Papers

Microplastics in the environment: An urgent need for coordinated waste management policies and strategies

This review highlights that microplastic pollution affects marine ecosystems, farmland, and human health, but current waste management policies are fragmented and insufficient. The authors evaluate existing strategies and propose practical solutions including better recycling programs, product redesign to reduce plastic use, and coordinated international policy. Addressing the microplastic problem requires not just cleanup technology but systemic changes in how we produce, use, and dispose of plastics.

Conversion of PET Bottle Waste into a Terephthalic Acid-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Removing Plastic Nanoparticles from Water

Researchers found a way to turn waste PET plastic bottles into a special material (metal-organic framework) that can remove nanoplastic particles from water with up to 97% efficiency. This approach solves two problems at once: it recycles plastic bottle waste and uses the resulting material to clean plastic nanoparticles from contaminated water. The technology offers a promising circular solution for addressing both plastic waste and nanoplastic water pollution.

Sorption, Extraction, and Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Environmentally Weathered Microplastics, Particulate Organic Matter, Sediment, and Fish Species in the Lavaca-Matagorda Bay System

Researchers studied how microplastics carry cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Lavaca-Matagorda Bay system in Texas. They found PAHs attached to microplastics, sediment, and in the digestive systems of three commercially important fish species. This shows that microplastics can act as vehicles for toxic chemicals in coastal waters, potentially affecting the safety of fish that people eat.

Impact of accelerated weathering on the leaching kinetics of stabiliser additives from microplastics

Researchers studied how environmental weathering affects the release of chemical additives from microplastics and found that the results varied widely depending on the type of plastic and additive. Contrary to common assumptions, weathering did not always increase chemical leaching; in fact, it only significantly changed release rates for three out of nine formulations tested. This means the health risks from microplastic additives are more complex than previously thought, as different plastic types behave very differently in the environment.

Integrating the One Health Approach and Statistical Analysis for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem Management and Trace Metal Contamination Mitigation

This study applied a One Health approach, which connects human, animal, and environmental health, to the management of aquatic ecosystems contaminated with trace metals. Researchers used statistical analysis to better understand metal contamination patterns and their implications across these interconnected systems. The findings support integrating environmental monitoring with public health strategies for more effective pollution management.

Toxicity of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Mammalian Systems

This review summarizes recent findings on how micro- and nanoplastics affect mammalian health, drawing on mouse model experiments and human cell line studies. Researchers found evidence that these tiny plastic particles can disrupt gut microbiota, cause metabolic toxicity, and accumulate in tissues after ingestion or inhalation. The study suggests that long-term accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in human tissues could have negative health consequences that are not yet fully understood.

Evaluating the performance of electrocoagulation system in the removal of polystyrene microplastics from water

Researchers tested electrocoagulation, a water treatment method that uses electric current to clump particles together, for removing polystyrene microplastics from water. Using aluminum electrodes at neutral pH, they achieved over 90% removal efficiency. This technology could provide a practical and effective way to remove microplastics from drinking water and wastewater, reducing human exposure to these contaminants.

Reviewing Perovskite Oxide-Based Materials for the Effective Treatment of Antibiotic-Polluted Environments: Challenges, Trends, and New Insights

This review covers perovskite oxide materials as catalysts for breaking down antibiotic pollution in water through advanced photocatalysis. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics directly, the technology is relevant because microplastics in water can carry antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Better water treatment methods that address multiple contaminants could help reduce overall human exposure to both antibiotics and microplastics.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Pollutants Using Covalent Organic Frameworks

This review covers how covalent organic frameworks, a class of porous crystalline materials, can be used as photocatalysts to break down emerging contaminants including microplastics and pharmaceuticals. Researchers highlighted the tunable structure and high surface area of these materials as key advantages for environmental cleanup applications. The technology represents a promising sustainable approach to degrading persistent pollutants using light-driven chemistry.

Removal of emerging contaminants from wastewater using advanced treatments. A review

Release of additives and non-intentionally added substances from microplastics under environmentally relevant conditions

Researchers measured how chemical additives leach out of different types of microplastics under realistic environmental conditions and found wildly different release rates — spanning five orders of magnitude over 64 days — highlighting that the type of plastic matters greatly when assessing the chemical risks microplastics pose to ecosystems.

Sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments: Insights from a long-term field study within Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada

Researchers placed macro- and microplastics made of two common polymer types in marine intertidal sediments in British Columbia, Canada, for an extended field study to measure how they absorb trace metals. They found that metal sorption depended on polymer type, plastic aging, particle size, and local environmental conditions such as proximity to pollution sources. The study demonstrates that plastics in marine sediments can accumulate concerning levels of metals like copper and zinc, potentially creating concentrated toxic hotspots.

Microplastics contamination in aquaculture-rich regions: A case study in Gresik, East Java, Indonesia

This study provides the first assessment of microplastic contamination in milkfish aquaculture ponds in Gresik, Indonesia. Researchers found microplastics in both water and sediment across all sampling sites, with fragments, fibers, films, and pellets of various polymer types present, largely linked to human activities surrounding the ponds.

Worldwide cases of water pollution by emerging contaminants: a review

Thermal degradation evaluation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics: Insights from kinetics and machine learning algorithms using non-isoconversional TGA data

Nanoscale interaction mechanism between bubbles and microplastics under the influence of natural organic matter in simulated marine environment

Researchers used atomic force microscopy to measure the nanoscale interactions between air bubbles and different types of microplastics in simulated seawater. They found that hydrophobic plastics like polystyrene and PVC showed stronger bubble attachment than hydrophilic ones, and that humic acid in the water significantly weakened these interactions. The study suggests that natural organic matter in oceans may reduce the tendency of microplastics to be carried to the surface by bubbles, affecting how they circulate in marine environments.

Harnessing the power of metal-organic frameworks to develop microplastic fouling resistant forward osmosis membranes

Surfaces for hearts: Establishing the optimum plasma surface engineering methodology on polystyrene for cardiac cell engineering

Researchers tested several plasma gas treatments on polystyrene plastic to find the best surface for growing heart muscle cells in the lab, finding that nitrogen (N2) plasma created the most stable, cell-friendly surface — improving heart cell shape, organization, and adhesion compared to untreated plastic.

Real-Time Instance Segmentation for Detection of Underwater Litter as a Plastic Source

Researchers developed a real-time instance segmentation system using neural networks to detect underwater plastic litter on the seafloor, targeting the approximately 70% of marine litter that sinks and serves as a major source of ocean microplastics.

Resilient forward osmosis membranes against microplastics fouling enhanced by MWCNTs/UiO-66-NH2 hybrid nanoparticles

Researchers developed improved forward osmosis membranes by incorporating hybrid nanoparticles made of multi-wall carbon nanotubes and metal-organic frameworks to resist microplastic fouling. The modified membranes showed enhanced performance and greater resistance to clogging by microplastic particles. The study presents a promising approach for improving membrane-based water treatment systems that need to handle microplastic-contaminated wastewater.

Buried and forgotten: Plastic contamination in an ancient deep-sea fish lineage

Researchers documented microplastic contamination in hagfish, an ancient deep-sea lineage, by examining specimens from multiple ocean basins. Hagfish showed high rates of MP ingestion likely through scavenging on contaminated carcasses, demonstrating that microplastics are reaching even deep-sea scavengers and ancient lineages.

Structure–function correlation of branched and linear polyaramides for the removal of pollutants from water

A series of branched and linear polyaramides were synthesized and evaluated for removing dissolved pollutants from water, with both nanoplastic particles and dyes effectively removed through adsorption, demonstrating that polyaramide architecture significantly influences pollutant removal performance.

Current Understanding on the Heterogenous Expression of Plastic Depolymerising Enzymes in Pichia pastoris

This review assessed the use of Pichia pastoris as a heterologous expression platform for plastic-degrading enzymes, finding it a promising system for producing secreted depolymerases at scale, while highlighting remaining challenges in yield and activity for industrial enzymatic plastic degradation.

Nanoscale insight into the interaction mechanism underlying the transport of microplastics by bubbles in aqueous environment

Nanoscale experiments revealed that bubble capture of microplastics in water is governed by hydrophobic interactions and surface charge complementarity between bubbles and MP particles. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for modeling the role of bubbles in transporting MPs from water to air-water interfaces and across environmental compartments.