Papers

Quantitative assessment of visual microscopy as a tool for microplastic research: Recommendations for improving methods and reporting

Researchers conducted a multi-laboratory study across six countries to assess how accurately visual microscopy identifies microplastics in water samples. They found significant variability between laboratories in particle counts, size measurements, and material identification, with accuracy declining for smaller and transparent particles. The study recommends improved standardization and quality control measures to make microscopy a more reliable tool in microplastic research.

Advances in understanding of air–sea exchange and cycling of greenhouse gases in the upper ocean

This review summarizes the latest understanding of how greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane cycle between the ocean and atmosphere. Researchers found that while the ocean is well established as a major absorber of CO2 and a source of N2O, significant uncertainties remain about the processes controlling these gas distributions in the upper ocean. The study suggests that a coordinated global research effort is needed to understand how ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation will affect these critical gas exchanges.

Uptake, Whole-Body Distribution, and Depuration of Nanoplastics by the Scallop <i>Pecten maximus</i> at Environmentally Realistic Concentrations

Researchers used radiolabeled nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations to track uptake in scallops and found the particles distributed throughout the body, including the intestine, kidney, gills, and muscle. After transfer to clean water, scallops retained a significant fraction of nanoplastics for weeks, indicating slow depuration rates even at low exposure levels.

Effects of anthropogenic sounds on the behavior and physiology of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Researchers measured acute behavioral and physiological responses of eastern oysters to anthropogenic sounds mimicking human activities such as pile driving and drilling. The study found that oysters immediately reduced their valve gape under simulated pile driving sound, indicating that noise pollution can affect the behavior and physiology of ecologically important marine invertebrates.

Can microplastic pollution be affected by beach nourishment? Assessment in intertidal sediment and bivalves

Researchers investigated whether beach nourishment, a common coastal erosion mitigation technique, affects microplastic pollution in sediments and bivalves along two beaches in southeastern Brazil. They found a 171% increase in total microplastic counts after the nourishment process, indicating that dredged material used to replenish beaches can dramatically increase local microplastic contamination.

Microplastics in the benthic fish from the Canadian St. Lawrence River and Estuary: Occurrence, spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in benthic fish from the St. Lawrence River and Estuary in Canada, examining Channel Catfish and Atlantic Tomcod. They found an average of 3.0 microplastic particles per fish, predominantly small fibers made of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene, with catfish downstream of Quebec City showing elevated levels likely linked to urban activity.

The circumpolar impacts of climate change and anthropogenic stressors on Arctic cod (<i>Boreogadus saida</i>) and its ecosystem

This review assessed the circumpolar impacts of climate change and anthropogenic stressors on Arctic cod, identifying how warming waters, pollution including microplastics, and habitat loss threaten this keystone forage fish and its broader ecosystem.

The Next Generation Is Here: A Review of Transcriptomic Approaches in Marine Ecology

This review assessed transcriptomic approaches in marine ecology, highlighting how next-generation sequencing technologies are enabling researchers to address ecological questions including organism responses to environmental stressors at the molecular level.

Abundance, composition, and distribution of microplastics in intertidal sediment and soft tissues of four species of Bivalvia from Southeast Brazilian urban beaches

Researchers found 100% microplastic contamination in intertidal sediments and four bivalve species from urbanized Brazilian beaches, identifying polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET polymers in organisms commonly consumed by humans.

&lt;span&gt;Exposure To Tire Leachates Reduces Clearance Rate, Increases Trace Metal Accumulation and Mortality, And Impairs Gut Microbiota in Mussels&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;(Mytilus edulis)

Microplastic contamination in fish from the St. Lawrence River and Estuary: Roles of semisynthetic polymers, passive uptake, and wastewater inputs

Researchers measured microplastics in four fish species and water from the St. Lawrence River and Estuary, finding that semisynthetic polymers like rayon were commonly present — often overlooked in standard monitoring — and wastewater treatment plant effluents were a key input source.

Tracking radiolabelled polystyrene microplastics in young Atlantic scallop (Placopecten magellanicus): bioaccumulation, depuration and bioenergetic impacts assessment

Researchers tracked radiolabeled 1.5 µm polystyrene microplastics in juvenile Atlantic scallops over time, measuring long-term bioaccumulation and organ distribution and finding the particles affected energy reserve levels — providing direct evidence of bioenergetic costs from microplastic ingestion.

Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic

Researchers analyzed the co-contaminants of microplastics ingested by northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes from the Canadian Arctic, finding that fulmars had higher plastic loads and greater concentrations of plastic additive compounds, while kittiwakes had higher legacy persistent organic pollutants. Fulmars with larger foraging ranges carried the highest overall contaminant burdens, suggesting they act as long-range transport vectors for plastic-associated pollution.

Biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain for sustainable personal hygiene products

Researchers developed biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain as a sustainable substitute for petrochemical plastic microbeads used as exfoliating agents in personal care products. The bio-based particles were characterized for size, shape, and mechanical properties to confirm suitability for cosmetic formulations.

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.

Hemocyte Health Status Based on Four Biomarkers to Assess Recovery Capacity in American Lobster (Homarus americanus) after Exposure to Marine Diesel and Diluted Bitumen

Researchers assessed hemocyte health in American lobsters exposed to marine diesel and diluted bitumen (dilbit) using four biomarkers, finding that standard industry measures were insufficient to capture immunotoxic effects and that lobsters exposed to dilbit showed more persistent immune impairment than those exposed to marine diesel.

Distribution and environmental risk assessment of microplastics in continental shelf sediments in the southern East China Sea: A high-spatial-resolution survey

Researchers conducted a high-spatial-resolution survey of microplastics in surface sediments across the southern East China Sea continental shelf, finding omnipresent contamination dominated by polyethylene fibers and fragments, with concentrations elevated near urban coastal areas.

Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic

Researchers investigated organic and inorganic co-contaminants associated with ingested microplastics in northern fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes from the Canadian Arctic, finding that fulmars had higher levels of microplastic contamination and plastic-additive organic compounds than kittiwakes, and examining the extent to which ingested microplastics act as transport vectors for persistent organic pollutants and trace metals.

Photodissolution of submillimeter-sized microplastics and its dependences on temperature and light composition

Researchers examined how temperature and light wavelength affect photodissolution of polypropylene, polystyrene, and thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics in seawater, finding that UVB radiation exclusively drives dissolution, that a 20°C temperature increase can enhance dissolved organic carbon production by 3–10 times depending on polymer, and that estimated lifetimes for these plastics in warm surface waters range from 3.6 to 6.5 years.

Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic

This study examined whether Arctic seabirds that ingest microplastics also accumulate chemical contaminants carried by the plastic particles. The findings suggest that microplastics can act as vectors for delivering toxic chemicals to seabirds, adding to the burden of pollutants already present in Arctic food webs.

Biosourced Spherical Microbeads from Brewer’s Spent Grain for Sustainable Personal Hygiene Products

Researchers developed biodegradable microbeads from brewer's spent grain as a sustainable replacement for plastic microbeads in personal care exfoliants, which are banned in many countries due to their environmental persistence. The biosourced spherical particles showed mechanical properties comparable to plastic microbeads, offering a genuinely plastic-free alternative that breaks down naturally.

From legacy pollutants to emerging contaminants: recent inputs from the 2018 conference of EcoBIM network