Papers

Advancements in the biopolymer films for food packaging applications: a short review

This review covers advances in biodegradable biopolymer films being developed to replace conventional plastic food packaging, which breaks down into microplastics that contaminate soil and water. While these plant-based alternatives show promise for reducing microplastic pollution, they still need improvements in strength and durability before they can compete with conventional plastics at commercial scale.

Tricks and tracks of prevalence, occurrences, treatment technologies, and challenges of mixtures of emerging contaminants in the environment: With special emphasis on microplastic

This review examines how microplastics interact with other emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals in soil and water, often acting as carriers that transport these pollutants into ecosystems. The combined exposure to microplastics and these toxic substances can cause cancer-promoting, hormone-disrupting, and birth-defect-causing effects in living organisms, including humans.

Microplastics, their abundance, and distribution in water and sediments in North Chennai, India: An assessment of pollution risk and human health impacts

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in water and sediment samples from North Chennai, India, finding contamination at all sampling sites. Landfills, densely populated areas, and tourist spots had the highest concentrations, with pollution risk levels ranging from low to extremely high. The presence of microplastics in lake water used for drinking purposes is a concern for human health in the region.

Occurrence and abundance of microplastics and plasticizers in landfill leachate from open dumpsites in Sri Lanka

This is the first study to investigate microplastics and chemical plasticizers in landfill leachate and sediment in Sri Lanka. Researchers found microplastics in all ten open dump sites tested, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types, along with harmful plasticizers like phthalates. This matters for human health because leachate from open dumps can contaminate nearby groundwater and surface water used for drinking and agriculture.

Microplastics and plastics-associated contaminants in food and beverages; Global trends, concentrations, and human exposure

This review provides a global overview of microplastic contamination in food and beverages, including seafood, salt, honey, sugar, beer, milk, and drinking water. It estimates that humans may consume tens of thousands of microplastic particles per year through their diet, with concentrations varying widely by food type and region. The authors also examine plastics-associated chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol A that can leach from packaging into food, compounding the health risk.

Electrochemically microplastic detection using chitosan-magnesium oxide nanosheet

Scientists developed an electrochemical sensor using chitosan and magnesium oxide nanosheets to detect hexamethylenetetramine (HMT), a chemical found in microplastics, in water samples. The sensor showed high sensitivity and selectivity, successfully detecting HMT in real-world lake and drinking water samples. This kind of affordable, portable detection tool could help monitor microplastic-related chemical contamination in water supplies.

Origin, ecotoxicity, and analytical methods for microplastic detection in aquatic systems

Microplastics in freshwater: Unveiling sources, fate, and removal strategies

This review of 167 studies examines the sources, distribution, and fate of microplastics in freshwater systems worldwide. Key sources include improperly disposed plastic waste, synthetic fabrics, and personal care products, and these particles act as carriers for heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- collectively posing potential cancer and other health risks through contaminated drinking water and food.

Microplastic residues in clinical samples: A retrospection on sources, entry routes, detection methods and human toxicity

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in a freshwater river in northwestern Himalayas, India - Scenario of riverbank solid waste disposal sites

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in the Jhelum River in the Himalayas near garbage dump sites, finding an average of about 1,474 particles per cubic meter. Fibers and fragments from everyday plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common types found. The study shows that even remote freshwater sources used for drinking and irrigation are contaminated with microplastics, raising concerns for the communities that depend on them.

Decoding the interactions between microplastics, polyfluoroalkyl substances, and endocrine disruptors: sorption kinetics and toxicity

Prevalence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, microplastics and co-infecting microbes in the post-COVID-19 era and its implications on antimicrobial resistance and potential endocrine disruptive effects

This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic increased environmental contamination from pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, all of which can promote antibiotic resistance and disrupt hormones. The surge in mask use, sanitizer disposal, and medication contributed to higher levels of these pollutants in waterways. The combination of microplastics with pharmaceutical residues creates a compounding threat where plastics can carry drug-resistant bacteria and hormone-disrupting chemicals into water supplies.

Nanoplastic occurrence, transformation and toxicity: a review

Urine biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: A new opportunity for wastewater-based epidemiology?

Researchers explored whether Alzheimer's disease biomarkers found in urine could be detected in wastewater to track disease trends across entire communities — a method called wastewater-based epidemiology. While promising biomarkers exist in urine, key questions about their stability and concentration in sewage must be resolved before this surveillance approach can be implemented.

Global perspective on microplastics in landfill leachate; Occurrence, abundance, characteristics, and environmental impact

This review provides the first global overview of microplastic contamination in landfill leachate, the liquid that seeps out of garbage dumps. Microplastic levels varied widely, with the highest concentrations found in Shanghai at 291 particles per liter, and polyethylene was the most common type worldwide. Since landfill leachate can seep into groundwater and nearby waterways, this represents an important but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution that could affect drinking water supplies.

A discussion of microplastics in soil and risks for ecosystems and food chains

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soils through agricultural practices, landfills, and wastewater, posing risks to ecosystems and food chains. Researchers found that while marine microplastic pollution has been well studied, terrestrial contamination remains poorly understood despite soil receiving more plastic waste than oceans. The study highlights how microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially transfer through the food chain to humans.

Macro- and microplastics as complex threats to coral reef ecosystems

This review summarizes the growing threat that plastic pollution, from large debris down to nanoplastics, poses to coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics can impair coral feeding, skeletal formation, and nutrition, weakening reef health. The study calls for including plastic monitoring in reef conservation programs and promoting a circular economy to reduce plastic waste entering oceans.

A review on mechanistic understanding of microplastic pollution on the performance of anaerobic digestion

This review examines how microplastic contamination affects anaerobic digestion, a process used to convert organic waste into biogas. Researchers found that microplastics can harm the microbial communities essential to this process through direct contact, leaching of toxic chemicals, and generating harmful reactive oxygen species. The findings raise concerns that microplastic pollution could reduce the efficiency of waste treatment systems and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

Degradation mechanism of microplastics and potential risks during sewage sludge co-composting: A comprehensive review

This review examines how aerobic composting of sewage sludge can break down microplastics, but also identifies risks in the process. While composting shows promise as a green method for degrading microplastics, it can also release plastic additives and change the types of microplastics present. The study highlights that compost made from sewage sludge may inadvertently spread microplastics and their associated chemicals into agricultural soil.

Multi-dimensional View of Microplastic Toxicity: Environmental and Health impacts

Data driven AI (artificial intelligence) detection furnish economic pathways for microplastics

This review examines how artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches are being applied to detect and classify microplastics in water more quickly and affordably than traditional laboratory methods. Researchers found that AI-powered image recognition and spectral analysis tools can significantly speed up identification while reducing costs. The study suggests that data-driven detection methods could make large-scale microplastic monitoring more practical and accessible.

A critical review on sustainable hazardous waste management strategies: a step towards a circular economy

Researchers review global strategies for managing hazardous industrial and household waste — including chemicals, heavy metals, and electronic waste — with a focus on aligning disposal practices with circular economy principles that minimize environmental and health harm. The review finds that prevention, recycling, and advanced treatment technologies must work together, guided by stronger international policy frameworks.

Environmental fate, toxicological impact, and advanced treatment approaches: Atrazine degradation and emphasises on circular economy strategy

Researchers reviewed how atrazine — a widely used weedkiller that persists long in soil and water — harms aquatic ecosystems, disrupts hormones in animals, and poses cancer risks to humans, while examining chemical, biological, and microbial methods for breaking it down. The study highlights circular economy approaches and life cycle analysis as promising frameworks for reducing atrazine's long-term environmental footprint.

A Concise Review on Taro Mucilage: Extraction Techniques, Chemical Composition, Characterization, Applications, and Health Attributes

This review examined extraction techniques, chemical composition, characterization, and applications of mucilage from taro (Colocasia esculenta). Researchers found that taro mucilage has excellent functional properties including water-holding, oil-holding, and swelling capacities, making it useful in food, pharmaceutical, and other applications. The study suggests that taro mucilage could serve as a sustainable biopolymer alternative in various industrial applications.