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Papers
258 resultsShowing papers from Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
ClearUltra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses
This umbrella review of epidemiological studies examines the health effects of ultra-processed foods, which are a significant source of human microplastic exposure due to plastic packaging. Ultra-processed foods have been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in population studies. The connection between processed food packaging and microplastic contamination adds another dimension to why reducing ultra-processed food consumption may benefit health.
Microplastic contaminations in a set of beverages sold in France
Researchers tested microplastic levels in various beverages sold in France, finding contamination in all types with beers being the most contaminated at about 83 particles per liter, while water had the least at about 3 particles per liter. Surprisingly, glass bottles contained more microplastics than plastic ones, with bottle caps identified as the likely main source of contamination.
The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt
Researchers analyzed 1,816 freshwater invertebrate community datasets from 22 European countries spanning 1968 to 2020, finding that biodiversity recovered steadily through the 1990s and 2000s thanks to water quality improvements, but has largely plateaued since the 2010s. Emerging threats including climate warming, emerging pollutants like microplastics, and invasive species are now offsetting earlier conservation gains, signaling that stronger protections are urgently needed.
Soil and Phytomicrobiome for Plant Disease Suppression and Management under Climate Change: A Review
This review examines how soil microorganisms can be harnessed to suppress plant diseases through farming practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, and applying beneficial microbes. While not directly about microplastics, soil health is increasingly threatened by plastic contamination, which can disrupt the microbial communities that protect crops. Understanding these plant-microbe interactions is important as microplastic pollution in agricultural soils continues to grow.
Microbiome Composition and Function in Aquatic Vertebrates: Small Organisms Making Big Impacts on Aquatic Animal Health
This review examines how microbiomes (communities of microorganisms) function in fish and marine mammals, and how environmental stressors like microplastics can disrupt them. Microplastics in water can alter the natural balance of beneficial microbes in aquatic animals, potentially affecting their health and the safety of seafood. Understanding these disruptions matters because changes in fish microbiomes could affect the quality and safety of the fish that end up on our plates.
The mycorrhizal symbiosis: research frontiers in genomics, ecology, and agricultural application
This review covers the latest advances in understanding mycorrhizal fungi, which form partnerships with plant roots to help them absorb nutrients and resist stress. While not directly about microplastics, mycorrhizal networks play a critical role in soil health, and research shows that microplastic contamination in soil can disrupt these beneficial fungal partnerships. Healthy mycorrhizal networks may also help buffer plants against some negative effects of soil pollutants, including microplastics.
Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait
Researchers argue that the strong and growing evidence linking ultra-processed foods to heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions justifies immediate public health action. Ultra-processed foods may cause harm through multiple pathways, including their plastic packaging, chemical additives, and poor nutritional quality. The authors stress that waiting for complete scientific understanding of every mechanism should not delay policies to reduce consumption of these foods.
Degradation and environmental assessment of compostable packaging mixed with biowaste in full-scale industrial composting conditions
Researchers ran a full-scale composting trial incorporating certified compostable plastics into household biowaste, finding that the materials lost 98% of their mass within four months with no adverse effects on compost safety, soil fertility, or crop growth, and a lower environmental impact than incineration for most indicators.
Utilization of sewage sludge to manage saline–alkali soil and increase crop production: Is it safe or not?
This review examines whether using treated sewage sludge to improve salty, alkaline farmland soils is safe for crops and human health. While sludge adds beneficial nutrients and organic matter that help plants grow in these difficult soils, it can also introduce heavy metals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants. The authors stress that careful monitoring and treatment standards are needed to prevent these pollutants from entering the food supply.
Current challenges on the widespread adoption of new bio-based fertilizers: insights to move forward toward more circular food systems
This review examines the challenges of adopting bio-based fertilizers made from food and agricultural waste as replacements for synthetic mineral fertilizers. While bio-based fertilizers can improve soil health and reduce reliance on finite resources, barriers include inconsistent nutrient content, concerns about contaminants like microplastics and heavy metals in waste-derived products, and the need for farmer-friendly application methods. The study is relevant because sewage sludge used in some fertilizers is a known source of microplastic contamination in farmland.
Soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces worldwide
A global study found that soil contamination in natural areas is just as bad as in nearby urban green spaces, with similar levels of heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes. Human activity was the main driver of contamination regardless of whether the area was urban or natural. The findings show that microplastic pollution and other contaminants have spread far beyond cities, potentially affecting soil health and the food grown in these areas.
Multi‐omics insights into surface charge effects to decode the interplay of nanoplastics and bacterial antibiotic resistance
Researchers discovered that nanoplastics with a positive surface charge help bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics by turning on stress-defense genes and promoting the spread of resistance genes between bacteria. In contrast, negatively charged nanoplastics had the opposite effect, disrupting bacterial communities in ways that could reduce resistance. This finding is important for human health because it suggests that the type of nanoplastic pollution in the environment could influence how quickly antibiotic-resistant superbugs develop and spread.
Exposure of black soldier fly larvae to microplastics of various sizes and shapes: Ingestion and egestion dynamics and kinetics
Researchers studied how black soldier fly larvae, used to convert food waste into animal feed, interact with microplastics of different sizes and shapes. The larvae ingested microplastics along with their food but could not fully break them down, passing most of them through in their waste. This raises food safety concerns because if microplastics persist in the larvae, they could transfer up the food chain when the larvae are used as feed for livestock or fish.
Current innovative approaches in reducing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in processed meat and meat products
This review examines how cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form in processed meats during cooking methods like grilling, smoking, and frying. While not directly about microplastics, PAHs are relevant because they are among the harmful chemicals that can attach to microplastic surfaces in the environment. The paper discusses various strategies to reduce PAH formation in food, which matters for overall exposure to carcinogens through the diet.
Environmental samples of microplastics induce significant toxic effects in fish larvae
Researchers collected microplastic samples from beaches on Easter Island, Guam, and Hawaii, then fed them to Japanese medaka fish at concentrations reflecting real ocean conditions. Larvae exposed to these environmental microplastics experienced increased mortality, developmental abnormalities, DNA damage, and behavioral changes. The study demonstrates that realistic concentrations of weathered, real-world microplastics can cause significant harm to fish during their most vulnerable early life stages.
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.
Impacts of climate change on spatial wheat yield and nutritional values using hybrid machine learning
This study used machine learning to predict how climate change will affect wheat yield and nutritional value, specifically iron and zinc content. While not directly about microplastics, it is relevant because microplastics in agricultural soil can also alter how crops absorb nutrients like iron and zinc. The research highlights the broader challenge of maintaining food nutrition quality as environmental conditions change.
Microplastics: What happens in the human digestive tract? First evidences in adults using in vitro gut models
Researchers used an advanced artificial gut model to study what happens when polyethylene microplastics pass through the human digestive tract under conditions mimicking repeated exposure. They found that microplastics altered the composition of gut bacteria and affected the intestinal barrier without causing overt toxicity. This is among the first studies to simulate realistic human digestive exposure to microplastics, suggesting subtle but meaningful effects on gut health.
Microplastics in the human digestive environment: A focus on the potential and challenges facing in vitro gut model development
This review explores how microplastics travel through the human digestive system and what effects they may have on gut health. Researchers found that microplastics can carry harmful hitchhikers like heavy metals, antibiotics, and bacteria, potentially disrupting the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier. The study emphasizes the urgent need to develop better laboratory gut models to accurately simulate how microplastics interact with human digestive physiology.
Trace Metals in Modern Technology and Human Health: A Microbiota Perspective on Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel
This review examines how trace metals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel, which are increasingly released into the environment from modern technology manufacturing, affect the human gut microbiome. Researchers found that while these metals serve essential biological functions at low levels, excessive exposure can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria and contribute to systemic health effects. The study highlights the need for better understanding of how technology-related metal pollution may influence human health through its impact on gut microbes.
Micro- and nanoplastic size affects uptake and digestive tract region residence time in black soldier fly larvae during food waste bioconversion
Researchers studied how black soldier fly larvae, increasingly used to recycle food waste, handle micro- and nanoplastics of different sizes during digestion. They found that nanoplastics remained in the gut significantly longer than larger microplastics and were retained even after the larvae stopped eating contaminated food. The findings raise concerns that nanoplastics could enter the food chain when larvae-derived products are used as animal feed or fertilizer.
The invasive mysid Hemimysis anomala: an up-to-date review of its biology, ecology, distribution and ecological impacts
This review compiles current knowledge about the invasive 'bloody-red shrimp' Hemimysis anomala, which has spread from the Ponto-Caspian region to freshwater ecosystems across Europe and the Great Lakes. The species' rapid spread is driven by high reproductive rates and adaptability to diverse habitats, and it has been shown to significantly alter food web structures in invaded ecosystems. While not directly a microplastics study, the review is relevant to understanding how invasive species may contribute to the transport and distribution of environmental contaminants including microplastics.
Chronic LDPE microplastic ingestion: oxidative stress and mutagenicity in reef fish Stegastes fuscus
Researchers fed reef damselfish a diet containing low-density polyethylene microplastics for four months and observed increased DNA damage in blood cells and elevated oxidative stress markers in the brain. While the fish showed no changes in behavior, the cellular-level damage points to real biological harm from chronic microplastic ingestion. The findings highlight a hidden threat to reef fish health that could have cascading effects on coral reef ecosystems.
Increased assimilation efficiency and mortality rate in Gammarus fossarum exposed to PVC microplastics
Researchers exposed freshwater amphipods to PVC microplastics of two different sizes for 28 days and found that the animals experienced increased mortality, particularly from smaller particles at higher concentrations. While the amphipods did not eat less food, they showed higher assimilation efficiency when exposed to microplastics, possibly due to changes in their gut bacteria or energy being redirected toward defense. The study highlights that even relatively low concentrations of PVC microplastics can be harmful to these important freshwater organisms.