Papers

Microplastics in wild fish in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China: A detailed investigation of their occurrence, characteristics, biomagnification and risk

Researchers examined 18 species of wild fish in China's Three Gorges Reservoir and found microplastics in every species, with an average of about 7 particles per fish. The microplastics showed signs of aging and weathering, and the study found evidence of biomagnification -- meaning predator fish accumulated more microplastics than their prey, which is relevant to human health since many of these species are consumed as food.

Ferroptosis induced by environmental pollutants and its health implications

Researchers reviewed how environmental pollutants — including microplastics, PM2.5, and heavy metals — trigger ferroptosis, a form of programmed cell death driven by iron and fat oxidation, finding that targeting this cell death pathway could be a strategy to reduce organ damage caused by pollution exposure.

Revealing the environmental hazard posed by biodegradable microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: An investigation of polylactic acid's effects on Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers tested whether biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics are safer for aquatic life than traditional plastics by exposing the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to them for 63 days. Surprisingly, PLA microplastics actually promoted algae growth despite causing oxidative stress and cell damage, which could fuel harmful algal blooms. This suggests that so-called biodegradable plastics may still pose environmental risks and are not necessarily a safe alternative in aquatic ecosystems.

Insight into the effect of UVC-based advanced oxidation processes on the interaction of typical microplastics and their derived disinfection byproducts during disinfection

Scientists found that UV-based water treatment processes, while intended to clean drinking water, caused microplastics to release more organic matter and form more disinfection byproducts during chlorination. Up to 42% of the toxic byproducts formed were absorbed back onto the microplastic surfaces, creating contaminated particles. This concerning finding suggests that some common water treatment methods could unintentionally make microplastic contamination in drinking water more hazardous.

Sediment-Water Interfaces as Traps and Sources of Microplastic Fragments and Microfibers─Insights from Stream Flume Experiments

Researchers used controlled stream flume experiments to study how microplastic fibers and fragments settle into riverbed sediments. They found that lower water flow speeds caused faster deposition, with the effect being strongest for fibers, and that traditional settling equations significantly underestimate how microplastics actually behave near the streambed. The findings improve our understanding of where and how microplastics accumulate in rivers.

Fate and mass budget of microplastic in the Beibu Gulf, the northern South China sea

Researchers mapped the distribution and mass budget of microplastics across the Beibu Gulf in the northern South China Sea, sampling both water and sediment. They found microplastics in all samples, with sediments containing the highest concentrations and river input being a major source. The study provides a comprehensive picture of how microplastics accumulate and move through a semi-enclosed tropical marine ecosystem.

Microplastic pollutants in terrestrial and aquatic environment

Fluorescence Machine Vision-Based Rapid Quantitative Characterization of Microplastics

Scientists developed a new system that uses special fluorescent dye and artificial intelligence to quickly detect and count microplastics (tiny plastic particles) in samples. The technology is faster and cheaper than current methods, which could help researchers better track these particles that may pose health risks when they get into our food and water. This advance could lead to better monitoring of microplastic pollution and help protect human health.

Impacts of the coexistence of polystyrene microplastics and pesticide imidacloprid on soil nitrogen transformations and microbial communities

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide imidacloprid on soil nitrogen cycling and microbial communities over 28 days. They found that both pollutants individually and together significantly altered nitrogen transformation processes and shifted microbial community composition. The study suggests that the co-presence of microplastics and pesticides in agricultural soils can create compounding disruptions to essential nutrient cycling.

Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Promotes Lung Cancer Progression via Activating Gluconeogenesis and Inhibiting Glycolysis

Researchers found that long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics promoted lung cancer cell growth and migration by reprogramming cellular metabolism. The study suggests nanoplastics activate a specific metabolic pathway through the stress-response protein ATF3, shifting energy production in ways that enhance cancer cell proliferation.

Neuronal damage induced by nanopolystyrene particles in nematode<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

C. elegans nematodes were chronically exposed to nanopolystyrene particles and found to develop neuronal damage affecting both development and function of the nervous system after long-term exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study provides early evidence that nanoplastics can cause neurological harm in an animal model, raising questions about potential neurotoxicity in other species.

Long-term exposure to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics promotes Microcystis aeruginosa proliferation

Researchers conducted a 45-day co-culture experiment exposing the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics. PLA-MPs promoted algal growth and photosynthetic activity and altered nutrient cycling, suggesting that biodegradable plastic particles can unexpectedly fuel cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems.

The vertical migration of a pesticide mixture in sandy soil is strongly driven by their sorption behavior and can be altered by Polyethylene Microplastics

Researchers packed sandy soil columns with a mixture of 20 pesticides and 1% polyethylene microplastics, then flushed them with contaminated water to track pesticide movement. They found that PE microplastics accelerated the downward migration of five slowly leaching pesticides, increasing the risk of groundwater contamination.

Molecular Landscape Remodeling Unravels the Cross-Links of Microplastics-Induced Lipidomic Fluctuations, Nutrient Disorders and Energy Disarrangements

Researchers fed mice polypropylene microplastics chronically and used lipidomics and transcriptomics to show that microplastics accumulated in the liver and disrupted lipid metabolism, cholesterol homeostasis, and redox balance, with high doses causing fibrotic liver changes.

Occurrence characteristics, source analysis, and risk assessment of microplastics in agricultural soils: A case study on Shihezi Reclamation Area, Xinjiang, China

Microplastic occurrence was characterized in agricultural soils of the Shihezi Reclamation Area, Xinjiang — a region with decades of plastic film mulching — finding high-density PE and PP fragments as dominant types, with mulch film degradation as the primary source.

Silicate Derived from <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i> for Removal of Polystyrene: Interfacial Effects of Living Organism and Its Derivatives with Nanoplastics

Researchers investigated the use of silica derived from the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to remove nanopolystyrene particles from water, examining both the toxicity of nanoplastics to the living organism and the removal efficiency of its silica derivatives. The diatom-derived silica effectively adsorbed nanoplastics, suggesting a biogenic approach to nanoplastic remediation.

Integrated Ziegler–Natta/Brookhart‐Ni Catalysts for the Synthesis of Sutured Polar High‐Impact Polypropylenes

Integrated dual-site Ziegler-Natta/Brookhart-Ni catalysts were used to synthesize polar high-impact polypropylenes with polyolefin ionomers acting as suture molecules between components, achieving optimal mechanical properties for tough plastic materials.

Analysis and treatment of microplastics in water treatment: research trends, perspectives and implications

Polymer-specific transformation of microplastics under soil freeze–thaw versus UV aging: Multiscale insights into atrazine interaction mechanisms

Long-term soil incubation experiments showed that different polymer types transform distinctively under real soil conditions, with some plastics fragmenting rapidly while others persist with minimal change. Polymer-specific fate data are essential for accurate risk assessment and regulatory decisions about plastic use in agriculture.

Benthic Fauna Enhance Biodegradation of Microplastics in Riparian Sediments: Reactive Oxygen, Keystone Microbes, and Metabolites

Laboratory experiments found that benthic (bottom-dwelling) fauna accelerated the biodegradation of microplastics in riverine sediments through bioturbation and microbial activity. This suggests that diverse benthic communities may play an underappreciated role in naturally breaking down plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Targeted interception of membrane foulants in MBR: A straw-microplastic composite adsorbent for effective removal of oil and biopolymeric contaminants from catering wastewater

Researchers developed a composite adsorbent from acidified corn stalks and UV-aged polylactic acid microplastic specifically designed to capture the oils and biopolymers (proteins, polysaccharides) that foul membranes in wastewater treatment bioreactors, finding it reduced membrane pressure buildup by 40% over 100 days of operation.

Design of gelatin/chitosan photodynamic antibacterial food packaging composite film based on berberine complex

Microplastics in Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Facilitators of CO ₂ and CH ₄ Emission Hotspots

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in water make harmful algae blooms produce more greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. These microplastics help the algae grow faster at first, then speed up their decay later, both of which release more climate-warming gases into the atmosphere. This matters because it shows microplastic pollution isn't just harming marine life—it's also making water bodies contribute more to climate change.

The retention mechanism of the adherent iron corrosion pipe scale on polystyrene nanoplastics in drinking water distribution systems

This study reveals that iron corrosion deposits inside drinking water pipes can actually capture and immobilize polystyrene nanoplastics through multiple chemical bonding mechanisms, preventing them from reaching consumers. However, some iron particles also aggregate with nanoplastics and can be re-released, meaning the rust inside your pipes plays a complex double role — sometimes trapping nanoplastics, sometimes potentially dispersing them further into tap water.