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Papers
56 resultsShowing papers from University of Oulu
ClearThe recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt
Researchers analyzed 1,816 freshwater invertebrate community datasets from 22 European countries spanning 1968 to 2020, finding that biodiversity recovered steadily through the 1990s and 2000s thanks to water quality improvements, but has largely plateaued since the 2010s. Emerging threats including climate warming, emerging pollutants like microplastics, and invasive species are now offsetting earlier conservation gains, signaling that stronger protections are urgently needed.
Eco‐Friendly Solutions to Emerging Contaminants: Unveiling the Potential of Bioremediation in Tackling Microplastic Pollution in Water
This review examines bioremediation -- using microorganisms to break down microplastics in water -- as a greener alternative to costly physical and chemical removal methods. While certain bacteria and fungi show real promise in degrading plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene, challenges remain in scaling these approaches. Reducing microplastics in water is important because contaminated water is one of the main ways these particles reach humans.
Investigating prenatal and perinatal factors on meconium microbiota: a systematic review and cohort study
Researchers reviewed 69 studies and conducted a cohort study to understand what shapes the gut microbiome of newborns at birth, finding that conditions during delivery — such as cesarean section versus vaginal birth — have a much stronger influence on early microbiota than factors during pregnancy. This suggests the initial seeding of a baby's gut microbiome happens mainly during the birth process itself.
Co-occurrence of multiple contaminants: Unentangling adsorption behaviour in agricultural soils
This study examined how microplastics in agricultural soil interact with pesticides and pharmaceutical compounds, finding that microplastics increased pesticide absorption by 120-730% in some soils. This means microplastics can concentrate pesticides in soil, potentially creating toxic hotspots. The findings are important for food safety because crops grown in soil contaminated with both microplastics and pesticides may be exposed to higher levels of chemicals than expected.
Microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem: A review of existing policies and regulations
This review examines existing government policies and regulations worldwide aimed at controlling microplastic pollution in water environments. While many countries have taken steps like banning microbeads in personal care products, the authors found that current efforts are insufficient to prevent microplastic release at scale. The study calls for stronger, more coordinated global regulations to protect both ecosystems and public health from microplastic contamination.
Human impacts and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region
This comprehensive assessment cataloged the many human-caused pressures on the Baltic Sea region, from climate change and agricultural runoff to shipping, chemical contamination, and microplastic pollution. Researchers found that climate change acts as an overarching force that amplifies or modifies nearly all other environmental stressors in this heavily populated coastal area. The study emphasizes that understanding how these multiple pressures interact is essential for effective environmental management.
A Children’s Health Perspective on Nano- and Microplastics
This paper highlighted that children face unique risks from nano- and microplastic exposure because their defense mechanisms are still developing, yet almost no toxicological research has specifically focused on child health. Researchers noted that child-specific exposure sources and how plastic particles are absorbed and eliminated in young bodies remain largely unstudied. The study provides recommendations for filling these research gaps and suggests ways families can reduce early-life plastic exposure.
Microplastic Removal from Water Using Biomass‐Based Carbon: A Review of Recent Advances
This review evaluates the potential of carbon materials derived from biomass, such as agricultural waste and wood, for removing microplastics from water. Researchers found that these materials offer advantages including low cost, abundant raw material sources, and effective removal capabilities. The study highlights biomass-derived carbon as a promising sustainable technology for addressing microplastic contamination in aquatic environments.
Bio-Based Smart Materials for Food Packaging and Sensors – A Review
This review examined bio-based smart packaging materials that combine sustainability with real-time food quality monitoring through integrated sensors. Researchers explored how biodegradable and renewable packaging materials with embedded bio-based sensors could help reduce food waste, increase shelf life, and decrease reliance on conventional petroleum-based plastics in the food industry.
Towards the Development of Portable and In Situ Optical Devices for Detection of Micro-and Nanoplastics in Water: A Review on the Current Status
This review surveys the development of portable and in-situ optical devices for detecting micro- and nanoplastics in water, as most current detection methods are laboratory-based. Researchers evaluated emerging technologies including portable Raman and infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence-based sensors, and smartphone-integrated detection systems. The study identifies key technical challenges that must be overcome to enable real-time, field-based monitoring of plastic pollution in water.
Separation of microplastics from water using superhydrophobic silane-coupling-agent-modified geopolymer foam
Researchers created a water-repelling foam filter by modifying a geopolymer material with a silane coating and tested its ability to remove microplastics from water. The filter achieved roughly 99 percent removal of polyethylene microspheres and maintained its performance over approximately 200 treatment cycles. The study demonstrates that this inexpensive, chemically modified foam could be a practical tool for filtering microplastics from laundry and other wastewater sources.
Vertically co-distributed vanadium and microplastics drive distinct microbial community composition and assembly in soil
Researchers investigated the vertical co-distribution of vanadium and microplastics in soil profiles at a vanadium smelting site. The study found that both contaminants were present throughout the soil column and drove distinct changes in microbial community composition and assembly, suggesting combined impacts on soil ecosystem functioning.
Life cycle assessment of sewage sludge treatment: Comparison of pyrolysis with traditional methods in two Swedish municipalities
Researchers compared pyrolysis, a heat-based treatment that converts sewage sludge into biochar, against traditional disposal methods in two Swedish municipalities using life cycle assessment. They found that using biochar as a fertilizer replacement offered significant environmental benefits, and combining anaerobic digestion with pyrolysis was the most environmentally friendly option. The approach also has the advantage of breaking down pollutants like microplastics and pathogens present in sewage sludge.
Modeling microplastic transport through porous media: Challenges arising from dynamic transport behavior
This perspective article examines the challenges of modeling how microplastics move through soil and groundwater systems, noting that existing transport models designed for other particles fall short. Microplastic properties change dynamically as they interact with their environment, altering their density, surface chemistry, and movement behavior in ways that are difficult to predict. The study argues that new modeling approaches, potentially using data-driven methods, are needed to accurately predict microplastic transport at meaningful environmental scales.
Soil C-N and microbial community were altered by polybutylene adipate terephthalate microplastics
Researchers investigated how biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) microplastics affect soil carbon, nitrogen, and microbial communities in soils planted with soybean and maize. The study found that PBAT microplastics significantly altered dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen levels, increased microbial biomass, and shifted bacterial and fungal community composition, suggesting that even biodegradable microplastics may disrupt soil nutrient cycling in plant-specific ways.
Rapid, In Situ and Non‐Destructive Analysis for the Evaluation of Microplastics Degradation in Water Via Haze Measurement
Researchers developed a new non-destructive method for evaluating microplastic degradation in water using haze measurements that track changes in light scattering. They tested the approach during photocatalytic degradation of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate microplastics using cobalt-based catalysts. The study suggests that haze measurement could be a cost-efficient and practical tool for monitoring microplastic removal in water treatment processes.
Iron‐Based Catalysts for the Removal of Microplastics
This review evaluates the potential of iron-based catalysts for degrading microplastics in water through photocatalytic, Fenton, and electrocatalytic approaches. Researchers highlight the advantages of iron's abundance, low toxicity, and catalytic versatility for generating reactive oxygen species that can break down plastics. The study identifies challenges including scalability and catalyst recovery while recommending interdisciplinary collaboration to advance iron-based remediation solutions.
Adsorption behaviour and interaction of organic micropollutants with nano and microplastics – A review
This review analyzed the adsorption behavior of organic micropollutants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals — onto nano- and microplastics, finding that adsorption is governed by pollutant hydrophobicity, particle surface area, and aging state, and that microplastics can act as vectors delivering co-contaminants to aquatic organisms.
Understanding the cost of soil erosion: An assessment of the sediment removal costs from the reservoirs of the European Union
Researchers calculated the economic cost of soil erosion in the European Union by estimating how much sediment accumulates in reservoirs and what it costs to remove it, finding the bill likely exceeds 2.3 billion euros per year just from water erosion alone. This matters because understanding these off-site costs can help justify stronger soil conservation policies like the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan.
Sewage Sludge-Mediated Microplastic Transfer to Agroecosystem: A Comprehensive Review on Detection, Fate and Ecological Impacts
This review study shows that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are getting into farm soil through sewage sludge that's used as fertilizer. When wastewater treatment plants process our sewage, they capture these plastic bits in the leftover sludge, which farmers then spread on their fields. This matters because these microplastics could potentially affect our food supply and soil health, but scientists still need more research to understand the full risks.
Microplastics in a small river: Occurrence and influencing factors along the river Oker, Northern Germany
Researchers surveyed microplastic occurrence in the river Oker, a small regional waterway in northern Germany with a catchment population of about 500,000 people. They found microplastics throughout the river system, with concentrations influenced by local factors such as wastewater treatment plant discharges. The study adds important data from smaller, moderately populated river systems that have been underrepresented in microplastic pollution research.
A multifunctional biogenic films and coatings from synergistic aqueous dispersion of wood-derived suberin and cellulose nanofibers
Researchers developed multifunctional bio-based packaging films and coatings using suberin, an industrial byproduct, stabilized with amphiphilic cellulose nanofibers. The resulting materials demonstrated UV shielding and antimicrobial properties while serving as effective food packaging. The study presents a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging that could help reduce microplastic pollution from packaging degradation.
Building Arctic Resilience through Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence in Marine Pollution Control
This paper describes the ICEBERG project, an EU-funded initiative using citizen science and AI-based monitoring to assess marine pollution in the Arctic and build community resilience to environmental change. The project combines Indigenous knowledge, drone surveys, and machine learning to characterize plastic, chemical, and microbiological contamination across Arctic coastal communities.
From coast to community: assessing marine plastic pollution impacts on ecosystems and human health in Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard through a One Health and technology-enhanced community monitoring approaches
Researchers with the ICEBERG project used a One Health framework to assess marine plastic pollution impacts on ecosystems and human health in Iceland, Greenland, and Svalbard, working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The study identified microplastic contamination across coastal food webs in these Arctic regions and evaluated implications for subsistence harvesting.