of exposure through consumer choice and of interstudy methodological discrepancies

Researchers analyzed 13 European sea salts and found microplastics in all of them, with industrially harvested salts containing more particles than traditionally harvested ones. They estimated that a person absorbs about 14 micrograms of microplastics annually from all salt consumption, with a quarter attributable to choosing sea salt specifically. The study also found that differences in research methods across studies make it difficult to compare microplastic levels in salt worldwide.

Evidence of underestimation in microplastic research: A meta-analysis of recovery rate studies

Across 71 recovery rate studies, microplastic extraction methods recovered only about 86% of spiked particles on average, meaning environmental microplastic concentrations are likely underestimated by approximately 14%, with recovery rates lowest from fishmeal, water, and soil matrices (58-71%).

Man and the Last Great Wilderness: Human Impact on the Deep Sea

This comprehensive review assessed human impacts on the deep sea, the largest and least studied ecosystem on Earth. Researchers found that the most significant threats have shifted from waste disposal in past decades to resource exploitation today, with climate change and ocean acidification predicted to become the dominant concern going forward.

Dispersion, Accumulation, and the Ultimate Fate of Microplastics in Deep-Marine Environments: A Review and Future Directions

This review synthesizes knowledge about how microplastics are transported to and accumulate in deep-marine environments, which may serve as the ultimate sink for ocean plastic pollution. Researchers integrated sedimentological models to explain how ocean currents, density flows, and settling processes deliver microplastics to the seafloor. The study highlights that deep-sea environments, often considered pristine, are increasingly contaminated with microplastic particles.

Hydrogen sulfide supplementation as a potential treatment for primary mitochondrial diseases

Researchers reviewed how hydrogen sulfide — a natural signaling molecule in the body — could potentially treat rare inherited mitochondrial diseases by boosting energy production and protecting cells, offering a possible new therapeutic direction where few options currently exist.

Co-exposure to microplastics and soil pollutants significantly exacerbates toxicity to crops: Insights from a global meta and machine-learning analysis

A large-scale analysis of 68 studies found that when microplastics combine with other soil pollutants, the harm to crops is significantly worse than from the other pollutants alone. Microplastics intensified damage to plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced photosynthesis efficiency. Interestingly, microplastics did reduce the amount of other pollutants that accumulated in the crops, but the overall toxic effects on plant health were still greater.

The Anthropocene: Comparing Its Meaning in Geology (Chronostratigraphy) with Conceptual Approaches Arising in Other Disciplines

This article compares how the term "Anthropocene" is used in geology versus other academic disciplines like social sciences and humanities. In geology, the Anthropocene is proposed as a formal epoch beginning in the mid-twentieth century, marked by measurable changes in the geological record from industrialization and globalization. Other fields use the term more flexibly, often extending it much further back in time and applying it without reference to specific geological markers.

Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

Researchers discovered that deep-sea ocean currents, not just vertical settling from the surface, play a major role in concentrating microplastics on the seafloor, creating pollution hotspots with the highest concentrations ever recorded in any seafloor setting. These thermohaline-driven bottom currents sort and accumulate microplastics in the same areas where they deliver oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea life. The findings suggest that the most biologically rich areas of the deep ocean floor are likely also the most contaminated with microplastics.

Microplastics in the European native oyster, Ostrea edulis, to monitoring pollution-related patterns in the Solent region (United Kingdom)

This is the first study to examine microplastic contamination in the European flat oyster, finding microplastics present in every oyster sampled from the Solent region in southern England. Researchers detected particles in both gill and digestive tissues, with fibers being the most common type. The study raises concerns about shellfish as a pathway for human microplastic exposure, since oysters are commonly consumed as whole organisms.

COVID-19 Impacts on Beaches and Coastal Water Pollution at Selected Sites in Ecuador, and Management Proposals Post-pandemic

Researchers studied how COVID-19 lockdown measures temporarily improved environmental conditions at beaches and coastal waters in Ecuador by reducing direct human activities like tourism and port operations. The study found decreases in plastic litter, hydrocarbon contamination, and microbiological pollution during confinement periods, though conditions are expected to revert as activities resume.

Toward the Integrated Marine Debris Observing System

Researchers proposed a framework for an integrated marine debris observing system that would combine remote sensing, in situ measurements, and computer modeling to monitor plastic pollution globally. The study outlines how optical sensors, satellite imagery, and citizen science programs could work together to track debris sources, pathways, and accumulation patterns. The system aims to support policy decisions and operational cleanup efforts by providing reliable long-term data on the state of ocean plastic pollution.

Microplastic burden in marine benthic invertebrates depends on species traits and feeding ecology within biogeographical provinces

Researchers analyzed microplastic levels in the bodies of marine bottom-dwelling invertebrates across different ocean regions and found that the amount of microplastic ingested depended more on the animals' feeding strategies and body traits than on local pollution levels alone. Filter-feeding and deposit-feeding species accumulated the most particles. The study suggests that simply measuring environmental microplastic concentrations may not accurately predict how much wildlife in an area is actually ingesting.

Habitat recovery and restoration in aquatic ecosystems: current progress and future challenges

This review covers the current progress and future challenges in habitat recovery and restoration of aquatic ecosystems degraded by human pressures. The study highlights how contaminants including microplastics contribute to biodiversity decline and discusses strategies for reversing environmental degradation and restoring lost ecosystem functioning.

Evaluation of existing methods to extract microplastics from bivalve tissue: Adapted KOH digestion protocol improves filtration at single-digit pore size

Researchers compared several existing methods for extracting microplastics from bivalve tissue, including hydrogen peroxide, enzymatic digestion, and potassium hydroxide treatments. They found that only the KOH method allowed filtration through very fine filters down to 1.2 micrometers when a neutralization step was added, enabling recovery of much smaller microplastics. The study recommends KOH digestion as the most practical extraction method for studies aiming to assess human exposure risk from consuming shellfish.

Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review

This review examines the ecological role of submarine canyons and the threats they face from human activities including fishing, mining waste dumping, and oil extraction. The study highlights that these deep-sea habitats also accumulate marine debris including microplastics, underscoring the need for canyon conservation as critical marine ecosystems.

Developing a systematic method for extraction of microplastics in soils

A systematic comparison of microplastic extraction methods for soils tested hydrogen peroxide, potassium hydroxide, and Fenton's reagent for organic matter removal alongside density separation, finding that method performance varied strongly with soil organic matter content and particle size distribution.

Increased personal protective equipment litter as a result of COVID-19 measures

Marine Litter Distribution and Density in European Seas, from the Shelves to Deep Basins

Researchers mapped marine litter distribution and density across European seas — from shallow shelves to deep basins — finding litter present at all depths and in all regions surveyed, with deep-sea areas accumulating significant loads.

Highly variable deep-sea currents over tidal and seasonal timescales

Researchers used advanced deep-sea monitoring to study how near-bed ocean currents vary over tidal and seasonal timescales on the continental slope. They found that these currents are far more variable than previously assumed, with implications for how sediment, organic carbon, and pollutants including microplastics are transported across the deep ocean floor. The study improves understanding of the physical processes that control where contaminants accumulate in deep-sea environments.

Deep, diverse and definitely different: unique attributes of the world's largest ecosystem

This review highlighted the unique physical, chemical, and biological attributes of the deep sea — Earth's largest ecosystem — arguing that its distinctive characteristics require tailored monitoring and conservation approaches to address pollution threats including microplastics.