Papers

Effects of polyethylene, polylactic acid, and tire particles on the sediment microbiome and metabolome at high and low temperatures

This study examined how three common types of microplastics (polyethylene, polylactic acid, and tire particles) affect bacteria and chemical processes in wetland sediment at different temperatures. The microplastics changed the types and diversity of bacteria in the sediment and altered chemical activity, with the effects varying depending on temperature. These findings matter because changes to sediment microbes can disrupt wetland ecosystems that help filter water before it reaches communities.

Construction of loading g-C3N4/TiO2 on waste cotton-based activated carbon S-scheme heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of microplastics: Performance, DFT calculation and mechanism study

Microplastic pollution in water and sediment in the Henan section of the Yellow River based on the MultiMP comprehensive evaluation method

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in the Henan section of the Yellow River, analyzing both surface water and sediment samples using the MultiMP risk assessment method. The study found microplastics throughout the river system, with fiber-shaped particles in the 25-150 micrometer range being most common, and the findings suggest moderate ecological risk that warrants continued monitoring.

Distribution, sources and multi-dimensional environmental risk assessment of microplastics in soils and groundwater along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow river

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in both soil and groundwater along the middle and lower reaches of China's Yellow River. They found soil concentrations ranging from 426 to over 3,000 particles per kilogram, with fibers being the dominant shape in both soil and groundwater. A novel risk assessment approach revealed that while soil contamination was mostly moderate, nearly a quarter of groundwater samples reached high-risk levels.

Freshwater microplastics governance and sustainable development: Pollution status, interactions, policies, and prospective studies

This review examines 20 years of research on microplastic pollution in freshwater environments, covering pollution status, interactions with other contaminants, and governance policies across multiple countries. The study suggests that while various policy frameworks exist for reducing microplastic sources and improving waste management, more coordinated monitoring and evaluation efforts are needed to effectively address freshwater microplastic contamination.

Quantitative Contributions of Climate and Human Activities to Streamflow and Sediment Load in the Xiliugou Basin of China

Researchers analyzed 30 years of data from the Xiliugou Basin in China to quantify how climate change and human activities have affected streamflow and sediment transport. The study found that human activities, particularly land-use changes, were the dominant factor driving decreases in both streamflow and sediment load, with an abrupt shift occurring around 1997.

Temperature-dependent effects of microplastics on sediment bacteriome and metabolome

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics, including polyethylene, polylactic acid, and tire particles, affect sediment microbial communities and metabolic processes at different temperatures. The study found that temperature strongly influences certain enzyme activities while microplastic type affects others, with tire particles in particular significantly altering microbial community composition and metabolic pathways in wetland sediments.

Side-chain chlorine controls interfacial photoreacivity of aliphatic hydrocarbon microplastics by modulating production of persistent free radicals and reactive oxygen species

Researchers investigated how side-chain chlorine atoms in aliphatic hydrocarbon microplastics (such as PVC) modulate the photochemical transformation of the tire rubber antioxidant 6PPD, finding that chlorine enhances persistent free radical formation and alters reactive oxygen species production at microplastic surfaces.

Sodium p-Perfluorous Nonenoxybenzene Sulfonate (OBS) Induces Developmental Toxicity Through Apoptosis in Developing Zebrafish Embryos: A Comparison with Perfluorooctane Sulfonate

Researchers found that OBS, an alternative to the banned PFAS compound PFOS, induces developmental toxicity in aquatic organisms despite being marketed as safer, raising concerns that PFOS substitutes may carry similar risks and warrant more rigorous environmental safety assessment.

The Occurrence, Distribution, Environmental Effects, and Interactions of Microplastics and Antibiotics in the Aquatic Environment of China

This review characterizes the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in Chinese aquatic environments, summarizing their sources, spatial distributions, and the environmental effects of their interactions.

Identification of surface water quality pollution areas and pollution sources based on spatial clustering and random forest in Henan, China

This study used spatial cluster analysis to identify surface water quality pollution areas and trace pollution sources across Henan Province, China. Spatial dependence analysis revealed distinct contaminated zones and their likely sources, enabling targeted remediation strategies for different pollution types.

Full stage networks with auxiliary focal loss and multi-attention module for submarine garbage object detection

Researchers developed a new AI-based detection system using modified YOLO neural networks to identify and locate garbage objects on the seafloor in complex underwater images. The system uses multi-scale feature extraction and a specialized loss function to accurately detect small and deformed debris items, supporting robotic clean-up efforts in marine environments.

Spatiotemporal Variations of Water Eutrophication and Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention and Control in the Main Stream of the Yellow River in Henan Province from 2012 to 2021

This is not a microplastics study; it tracks water quality and eutrophication in the Yellow River in Henan Province over a decade, finding improvements linked to pollution control policies and identifying agricultural runoff as the dominant non-point source of contamination outside the flood season.

Irrigation of reclaimed water leads to the accumulation and potential risk of microplastics in saline-alkali soil

In the arid agricultural regions of western China where reclaimed wastewater is used for irrigation, this study found that even after 87.5% of microplastics are removed during treatment, the remaining particles accumulate in soils over time — primarily as small polypropylene and polyamide fragments. Although current ecological risk scores are technically low, the study highlights a fundamental trade-off: using treated wastewater to solve water scarcity introduces a slow but steady buildup of microplastic contamination into the food-growing soils that feed local communities.

Synergistic Impact of Complex Topography and Climate Variability on the Loss of Microclimate Heterogeneity in Southeast Asia

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper analyzes how topography and climate variability have driven declining microclimate heterogeneity in Southeast Asia between 1982 and 2017, with implications for regional biodiversity.

Underwater Waste Recognition and Localization Based on Improved YOLOv5

Researchers developed an improved YOLOv5-based algorithm incorporating weighted image fusion to enhance detection and localization of underwater plastic waste in optical images, addressing challenges of noise, low contrast, and blurred textures in aquatic environments.

Interactive Effects of Drought and Microplastic Particle Size on Soil Bacterial Community Structure

Microplastic-mediated interactions with antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in sludge: combined effects and environmental implications

This review summarized the co-occurrence and interactions of microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sludge environments, finding that their interactions are primarily controlled by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic forces, and electrostatic interactions, with biofilm formation playing a critical role. The combined ecological risks of these three pollutants in soil were shown to negatively affect soil microorganisms, plants, animals, and biogeochemical element cycling.

Research trends of Ecological Engineering - A review and bibliometric analysis

Dynamic Aggregation of Small Microplastics with Polyelectrolytes at the Isoelectric Points

Construction of Loading G-C3n4/Tio2 on Waste Cotton-Based Activated Carbon S-Scheme Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Microplastics: Performance, Dft Calculation and Mechanism Study

A Song of Ice and Fire: Temperature-Dependent Effects of Microplastics on Sediment Bacteriome and Metabolome

Traceability and Emission Reduction of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in Minjiang Estuary, China

This study modeled dissolved inorganic nitrogen sources and transport in the Minjiang Estuary in China using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic water quality model. Researchers identified major pollution sources and proposed strategies for reducing nitrogen loading to improve estuary water quality.

The comparison of adsorption kinetics of polystyrene particles with two polyelectrolytes near the isoelectric points