Papers

Interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants: Effects on toxicity, bioaccumulation, degradation, and transport

This review examines how microplastics interact with organic pollutants like pesticides and industrial chemicals in the environment. Researchers found that microplastics can absorb these pollutants and alter their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and transport, making the combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants potentially more harmful than either would be alone.

Proof of concept for a new sensor to monitor marine litter from space

Researchers analyzed 300,000 satellite images of the Mediterranean Sea to track floating marine litter over time, finding that heavy rainfall events drive most litter inputs from land while coastal currents and wind determine how it spreads. The study demonstrates that satellites can reliably map pollution hotspots and detect seasonal trends, making space-based monitoring a practical new tool for managing ocean plastic pollution.

Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms

Researchers investigated how high-density polyethylene films from plastic bags fragment into microplastics under simulated beach and nearshore conditions over six months. The study found that natural sunlight exposure on sand or in seawater caused measurable degradation, providing evidence for how everyday plastic bags break down into microplastic particles in marine environments.

The fate of airborne microfibers in the human respiratory tract in different microenvironments

Researchers modeled how airborne microplastic fibers deposit and clear from the human respiratory tract across different indoor and outdoor environments. They found that the largest fiber doses accumulated during bus travel and in certain indoor settings, with most deposited fibers eventually being cleared from the lungs to the digestive tract. The study suggests that inhaled microplastics represent a meaningful exposure pathway, particularly in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.

Relationship between the Carbonyl Index (CI) and Fragmentation of Polyolefin Plastics during Aging

Researchers studied how polyethylene and polypropylene plastic films break down in simulated marine and coastal environments over 12 months, tracking the relationship between surface oxidation and the generation of microplastic fragments. They found a strong correlation between the carbonyl index, a measure of chemical degradation, and the number of secondary particles produced. The study identifies specific degradation thresholds beyond which plastic films begin to fragment into microplastics at accelerated rates.

Chemical recycling of plastic waste for sustainable material management: A prospective review on catalysts and processes

Mechanisms governing the transport of nanoparticles and microplastics in porous media: A review

Interactions of microplastics, antibiotics and antibiotic resistant genes within WWTPs

This review examined the interactions between microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes within wastewater treatment plants, analyzing how MPs serve as carriers for antimicrobial compounds and facilitate the spread of resistance in microbial communities.

Microplastics—Four Years of Publications on the Environmental Challenges and Adverse Health Effects of Microplastics

This editorial reviews four years of publications in the Microplastics journal, an open-access peer-reviewed journal focused on the environmental challenges and health effects of microplastic pollution. The piece highlights the growing body of research addressing microplastic contamination across ecosystems and its potential impacts on human and animal health.

A holistic approach for tourism carrying capacity estimation in sensitive ecological areas

Researchers developed a holistic framework for estimating tourism carrying capacity in the sensitive coastal ecosystem of Balos Lagoon, a Natura 2000 site in Western Crete. The study combined environmental quality indicators with visitor impact assessments to support sustainable tourism planning in Mediterranean ecosystems facing pressures from pollution and biodiversity loss.

Plastic pellets, meso- and microplastics on the coastline of Northern Crete: Distribution and organic pollution

Researchers surveyed plastic pollution — including pellets, meso-, and microplastics — along the coastline of northern Crete, documenting their distribution patterns and identifying local hotspots tied to human activity and ocean current dynamics.

Linear relationship between carbonyl index of weathered microplastics with a C C backbone and solar light photodegradation kinetics of nicotine

This study found that the carbonyl index of UV-weathered microplastics with carbon-carbon backbones (PS, PP, LDPE) linearly predicts their ability to enhance indirect solar photodegradation of nicotine — offering a simple surface chemistry parameter for estimating aged microplastic reactivity toward organic contaminants.

Solar light photodegradation of nicotine in the presence of aged polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated whether aged polystyrene microplastics can facilitate the solar photodegradation of nicotine, a widespread emerging contaminant, using polystyrene as a model substrate. Results showed that UV-weathered microplastics acted as photosensitizers, accelerating nicotine degradation under sunlight and producing reactive species that enhanced the process.

Sinking characteristics of microplastics in the marine environment

This study investigated the sinking behavior of microplastics in the marine environment, finding that particle properties such as density, shape, and biofouling strongly influence whether particles float or sink, helping explain why much of the expected floating plastic is unaccounted for.

Plastic particles in urban compost and their grain size distribution

Microplastics in urban compost produced from city greenery were dominated by PET, polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene, with highest concentrations in the 0.63-1.25 mm grain size fraction and an average total concentration of 1368 mg/kg dry matter.

MPs and NPs intake and heavy metals accumulation in tissues of Palinurus elephas (J.C. Fabricius, 1787), from NW Aegean sea, Greece

Researchers extracted 4,102 plastic particles from the stomach tissues of 63 European spiny lobsters collected from the NW Aegean Sea, with 95.2% of individuals containing plastic and counts ranging from 20 to 273 particles per individual. Fragments dominated at 98.3%, and heavy metals were also elevated in tissues, suggesting dual contamination pathways.

Large-Scale Integration of Amplicon Data Reveals Massive Diversity within Saprospirales, Mostly Originating from Saline Environments

This paper is not about microplastics — it analyzes global bacterial diversity within the order Saprospirales using environmental DNA databases.

Cotransport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and formaldehyde in saturated and unsaturated columns packed with quartz sand

Researchers found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles and formaldehyde undergo cotransport in both saturated and unsaturated porous media, with nanoparticle retention increasing at higher ionic strength, while co-presence of formaldehyde reduced nanoparticle mobility.

A carbon-14 radiotracer-based study on the phototransformation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water <i>versus</i> in air

Researchers used carbon-14 radiotracers to study the phototransformation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water versus air, finding that aqueous conditions promoted both mineralisation and photo-oxidation with significant leaching of carbon from the particles. The results demonstrate that the environmental matrix strongly influences the fate and breakdown rate of nanoplastics.

Biodegradation of weathered polystyrene films in seawater microcosms

Researchers found that natural marine bacterial communities, especially after adapting to plastic surfaces over time, can measurably break down weathered polystyrene films in seawater under realistic ocean conditions. Chemical and physical analysis confirmed actual degradation of the plastic's molecular structure, suggesting that ocean microbes play a role in the slow natural breakdown of plastic pollution.

Development of tailored indigenous marine consortia for the degradation of naturally weathered polyethylene films

Researchers developed tailored indigenous marine bacterial consortia for polyethylene degradation, conducting a two-phase microcosm experiment that bioaugmented naturally weathered PE films with strains capable of using low-density polyethylene as a sole carbon source.

Nanoplastic Generation from Secondary PE Microplastics: Microorganism-Induced Fragmentation

Researchers found that microorganisms accelerate the fragmentation of secondary polyethylene microplastics into nanoplastics through enzymatic and mechanical processes, suggesting biological activity is a significant driver of nanoplastic generation in marine environments.

Necessity to Assess the Sustainability of Sensitive Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of Tourism Pressures and the Travel Cost Method

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews the travel cost method as an economic tool for valuing sensitive aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on sustainable tourism management.

Crude Oil and Its Burnt Residues Induce Metamorphosis in Marine Invertebrates

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reports that crude oil and burned oil residues can trigger premature metamorphosis in marine invertebrate larvae, representing a previously undescribed sublethal effect of oil pollution on marine ecosystems.