Papers

Microplastic pollution of worldwide lakes

This review compiles research on microplastic pollution across 98 lakes worldwide, finding contamination in every lake studied. Lakes act as temporary or long-term accumulators of microplastics because water can remain in them for extended periods, and they receive plastic waste from surrounding areas. The review highlights that freshwater microplastic contamination deserves as much attention as ocean pollution, especially since many communities depend on lakes for drinking water and food.

Global environmental plastic dispersal under OECD policy scenarios toward 2060

Using a global computer model, researchers simulated how plastic pollution will spread through land, ocean, and atmosphere under different policy scenarios through 2060. Even with strong policy action, microplastics already in the environment will continue to circulate for centuries because existing plastic slowly breaks into smaller pieces. The study estimated the total marine plastic pool at 263 million tons, showing that preventing new pollution is critical but will not quickly solve the microplastic problem already in our ecosystems.

Leveraging Administrative Health Databases to Address Health Challenges in Farming Populations: Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis (1975-2024)

This review examines how health databases can be used to study health risks in farming populations, identifying several underresearched areas including exposure to microplastics and other emerging pollutants. The study notes that farmworkers face unique environmental exposures that are poorly understood, and their cardiovascular, reproductive, and autoimmune health outcomes need more investigation. The inclusion of microplastics as a recognized emerging concern for agricultural communities highlights the growing awareness of this exposure pathway.

Investigating Parkinson’s disease risk across farming activities using data mining and large-scale administrative health data

Researchers analyzed health records from over one million French farm managers and found that those working in pig farming, cattle farming, and crop farming had up to 67% higher risk of Parkinson's disease compared to farmers in lower-risk activities like horse care or gardening, pointing to specific occupational exposures worth investigating.

Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs

Researchers conducted the first standardized cross-national survey of plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs, finding plastic in every water body sampled and showing that densely populated urban lakes and large reservoirs with long water-retention times accumulate plastic at concentrations rivaling the most polluted ocean garbage patches.

The internal dose makes the poison: higher internalization of polystyrene particles induce increased perturbation of macrophages

Researchers exposed human macrophages, key immune cells, to polystyrene particles of different sizes and found that smaller particles were internalized more readily and caused greater cellular disruption. Nanoscale plastics triggered stronger inflammatory responses and more oxidative stress than larger microplastics. The study suggests that the amount of plastic actually absorbed by immune cells, not just the amount present in the environment, determines how harmful the exposure is.

Unlocking secrets of microbial ecotoxicology: recent achievements and future challenges

This review explores how microorganisms interact with environmental pollutants, including microplastics, covering how bacteria can break down pollutants but are also harmed by them. The authors highlight that microplastics create new surfaces in the environment where bacteria form communities, potentially spreading harmful species or antibiotic resistance. Understanding these microbial interactions is critical for developing nature-based solutions to reduce pollution and protect human health.

A Critical Review on the Impacts of Nanoplastics and Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Photosynthetic Organisms

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics affect photosynthetic organisms in both water and on land, including algae, aquatic plants, and terrestrial crops. Researchers found that smaller plastic particles and those with positive surface charges tend to be the most toxic, and that chemical additives leaching from plastics are a major source of harm. The study raises concerns that plastics can be absorbed by plants and potentially transferred up the food chain to consumers.

In vitro cell-transforming capacity of micro- and nanoplastics derived from 3D-printing waste

Researchers tested whether micro- and nanoplastics from degraded 3D-printed objects could trigger cancer-like cell changes using a validated laboratory assay. Despite being taken up by cells, none of the plastic particles -- including those containing carbon nanotubes or silver nanoparticles -- caused cancerous transformation in the test system. While the results are reassuring for this specific endpoint, the study notes that certain gene expression changes were observed, warranting further investigation into other potential health effects.

Assessing implications of nanoplastics exposure to plants with advanced nanometrology techniques

Researchers exposed wheat plants to palladium-doped nanoplastics in hydroponic conditions and used advanced imaging techniques to track their uptake. They found that nanoplastics accumulated on root surfaces and were taken up into root tissues, with some translocation to the shoots. The study provides quantitative evidence that nanoplastics can enter the food chain through plant uptake from contaminated growing environments.

Global environmental plastics dispersal under OECD policy scenarios towards 2060

Researchers modeled how global plastic pollution would spread through the environment under different policy scenarios developed by the OECD, looking ahead to 2060. They found that even with ambitious policy action, significant amounts of plastic will continue leaking into aquatic environments unless waste management improves dramatically worldwide. The study suggests that coordinated global policies targeting both plastic production and waste management are essential to curb environmental plastic pollution.

Spatial variability of Saharan dust deposition revealed through a citizen science campaign

Researchers used a citizen science campaign to collect dust-on-snow samples across the Pyrenees and Alps following a major Saharan dust event in February 2021. They found that the amount and particle size of deposited dust decreased with distance from the source, and south-facing slopes accumulated more dust. The study demonstrates how citizen science can fill gaps in understanding atmospheric dust transport, which also carries microplastics and other pollutants across long distances.

Informal waste pickers in guayaquil: Recycling rates, environmental benefits, main barriers, and troubles

Researchers studied the role of informal waste pickers in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and found they contribute significantly to recycling efforts that formal waste management systems miss. By calculating the carbon footprint avoided through their recycling activities, the study quantified substantial environmental benefits. The findings highlight that integrating informal recyclers into official waste systems could improve both recycling rates and environmental outcomes in developing cities.

Farming Activities and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A French Nationwide Population-based Cohort Study

Researchers conducted a large population study in France examining whether farming activities are associated with increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. While the study identified farming as a potential risk factor, the specific exposures driving this link remain unclear. The authors highlight that further research into agricultural exposures, including pesticides, pathogens, and micro- and nanoplastics, could help identify occupational risk factors for gut health conditions.

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the marine-atmosphere environment

Using the power law size distribution to extrapolate and compare microplastic number and mass concentrations in environmental media

Researchers developed a method using power law particle size distributions to extrapolate and compare microplastic concentrations across studies that sample different size ranges. They found that fragment size distributions are steeper than fiber distributions, reflecting different fragmentation processes, and that apparent discrepancies between surface ocean and deep water concentrations largely disappear when size ranges are aligned. The approach offers a standardized framework for comparing microplastic data across environmental studies.

Evidence of free tropospheric and long-range transport of microplastic at Pic du Midi Observatory

Researchers found microplastic particles in the free troposphere at nearly 2,900 meters elevation at Pic du Midi Observatory, with air trajectory modeling showing intercontinental and trans-oceanic transport, demonstrating that microplastics can travel vast distances through the upper atmosphere.

Using the power law size distribution to extrapolate and compare microplastic number and mass concentrations in environmental media

Scientists found that we're likely breathing in 35 to 130 times more tiny plastic particles than previously thought because current methods miss the smallest pieces. By developing a new way to estimate the full amount of microplastics in air and water, researchers discovered that these microscopic plastic fragments are everywhere around us in much higher concentrations. This matters for human health because we're constantly breathing and consuming these particles, but we need better data to understand the true risks to our bodies.

Toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid nanoplastics, pristine and weathered in environmentally-relevant conditions, to human intestinal cells representative of genetic susceptibility to Crohn's disease

Scientists tested tiny plastic particles from common materials like plastic bottles (PET) and biodegradable plastics (PLA) on human intestinal cells, including cells from people genetically prone to inflammatory bowel disease. The plastic particles did get absorbed by the cells, but they didn't cause significant damage or toxicity, even when the plastics had been weathered by environmental conditions. This suggests that short-term exposure to these nanoplastics may not pose major immediate health risks to our digestive system, though more research is needed on long-term effects.

Analysis of Air Pollution (SO2) at Some Point of Congestion in DKI Jakarta

Researchers analyzed air pollution levels including particulate matter at congestion points in Jakarta, finding that SO2 and particulate concentrations varied across locations and were influenced by traffic density, with implications for urban air quality management.

Macroplastic and microplastic contamination assessment of a tropical river (Saigon River, Vietnam) transversed by a developing megacity

Researchers assessed macroplastic and microplastic contamination in a tropical river in Vietnam, finding elevated pollution levels linked to urban and agricultural land use along the waterway.

An anthropocene-framed transdisciplinary dialog at the chemistry-energy nexus

Researchers analyzed key molecules at the chemistry-energy nexus, including carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, ammonia, and synthetic polymers, within the planetary boundary framework. The study suggests that the energy transition will require major shifts in how these molecules are produced and used, with implications for reducing plastic pollution and other environmental impacts tied to the chemical industry.

Biobased, Biodegradable but not bio-neutral: about the effects of polylactic acid nanoparticles on macrophages

Researchers investigated the effects of polylactic acid nanoparticles, a biobased and biodegradable plastic, on immune cells called macrophages. Despite being marketed as eco-friendly, these nanoparticles triggered inflammatory responses and altered macrophage function in ways similar to conventional plastic nanoparticles. The study cautions that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily biologically neutral and may still pose health risks when broken down to nanoscale particles.

Toxicity of polycaprolactone nanoplastics, pristine or weathered in environmental conditions, to human intestinal epithelial cells, in vitro

Researchers tested whether nanoplastics made from polycaprolactone — a biodegradable plastic — harmed human colon cells in lab conditions, including cells engineered to mimic genetic susceptibility to Crohn's disease, and found only mild toxicity even after the plastics were artificially aged to simulate environmental weathering. The results suggest that biodegradable nanoplastics may be less harmful to gut cells than conventional plastics, though longer-term and in vivo studies are still needed.