Papers

The distribution of subsurface microplastics in the ocean

This study combined data from nearly 2,000 ocean sampling stations to map how microplastics are distributed at different depths. Smaller microplastics spread more evenly through the water column, while larger ones tend to concentrate near the surface. At deep ocean depths, microplastics make up an increasing share of total organic particles, suggesting they are becoming a significant part of the deep ocean environment.

Nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic

Scientists measured nanoplastics (plastic particles smaller than a micrometer) across the entire North Atlantic Ocean for the first time. They found these tiny particles throughout the water column, with estimated amounts in the surface layer alone potentially reaching 27 million tonnes. This mass rivals or exceeds previous estimates for all larger plastics in the entire Atlantic, showing that nanoplastic pollution is far more extensive than previously thought.

Microplastics and human health

This brief commentary highlights that significant knowledge gaps still need to be filled before we can fully understand the health risks that microplastics pose to humans. It calls for more research to clarify how microplastic exposure may affect human health.

Microplastics in soils: A comprehensive review

This comprehensive review summarizes what is known about microplastics in soil, covering their sources from agriculture, household waste, and industry, as well as how they move through and accumulate in different soil types. The review finds that current methods for measuring soil microplastics are inconsistent, making it difficult to accurately assess the true scale of contamination and its risks to food safety and human health.

Quantitation of micro and nanoplastics in human blood by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Researchers developed and validated an improved method using pyrolysis-gas chromatography to measure specific plastic polymer types in human blood, detecting plastics in 64 out of 68 blood samples tested with a mean concentration of 268 nanograms per milliliter. Polyethylene was the most common polymer found, underscoring that microplastic and nanoplastic particles are already circulating inside the human body.

Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed

Researchers showed that nanometer-sized polystyrene particles can reach the mouse brain within just 2 hours of being swallowed, crossing the blood-brain barrier that normally protects the brain from harmful substances. Computer simulations revealed that cholesterol molecules on the particle surface helped the nanoplastics slip through this barrier, suggesting that the tiniest plastic particles in our environment could potentially affect brain health.

Biotechnological methods to remove microplastics: a review

This review examines biotechnological approaches to removing microplastics from the environment, including using algae, fungi, and bacteria that can break down plastic particles. The paper also discusses cutting-edge methods like gene editing to enhance microbial degradation abilities, which could eventually help reduce the amount of microplastics that accumulate in food and water sources.

Plastic pollution in the Arctic

This review describes how plastic pollution, including microplastics, has spread throughout the Arctic despite its remoteness, carried by ocean currents, rivers, and wind from lower latitudes. Plastics accumulate in Arctic ice, water, soil, and wildlife, and even if all plastic production stopped today, existing plastic would continue fragmenting into microplastics for decades. The contamination of this sensitive ecosystem is concerning because Arctic food webs, including fish consumed by humans, are already affected.

Towards a risk assessment framework for micro- and nanoplastic particles for human health

This review proposes a framework for assessing the health risks of micro- and nanoplastics to humans, noting that current methods are inadequate because these particles come in countless types, sizes, and chemical compositions. The authors recommend focusing first on inhalation risks and suggest using existing approaches for evaluating low-toxicity particles and fibers as a starting point for plastic particle safety standards.

Micro- and nanoplastics concepts for particle and fibre toxicologists

This review provides guidance for toxicologists studying micro- and nanoplastic particles, calling for better quality standards in research as the field rapidly expands. The authors note that most current studies use commercially available plastic beads that do not represent real-world microplastics, and that standardized approaches to dosing, particle characterization, and exposure methods are urgently needed. With microplastics now confirmed to bioaccumulate in human tissues, establishing rigorous research standards is critical for accurately assessing health risks.

Farm animals as a critical link between environmental and human health impacts of micro-and nanoplastics

Researchers argue that farm animals — livestock exposed daily to microplastics and nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles under 5 mm and 1 micrometer, respectively) through contaminated feed, soil, and water — represent an understudied but critical link between environmental plastic pollution and human health risks through the food supply. The authors call for more research on how plastics transfer from agricultural environments through livestock into meat, dairy, and eggs consumed by people.

Impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on early-life health: a roadmap towards risk assessment

Researchers proposed a detailed risk assessment roadmap specifically for how micro- and nanoplastic exposure during pregnancy and early childhood could harm fetal and infant development, noting that these tiny particles have already been detected in human placentas. The framework identifies critical gaps in dosing data, detection methods, and placental transfer research needed before reliable safety conclusions can be drawn.

Sediment Toxicity Tests: A Critical Review of Their use in Environmental Regulations

This review evaluates how sediment toxicity testing is used in environmental regulations around the world, finding that adoption varies widely between regions. While focused on general chemical contamination rather than microplastics specifically, the frameworks described are increasingly relevant as regulators begin to consider microplastic pollution in sediments and its potential effects on aquatic ecosystems and the food chains that humans depend on.

A triple increase in global river basins with water scarcity due to future pollution

Researchers modeled global water availability through 2050 and found that nitrogen pollution from agriculture and cities could triple the number of river basins facing water scarcity, potentially affecting 3 billion more people beyond those already impacted by simple water shortages. The findings underscore that clean water policy must address pollution, not just supply.

Nano- and microplastic PBK modeling in the context of human exposure and risk assessment

This review evaluates how computer models that simulate the movement of chemicals through the human body (called PBK models) can be applied to nano- and microplastics to better assess health risks. The authors found that most existing studies on plastic particle behavior in the body have significant quality gaps, making reliable risk assessment difficult. The paper proposes a framework for building better models, which is an important step toward understanding what micro- and nanoplastics actually do once they enter the human body.

Challenges in studying microplastics in human brain

Uptake, Transport, and Toxicity of Pristine and Weathered Micro- and Nanoplastics in Human Placenta Cells

Researchers tested how both new and environmentally weathered micro- and nanoplastics are taken up by human placental cells in laboratory experiments. They found that the placental cells internalized and transported plastic particles regardless of whether they were pristine or aged, with some types affecting gene expression. The study suggests that placental cells are vulnerable to microplastic exposure and that weathering in the environment does not eliminate the particles' ability to enter human tissue.

Nanoplastics transport to the remote, high-altitude Alps

Researchers measured nanoplastic concentrations in snow at a remote Alpine observatory over 3,100 meters above sea level, finding an average of 46.5 nanograms per milliliter of melted snow. The dominant plastic types detected were polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, with air transport modeling tracing their origins to European urban areas. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics can travel long distances through the atmosphere and accumulate even in pristine high-altitude environments.

Micro- and Nanoplastics in Alpine Snow: A New Method for Chemical Identification and (Semi)Quantification in the Nanogram Range

Researchers developed a highly sensitive new method for detecting micro- and nanoplastics using thermal desorption mass spectrometry, achieving detection limits 100 times better than previous techniques. They used this method to identify multiple types of plastic particles in snow samples from the Austrian Alps, including nanometer-scale polyethylene terephthalate. The presence of nanoplastics in high-altitude alpine snow confirms that plastic pollution travels through the atmosphere to even remote locations.

Protocol for the production of micro- and nanoplastic test materials

Scientists created a standardized protocol for producing well-characterized micro and nanoplastic test materials from polypropylene and PVC for use in health research. Current studies often use commercially available plastic beads that do not resemble real-world microplastics, making results hard to interpret. Having realistic, standardized test materials will improve the quality and comparability of future research on microplastic health effects.

Transport and Burial of Microplastics in Deep-Marine Sediments by Turbidity Currents

Researchers used flume experiments to investigate how underwater avalanches called turbidity currents transport and bury microplastics in deep-sea sediments. They discovered that microplastic fibers become preferentially trapped between settling sand grains during deposition, even though fragments are more concentrated at the base of the flow. The study suggests that these powerful ocean currents may be responsible for distributing and burying large quantities of microplastics on the seafloor.

Riverine microplastic and microbial community compositions: A field study in the Netherlands

Researchers collected microplastic samples from the Dutch section of the Rhine River and analyzed the microbial communities living on them. The study found an average of over 213,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter of water, with polyamide and PVC being the most common types. Larger microplastics hosted distinctly different bacterial communities compared to the surrounding water, including biofilm-forming species and potential pathogens, raising concerns about microplastics as vehicles for harmful microorganisms.

The impact of microplastics on female reproduction and early life

This review examined the current evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics may affect female reproduction and early life development. Researchers found that studies in animals suggest microplastics can cross important biological barriers and may interfere with reproductive processes, though human data remains very limited. The study highlights the urgent need for standardized methods to measure human exposure and better understand potential reproductive health effects.

Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: Critical review and assessment of data quality

Researchers critically reviewed fifty studies on microplastics in freshwater and drinking water and found significant quality issues, including inconsistent sampling methods and inadequate contamination controls. Many studies lacked proper quality assurance, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about actual contamination levels. The study emphasizes that standardized methods are urgently needed before the true extent of microplastic contamination in drinking water can be assessed.