Papers

The high persistence of PFAS is sufficient for their management as a chemical class

Researchers argue that the extreme environmental persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is reason enough to regulate them as a single chemical class and phase out all non-essential uses. Because PFAS contain perfluoroalkyl groups that resist virtually all forms of environmental and biological breakdown, their continued release leads to irreversibly increasing concentrations in the environment. The study warns that once harmful effects are confirmed, reversing PFAS contamination will be extremely difficult and costly for society.

Using a citizen science approach to assess nanoplastics pollution in remote high-altitude glaciers

Using trained mountaineers to collect glacier samples and a high-sensitivity detection method, researchers found nanoplastic pollution at concentrations of 2 to 80 nanograms per liter in remote high-altitude glaciers. The presence of common plastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, and tire wear particles at these isolated locations confirms that nanoplastics travel through the atmosphere and contaminate even Earth's most remote environments.

Car Tire Crumb Rubber: Does Leaching Produce a Toxic Chemical Cocktail in Coastal Marine Systems?

Researchers analyzed the chemical content of tire crumb rubber used on synthetic turf fields and tested its leachates in seawater on marine copepods. They found that a cocktail of organic additives and heavy metals, particularly zinc and benzothiazole, readily leached from the rubber into seawater and accumulated in the copepods. The study suggests that tire crumb rubber used in coastal areas represents a source of microplastic-associated chemical contamination that can harm marine organisms.

Ingestion of car tire crumb rubber and uptake of associated chemicals by lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)

Researchers fed lumpfish crumb rubber particles from car tires and tracked the ingestion, retention, and chemical uptake in the fish over time. They found that the fish ingested the rubber particles and absorbed tire-specific chemicals, including para-phenylenediamines and their transformation products, into their tissues. The study demonstrates that tire rubber is a source of microplastic and chemical exposure for marine fish that may encounter runoff from artificial sports fields.

Strategies for grouping per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to protect human and environmental health

Researchers reviewed various strategies for grouping the more than 4,700 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the global market to inform regulatory and risk assessment actions. The most precautionary approach suggests restricting all PFAS based on their extreme environmental persistence alone, while the least precautionary requires detailed toxicological data for grouping. The study highlights that no single grouping strategy will be universally accepted, and the appropriate approach depends on the regulatory purpose.

Occurrence and backtracking of microplastic mass loads including tire wear particles in northern Atlantic air

Scientists measured airborne microplastic concentrations, including tire wear particles, in the atmosphere over the Norwegian coast and Arctic waters using specialized air sampling devices. They detected microplastics even in remote Arctic locations, with tire wear particles being the most abundant type found. Atmospheric transport modeling suggested these particles enter the marine atmosphere from both land and sea sources, indicating that airborne transport is a significant pathway for microplastic pollution reaching remote ocean regions.

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the marine-atmosphere environment

Microplastic Fiber Emissions From Wastewater Effluents: Abundance, Transport Behavior and Exposure Risk for Biota in an Arctic Fjord

Researchers investigated how microplastic fibers emitted from untreated wastewater in an Arctic settlement on Svalbard distribute through the nearby fjord environment. The study found elevated fiber concentrations near the effluent outfall that decreased with distance, and documented potential exposure risks for local marine biota including zooplankton and benthic organisms in this sensitive Arctic ecosystem.

The NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE): facilitating European and worldwide collaboration on suspect screening in high resolution mass spectrometry

Researchers developed the NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE), a shared database that helps scientists across Europe and worldwide identify thousands of chemical contaminants — including plastic additives — in water and environmental samples using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. This collaborative tool accelerates the detection of emerging pollutants before they become widespread health concerns.

Sources and fate of atmospheric microplastics revealed from inverse and dispersion modelling: From global emissions to deposition

Researchers combined atmospheric observations and inverse modeling to estimate global microplastic emissions at 9.6 megatons per year, then used dispersion modeling to trace sources and deposition patterns from emissions to atmospheric fallout worldwide.

Microplastic in the surface waters of the Ross Sea (Antarctica): Occurrence, distribution and characterization by FTIR

Comment on egusphere-2026-59

Scientists developed a better way to identify tiny particles floating in the air, including harmful substances like microplastics, dust, and bacteria. Their new method combines two techniques - looking at how particles glow under UV light and examining their shapes - to more accurately tell these particles apart. This improved detection system could help us better track air pollution and understand how these particles affect human health, especially since some biological particles can cause breathing problems and microplastics are increasingly found in our environment.

Tracing biological, human, and inorganic sources of coarse aerosols via single-particle fluorescence and optical morphology

Scientists developed a new way to identify different types of large air pollution particles, including dust, pollen, bacteria, and microplastics, by combining two detection methods instead of just one. This improved method can better track harmful particles in the air we breathe, which is important because different types of particles affect our health in different ways. The research helps scientists more accurately monitor air quality and understand what kinds of pollutants people are exposed to in different environments.

Exploring microplastic contamination in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis): Insights into plastic pollution in the southwestern tropical Atlantic

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) stranded along the southwestern tropical Atlantic coast by analyzing stomach contents. The study found that most individuals were contaminated with microplastics, with polyurethane, PET, and EVA being the most common polymers, underscoring the widespread nature of plastic pollution in marine food webs.

Atmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions

Using global atmospheric transport simulations, researchers modeled the dispersal of tire wear particles and brake dust from roads, finding that atmospheric transport is a major — and previously underestimated — pathway delivering microplastics to remote regions far from traffic sources.

Modelled sources of airborne microplastics collected at a remote Southern Hemisphere site

Researchers measured airborne microplastic deposits at a remote New Zealand mountain site and used a global atmospheric model to trace where the particles came from, finding that sea spray during long-range wind transport was the dominant source. The study also revealed that shorter sampling periods capture 6 times more microplastics than weekly sampling, suggesting previous studies may have significantly underestimated atmospheric microplastic deposition.

Tracing biological, human, and inorganic sources of coarse aerosols via single-particle fluorescence and optical morphology

Researchers developed an advanced method using single-particle fluorescence and optical morphology analysis to classify different types of coarse aerosol particles, including biological particles, mineral dust, sea spray, and anthropogenic materials like microplastics. The study demonstrates improved techniques for identifying and distinguishing airborne particle types, which is important for understanding their roles in climate and environmental health.

Mapping Plastic and Plastic Additive Cycles in Coastal Countries: A Norwegian Case Study

Researchers developed a comprehensive method using dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis to map the entire plastic cycle in Norway, including 232 plastic additives. For the first time, they modeled the progressive leaching of microplastics during the use phase of consumer products. The study provides a detailed picture of how plastic polymers and their chemical additives move through coastal economies and eventually reach the environment.

From prey to predators: Evidence of microplastic trophic transfer in tuna and large pelagic species in the southwestern Tropical Atlantic

Researchers found evidence of microplastic trophic transfer from prey to tuna and large pelagic predators in the southwestern Tropical Atlantic, demonstrating that plastic contamination moves through marine food chains to economically important fish species.

Fluxes, residence times, and the budget of microplastics in the Curonian Lagoon

Researchers quantified microplastic fluxes across water, sediment, and atmospheric deposition in Europe's largest coastal lagoon—the Curonian Lagoon—finding that atmospheric deposition (27.8 × 10⁹ MPs/year) exceeded river inputs, fibrous MPs dominated all compartments, and lagoon sediments are long-term accumulation sinks with an estimated residence time of ~27 days in the water column.

Car tire particles and their additives: biomarkers for recent exposure in marine environments

Researchers reviewed car tire wear particles and their chemical additives as environmental biomarkers for recent plastic pollution exposure in marine environments. Tire-specific compounds including benzothiazoles, zinc, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were identified as useful chemical tracers that can distinguish tire-derived pollution from other microplastic sources.

Polar Particles: Atmospheric Microplastic Pollution in the Arctic Region – an examination of deposited and suspended microplastics in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Researchers collected both deposited and suspended atmospheric microplastics in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in the first study of its kind in the high Arctic planetary boundary layer. Despite the remote location, measurable concentrations were found, implicating long-range atmospheric transport as a key pathway for microplastic deposition in polar regions.

Negligible Impact of Ingested Microplastics on Tissue Concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Northern Fulmars off Coastal Norway

This study compared persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations in northern fulmars from Norwegian waters that had ingested different amounts of plastic and found no significant relationship between plastic ingestion and POP tissue levels. The results suggest that in this species, plastic is not a meaningful vector for transferring additional chemical pollution beyond what the birds already accumulate through their diet.

Oceanic long-range transport of organic additives present in plastic products: an overview

Researchers analyzed how chemical additives — such as flame retardants and plasticizers — leach slowly from floating plastic debris and can be carried by ocean currents to remote regions like the Arctic, estimating that roughly 8,100 to 18,900 tonnes of these chemicals travel globally via plastic each year. The study highlights plastic debris as a long-range transport vehicle for toxic chemicals that would otherwise break down before reaching polar ecosystems.