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Papers
148 resultsShowing papers from RWTH Aachen University
CleariMulch: an investigation of the influence of polymers on a terrestrial ecosystem using the example of mulch films used in agriculture
This research project studied how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics in soil, comparing conventional polyethylene films with biodegradable alternatives. The findings show that both types of mulch release microplastic particles into agricultural soil, though they behave differently in the environment, raising questions about the true sustainability of biodegradable farm plastics.
Material-specific binding peptides empower sustainable innovations in plant health, biocatalysis, medicine and microplastic quantification
This review covers material-binding peptides, which are short protein fragments that can attach to specific materials including plastics. These peptides have promising applications in detecting and quantifying microplastics in the environment, as well as potentially accelerating plastic degradation. The technology draws on advances in protein engineering and computational design.
Screening the release of chemicals and microplastic particles from diverse plastic consumer products into water under accelerated UV weathering conditions
Researchers exposed eight common plastic consumer products to UV light simulating eight months of weathering and found they released both microplastic particles and hundreds of chemical compounds into water. The UV exposure significantly increased the release of toxic metals and organic chemicals compared to products kept in the dark. Many of the detected substances exceeded safety thresholds, suggesting that sun-degraded plastic products could pose meaningful health and environmental risks.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in lettuce triggered by microplastics-stress
Researchers grew lettuce in water containing polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles accumulated in root tips and leaf veins, causing water loss stress and changes in gene expression. The plants responded by activating stress defense systems and altering their metabolism, including increased production of protective compounds in root secretions. This study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics can stress food crops and change their biology, raising questions about the safety and nutritional quality of vegetables grown in contaminated environments.
Weathering Plastics as a Planetary Boundary Threat: Exposure, Fate, and Hazards
This paper argues that weathering plastics in the environment now meet all three criteria for a planetary boundary threat: they are found everywhere on Earth, the pollution is essentially irreversible, and emerging evidence shows they can disrupt vital ecosystems. As plastics break down into smaller micro and nanoplastics, they release toxic chemicals and become more bioavailable to organisms. The authors conclude that plastic pollution has reached a scale that could threaten fundamental Earth system processes.
Exposure to complex mixtures of urban sediments containing Tyre and Road Wear Particles (TRWPs) increases the germ-line mutation rate in Chironomus riparius
This study found that tire and road wear particles, a major source of microplastics in urban areas, cause genetic mutations in aquatic insects exposed to contaminated sediment. The mutation rate increased by 50% compared to unexposed groups, and the mutation patterns matched those caused by known cancer-causing chemicals like benzo[a]pyrene. This raises concerns that microplastic pollution from roads could have long-term genetic consequences for organisms living in waterways near roadways.
Addressing chemical pollution in biodiversity research
This paper argues that chemical pollution, including microplastics, deserves far more attention in biodiversity research alongside climate change and habitat loss. Evidence shows that anthropogenic chemicals are a growing threat to ecosystems worldwide, yet pollution is often left out of biodiversity studies. The authors call for interdisciplinary collaboration between ecologists and environmental chemists to better understand and combat pollution-driven biodiversity decline.
A Call to Include Plastics in the Global Environment in the Class of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants
This viewpoint paper argues that plastics in the environment should be formally classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants, the same category as chemicals like DDT and mercury. The authors present evidence that plastics meet all three criteria: they resist degradation, accumulate in organisms and food chains, and release harmful chemicals. Reclassifying plastics this way could trigger stronger regulatory protections worldwide.
The Role of Cow’s Milk Consumption in Breast Cancer Initiation and Progression
Researchers reviewed evidence linking cow's milk consumption to estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer risk, identifying multiple potential drivers including hormones like IGF-1, microRNAs in milk, and contaminants such as microplastics, nanoplastics, and bisphenol A. The authors argue that commercial milk deserves more scrutiny as a breast cancer risk factor, particularly during vulnerable periods like puberty, and that dietary guidelines may need to be reconsidered.
Leveraging mechanochemistry for sustainable polymer degradation
This review explores mechanochemistry, the use of mechanical force to break chemical bonds, as a sustainable approach to breaking down plastic waste. Techniques like ball milling and grinding can fragment polymers and initiate chemical reactions that conventional recycling cannot achieve. While still an emerging field, mechanochemical degradation could offer a way to break down microplastics and other persistent plastic waste that current recycling methods cannot handle.
Effects of marine microplastic on marine life and the food webs – A detailed review
This review provides a comprehensive look at microplastic pollution in marine environments, covering sources, impacts on marine life, and risks to human health through the seafood supply chain. Microplastics cause physical harm like gut blockages in marine animals and can carry toxic chemicals that accumulate up the food chain. The authors emphasize that with global plastic production still rising, urgent policy action and better waste management are needed to protect both ocean ecosystems and human health.
Positively Charged Microplastics Induce Strong Lettuce Stress Responses from Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Perspectives
Researchers exposed lettuce leaves to microplastics carrying different electrical charges and found that positively charged particles caused significantly stronger stress responses than negatively charged or neutral ones. The positively charged microplastics accumulated more in leaf tissue and triggered widespread changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways. The study suggests that the surface charge of microplastics is an important factor in determining their toxicity to plants.
Quantitative investigation of the mechanisms of microplastics and nanoplastics toward zebrafish larvae locomotor activity
Researchers investigated how microplastics and nanoplastics affect zebrafish larvae swimming behavior through both direct toxicity and interactions with the hormone-disrupting chemical EE2. They found that nanoplastics alone inhibited locomotion by causing oxidative damage and reducing body length, while microplastics had minimal direct effects. When combined with chemical pollutants, both plastic sizes altered toxicity outcomes, suggesting that the real-world impact of plastic particles depends heavily on what other contaminants are present.
Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere
Researchers reviewed emerging evidence that airborne microplastics can carry and transport living microorganisms — including potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria — across long distances through the atmosphere, identifying this as an overlooked global health threat that bridges pollution and infectious disease.
Microplastics in focus: a silent disruptor of liver health- a systematic review
This systematic review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect liver health, based on 25 experimental and observational studies. The evidence shows that polystyrene particles can cause liver inflammation, oxidative stress, fat buildup, and disruption of metabolic pathways. These findings are concerning because the liver is the body's primary detoxification organ, and plastic-related damage could impair its ability to process other toxins.
Addressing the toxic chemicals problem in plastics recycling
This study highlights the challenge of toxic chemicals in plastics recycling, noting that plastics contain hundreds of different chemicals including plasticizers, stabilizers, and pigments, many of which are hazardous. Researchers found that because the chemical composition of plastic waste is largely unknown, recyclers cannot effectively screen out materials containing dangerous substances. The authors propose five policy strategies, including improved chemical transparency, simplified regulations, and economic incentives, to make plastics recycling safer.
Erosion Behavior of Different Microplastic Particles in Comparison to Natural Sediments
Researchers experimentally measured how easily different types of microplastic particles are eroded and transported in river systems compared to natural sediment. They found that critical shear stresses for microplastics ranged widely depending on particle shape, density, and size, as well as the composition of the riverbed. The study developed an equation to predict when different microplastic particles will be mobilized from river sediments, providing a tool for estimating microplastic transport rates in waterways.
Leaching of endocrine disrupting chemicals from marine microplastics and mesoplastics under common life stress conditions
Researchers measured the leaching of endocrine disrupting chemicals from marine microplastics and mesoplastics collected from the field under stress conditions that mimic real-world exposure. They found that bisphenol A was the most frequently detected compound, and that smaller plastic particles released greater quantities of these chemicals per unit mass. The study suggests that microplastics in the marine environment act as sources of hormone-disrupting substances that could affect wildlife and potentially human health.
Mangroves in Egypt and the Middle East: current status, threats, and opportunities
Researchers reviewed the state of mangrove forests across Egypt and the Middle East, where only two species survive the harsh conditions, and found that pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are major threats — with microplastics and heavy metals increasingly entering mangrove ecosystems via seawater. Rehabilitation efforts across the region have planted millions of trees, but stronger protections and policy frameworks are needed to preserve these critical carbon-storing coastal ecosystems.
Different mulch films, consistent results: soil fauna responses to microplastic
Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA/PBAT microplastics affect earthworms and springtails in soil over 28 days. Neither plastic type significantly harmed reproduction, but subtle cellular stress responses were detected, and the effects were similar for both conventional and biodegradable plastics, suggesting that biodegradable alternatives may not be safer for soil organisms.
The way of microplastic through the environment – Application of the source-pathway-receptor model (review)
This review applies the Source-Pathway-Receptor model to organize current knowledge about how microplastics move through the environment. The authors found that while more studies on environmental microplastic concentrations are being published, a comprehensive risk assessment remains impossible due to gaps in understanding transport processes. The study provides a methodological framework to help guide future research and risk assessments for microplastic pollution.
Learning from natural sediments to tackle microplastics challenges: A multidisciplinary perspective
Researchers drew on decades of sediment science to propose seven research priorities for improving microplastic studies, including better particle description, transport modeling, and toxicity assessment methods adapted from geology. This cross-disciplinary approach could accelerate understanding of how microplastics move through rivers, oceans, and ecosystems and how they harm living organisms.
Discovery and mechanism-guided engineering of BHET hydrolases for improved PET recycling and upcycling
Researchers identified and engineered two enzymes — called BHETases — that efficiently break down PET plastic (the kind used in bottles and packaging) into its chemical building blocks, achieving up to seven times better output than leading existing enzymes. By coupling these improved enzymes in a two-step system, the team demonstrated a path toward true closed-loop PET recycling.
Microplastics Lead to Hyperactive Swimming Behaviour in Adult Zebrafish
Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics across a wide concentration range and found that microplastics accumulated primarily in the gastrointestinal tract and gills. The study revealed that exposed fish exhibited hyperactive swimming behavior, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can affect locomotor activity even without obvious physical damage to internal organs.