Papers

Microplastics in urine, sputum and lung lavage fluid from patients with respiratory illnesses

Researchers analyzed urine, sputum (mucus from coughing), and lung fluid from 30 patients with respiratory conditions in Iran and found microplastics in all three types of samples. Sputum contained the most particles (358 total), dominated by polyurethane fibers, while urine had the fewest (9 particles). The different types and sizes of plastics found in each fluid suggest the body sorts and distributes inhaled and ingested microplastics through different pathways.

The potential of micro- and nanoplastics to exacerbate the health impacts and global burden of non-communicable diseases

This review presents evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may worsen non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness by fueling chronic inflammation in the body. The authors also propose that people already suffering from these diseases may absorb even more microplastics due to their weakened tissue barriers, creating a harmful feedback loop.

Beyond microbeads: Examining the role of cosmetics in microplastic pollution and spotlighting unanswered questions

This review highlights a major gap in microplastic research: while rinse-off cosmetics like face scrubs have gotten most of the attention, leave-on products like moisturizers and makeup actually contain more microplastic ingredients and are purchased in greater volumes. Since leave-on products sit on the skin for extended periods, they may pose underappreciated risks for both dermal microplastic exposure and environmental contamination.

Characterization of airborne microplastics and exposure assessment in the Mahshahr special economic zone, Northern Persian Gulf

The potential of microplastics acting as vector for triclosan in aquatic environments

This systematic review found that microplastics can act as vectors for triclosan (an antibacterial agent) in aquatic environments, transporting it across trophic levels through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces. The co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan amplifies their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms beyond their individual effects.

Environmental dimensions of the protein corona

Researchers reviewed how nanomaterials entering natural environments acquire an "eco-corona" — a coating of proteins and other biomolecules that alters how organisms recognize and interact with the particles — and called for targeted research into how this coating changes during food chain transfer and affects ecotoxicity.

Biotransformation of nanoplastics in human plasma and their permeation through a model in vitro blood-brain barrier: An in-depth quantitative analysis

Researchers tracked how nanoplastics behave in human blood plasma and found they rapidly accumulate a coating of proteins and lipids (called a "biocorona"), which affects how they cross the blood-brain barrier — a protective membrane shielding the brain. PVC nanoplastics crossed the barrier more readily than polystyrene ones, and the protein coating actually reduced — but did not eliminate — their penetration into brain tissue.

Synthetic Microplastics in UK tap and bottled water; Implications for human exposure

Researchers tested 177 tap water samples from 13 UK cities and 85 bottled water samples from 17 brands, finding microplastics in every single sample with no meaningful difference in average concentration between tap and bottled water. Infants and toddlers were estimated to ingest four times more microplastics per kilogram of body weight than adults, raising concerns given their still-developing immune and nervous systems.

Barriers and Enablers to the Adoption of Circular Economy Concept in the Building Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic review identified barriers and enablers to adopting circular economy practices in the building sector, analyzing studies from 2008 to 2023. Key barriers include lack of regulations, high upfront costs, and limited stakeholder awareness, while enablers include government incentives, stakeholder collaboration, and technological innovation for material reuse and recycling.

Compounding one problem with another? A look at biodegradable microplastics

This review examines whether biodegradable plastics truly solve the microplastic problem, finding that many do not fully break down under real-world conditions. Incomplete decomposition of biodegradable plastics can generate micro-sized particles that may be just as harmful as conventional microplastics. The authors warn that marketing plastics as "biodegradable" without ensuring complete breakdown could actually worsen environmental microplastic contamination.

Combined toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics on the sentinel species Daphnia magna: Implications for freshwater ecosystems

This study tested how PFAS chemicals (common industrial pollutants) and PET microplastics affect water fleas, both alone and together. The combination caused worse developmental and reproductive problems than either pollutant alone, and organisms with prior chemical exposure history responded differently, showing that microplastics can amplify the harm of other environmental contaminants in ways that are difficult to predict.

Hazard assessment of nanomaterials using in vitro toxicity assays: Guidance on potential assay interferences and mitigating actions to avoid biased results

Researchers reviewed how nanomaterials — including microplastic and tire-wear particles — can interfere with standard lab toxicity tests, causing unreliable results, and developed a decision tree to help scientists design experiments that avoid or account for these false readings. This guidance is critical because more than 90% of papers published before 2014 didn't address this problem, meaning many early safety assessments may be flawed.

Application of Machine Learning in Nanotoxicology: A Critical Review and Perspective

This review evaluates how machine learning and artificial intelligence are being used to predict the toxic effects of nanomaterials, including nanoplastics, on human health and the environment. These computational tools can help screen thousands of materials for potential hazards much faster than traditional lab experiments, though the authors note that better data quality and standardized methods are still needed.

Assessment of human dermal absorption of flame retardant additives in polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics using 3D human skin equivalent models

Using 3D lab-grown human skin models, researchers found that flame retardant chemicals (PBDEs) embedded in polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics can be absorbed through the skin. Up to 8% of the flame retardant dose was bioavailable through dermal contact, with factors like sweat, particle size, and plastic type influencing absorption rates. This is the first study to demonstrate that chemical additives in microplastics can enter the body through skin exposure, adding to the known ingestion and inhalation routes.

Microplastics in indoor air from Birmingham, UK: Implications for inhalation exposure

In the first study of its kind in the UK, researchers measured airborne microplastics inside 30 homes and 30 workplaces in Birmingham, finding an average of about 16 particles per cubic meter of indoor air in homes. Homes had significantly higher levels than workplaces, largely due to carpeted floors, and the results suggest that people are breathing in meaningful amounts of microplastics in the places where they spend most of their time.

Mixtures of organic micropollutants exacerbated in vitro neurotoxicity of prymnesins and contributed to aquatic toxicity during a toxic algal bloom

During a toxic algal bloom that killed hundreds of tons of fish in the Oder River in 2022, researchers found that organic micropollutants in the water made the algal toxins even more harmful to human nerve cells in lab tests. While this study focuses on chemical pollution rather than microplastics directly, it demonstrates how mixtures of environmental contaminants can interact to amplify health risks beyond what any single pollutant would cause alone.

From marine to freshwater environment: A review of the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect aquatic organisms in both saltwater and freshwater environments. Microplastics cause a range of harmful effects including behavioral changes, metabolic disruption, immune suppression, and reproductive problems in fish, shellfish, and plankton. The review highlights that freshwater species have been studied far less than marine ones, even though freshwater ecosystems are often closer to pollution sources and more directly connected to human water supplies.

Birds as bioindicators of plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments: A 30-year review

This 30-year review of 106 studies examines how birds in freshwater and land environments are affected by plastic pollution. Most research has focused on larger plastic pieces, while microplastic exposure in these bird species is understudied and nanoplastic exposure has not been investigated at all. The authors urge researchers to develop standardized methods for measuring small plastic particles in birds, which could serve as valuable warning signs of plastic pollution across ecosystems.

Stakeholder alliances are essential to reduce the scourge of plastic pollution

This commentary argues that reducing plastic pollution requires much better cooperation between scientists, industry, the public, and policymakers. Progress has been painfully slow, and damage to the environment and human health continues to grow. The authors call for these four groups to find new ways to work together to address the plastic crisis more effectively.

An integrated multimethod approach for size-specific assessment of potentially toxic element adsorption onto micro- and nanoplastics: implications for environmental risk

This study developed a precise method to measure how toxic metals like chromium, arsenic, and selenium attach to nanoplastic particles of different sizes. Smaller nanoplastics absorbed more toxic metals per unit of weight due to their larger surface area, making them potentially more dangerous. The findings help explain how nanoplastics can act as carriers of toxic metals into the environment and potentially into the human body.

Chronic Exposure to Microplastics Induces Blood–Brain Barrier Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Damage in Rats

Rats that were fed low-density polyethylene microplastics for up to six weeks developed significant brain damage, including a weakened blood-brain barrier (the protective shield that keeps harmful substances out of the brain), increased oxidative stress, and neuron death. The longer the exposure lasted, the worse the damage became, with a key brain-health protein called BDNF declining significantly by week six. This study provides strong evidence that chronic microplastic exposure could harm brain health by allowing toxic substances to enter the brain more easily.

Synthetic microplastics in hot and cold beverages from the UK market: Comprehensive assessment of human exposure via total beverage intake

Researchers tested 155 common hot and cold beverages from UK stores and found microplastics in every single sample. Hot tea had the highest levels at about 60 particles per liter, and hot beverages consistently contained more microplastics than cold ones, suggesting that heat causes more plastic to leach from packaging. Based on typical UK drinking habits, the estimated daily microplastic intake from beverages alone was 3,432 to 6,864 particles per person.

Toxicity of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sentinel freshwater models, Daphnia, Zebrafish and unicellular green algae: A systemic review

Researchers reviewed 68 studies on how microplastics and PFAS ("forever chemicals") affect freshwater organisms like Daphnia, zebrafish, and algae, finding that both contaminants are more toxic at chronic low doses than in short-term exposures, and that combining them tends to amplify harm — while noting almost no research has studied them together.

Challenges in studying microplastics in human brain