Papers

Bacterial Cellulose: From Biofabrication to Applications in Sustainable Fashion and Vegan Leather

Despite its classification in this database, this systematic review focuses on bacterial cellulose biofabrication for sustainable textiles and vegan leather — not microplastic pollution. It identifies challenges including low yields, strain instability, and high production costs, while noting advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering that could make bacterial cellulose commercially viable as a plastic alternative.

2024 roadmap on membrane desalination technology at the water-energy nexus

This roadmap review covers the latest advances in membrane technology for turning seawater and brackish water into drinking water. While the paper focuses on desalination engineering, it notes that membrane filtration is also being explored as a way to remove microplastics from water supplies, which is relevant to reducing human exposure through drinking water.

Microplastic and organic pollutant removal using imine-functionalized mesoporous magnetic silica nanoparticles enhanced by machine learning

Effects of nano- and microplastics on kidney: Physicochemical properties, bioaccumulation, oxidative stress and immunoreaction

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene nano- and microplastics of varying sizes and tracked their accumulation and effects in the kidneys. They found that the particles changed their physical properties during digestion, accumulated in kidney tissue, and caused oxidative stress and immune responses. The study suggests that plastic particle size plays an important role in determining the extent of kidney-related harm.

Systemic effects of nanoplastics on multi-organ at the environmentally relevant dose: The insights in physiological, histological, and oxidative damages

Researchers gave mice nanoplastics at doses estimated to match real-world human exposure levels and found the particles crossed the intestinal barrier and accumulated in the liver and kidneys. Even at these low, environmentally relevant doses, the nanoplastics caused oxidative stress and tissue damage across multiple organs. The findings suggest that everyday nanoplastic exposure may pose broader health risks than previously assumed.

Fate and Effects of Macro- and Microplastics in Coastal Wetlands

Researchers compiled data from 112 studies to evaluate how macro- and microplastics accumulate in and affect coastal wetlands including mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds. They found that plastic concentrations in wetland sediments and marine animals were roughly 200 times higher than in the water column, indicating these ecosystems act as major plastic sinks. The study warns that plastic accumulation can alter sediment properties, harm wildlife, and disrupt the carbon storage function of these critical habitats.

Plastic Accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers measured floating plastic concentrations throughout the Mediterranean Sea and found densities comparable to the five major ocean garbage patches, with plastic present at 100% of sampling sites. The most common items were fragments of bags, wrapping, and fishing materials, with the highest concentrations in populated coastal areas. The study establishes the Mediterranean as a major global accumulation zone for plastic pollution, comparable to subtropical ocean gyres.

Microplastics in Saudi Arabia: Environmental occurrence, research gaps, and challenges in extreme conditions

This review surveyed microplastic research in Saudi Arabia and found contamination across seawater, sediments, dust, food, and beverages, with polyethylene being the most commonly detected polymer. Evidence suggests that plastics have been accumulating in coastal sediments since the 1930s, and human exposure through household dust and food consumption is an emerging health concern, particularly for young children.

Impacts of plastic‐free materials on coral‐associated bacterial communities during reef restoration

Researchers compared how different attachment materials, including conventional plastic zip-ties and biodegradable alternatives, affected coral-associated bacteria during reef restoration. The study found that while biodegradable materials did influence bacterial communities differently than plastic, corals generally maintained healthy microbial profiles regardless of the material used.

Transgenerational adaptation to ocean acidification determines the susceptibility of filter-feeding rotifers to nanoplastics

Researchers tested whether rotifers, tiny filter-feeding marine animals, that had adapted to ocean acidification over 180 generations became more or less vulnerable to nanoplastic exposure. They found that long-term adaptation to acidified water actually increased the rotifers' susceptibility to nanoplastic toxicity, affecting their reproduction and survival. The study suggests that as oceans become more acidic, marine organisms may become less resilient to additional stressors like plastic pollution.

The Colors of the Ocean Plastics

Researchers developed a systematic method using a 120-color Pantone reference palette to objectively classify the colors of floating ocean plastic fragments from a global collection. The study found that white and transparent or translucent plastics were the most abundant at 47%, followed by yellow and blue, providing a standardized approach that reduces observer subjectivity in plastic pollution research.

An inshore–offshore sorting system revealed from global classification of ocean litter

Microbiomes of Thalassia testudinum throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are influenced by site and region while maintaining a core microbiome

Researchers characterized the microbial communities living on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum across the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the first time. They found that while local environmental conditions influenced the specific bacterial species present, a core set of microorganisms was consistently associated with the seagrass across all regions. The study provides important baseline data for understanding how seagrass health may be linked to its microbial partners.

Nanoplastics induced health risk: Insights into intestinal barrier homeostasis and potential remediation strategy by dietary intervention

Researchers showed that environmentally aged nanoplastics disrupt intestinal barrier integrity by increasing permeability, triggering inflammation via AP-1 signaling, and inducing mitochondrial apoptosis, and that dietary quercetin counteracts these effects by activating the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and suppressing p38/JNK phosphorylation.

Microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of fishes along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of 178 fish from 26 species along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast and found microplastic fragments in multiple species, predominantly as films and fishing thread. The most common polymers identified were polypropylene and polyethylene, indicating that microplastic ingestion by fish is occurring across diverse habitats in the Red Sea.

Seafaring in the 21St Century: The Malaspina 2010 Circumnavigation Expedition

This study describes the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation expedition, a large-scale oceanographic research voyage that surveyed ocean conditions globally. The expedition collected data on marine pollution including floating plastic debris, contributing to our understanding of how widespread microplastic contamination has become across the world's oceans.

When microplastics are not plastic: Chemical characterization of environmental microfibers using stimulated Raman microspectroscopy

Researchers used advanced Raman microscopy to determine whether microfibers found in various marine environments are actually made of plastic. They found that roughly three-quarters of environmental microfibers are natural materials like cotton or cellulose rather than synthetic polymers. The study suggests that many previous estimates of microplastic fiber pollution may have significantly overcounted by misidentifying natural fibers as plastic.

A global assessment of microplastic abundance and characteristics on marine turtle nesting beaches

Researchers coordinated a global sampling effort across 209 marine turtle nesting beaches in six ocean basins to assess microplastic contamination in beach sediments. They found microplastics present on 45% of beaches, with the Mediterranean showing the highest contamination rate at 80%. The study provides an open-access dataset to support ongoing monitoring of plastic pollution in critical nesting habitats.

Microplastic removal by Red Sea giant clam (Tridacna maxima)

Giant clams from the Red Sea were exposed to polyethylene microbeads across two size classes for 12 days, with clams actively retaining an average of ~7.55 beads/individual/day and shells serving as an additional sink for adhered particles. The study is the first to quantify microplastic ingestion by giant clams and identifies both digestive tissue and shell structure as retention sites.

Sustainable and Inexpensive Polydimethylsiloxane Sponges for Daytime Radiative Cooling

Researchers developed sustainable polydimethylsiloxane sponges for daytime radiative cooling that reject sunlight while preserving strong thermal emission, using an inexpensive fabrication process free of hazardous chemicals.

Mangrove forests as traps for marine litter

Researchers surveyed 20 mangrove forests along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf and confirmed that mangroves act as traps for marine plastic litter, with denser forests and proximity to shipping routes linked to higher debris accumulation. The study shows that ocean-based activities, not just land-based sources, are a major driver of plastic buildup in coastal mangrove ecosystems.

Habitat-forming species trap microplastics into coastal sediment sinks

A field flume experiment comparing microplastic retention in seagrass, macroalgae, and coral habitats found that hard corals trapped the most particles in their above-ground structure, while sediment was the dominant overall sink — accumulating 1–2 orders of magnitude more than the organisms themselves.

Microplastics in fishes of commercial and ecological importance from the Western Arabian Gulf

Researchers examined microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of nine commercial fish species from the Saudi EEZ of the Arabian Gulf across coastal, pelagic, and reef habitats, finding a relatively low overall contamination rate (0.057 items per fish) but with variation by species and habitat.

Plastic debris in the open ocean

Researchers collected and characterized plastic debris floating in the open ocean far from coastlines, documenting its abundance, polymer composition, and size distribution, providing early baseline data on the open-ocean plastic pollution problem.