Papers

Plastics of the Future? An Interdisciplinary Review on Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers: Progress in Chemistry, Societal Views, and Environmental Implications

This review examines biodegradable and biobased plastics as alternatives to conventional plastics, assessing their environmental impact five years after the authors' previous analysis. While these newer plastics show promise in reducing persistent waste, they raise their own concerns, including the potential to generate microplastics and affect soil health under certain conditions. The authors argue that a full life-cycle approach -- from raw materials to disposal -- is essential for these alternatives to truly help.

Managing Plastic Waste─Sorting, Recycling, Disposal, and Product Redesign

This review covers the full landscape of plastic waste management, from sorting and mechanical recycling to chemical recycling and disposal methods. The paper highlights that landfills remain the most common disposal method despite generating microplastics and toxic leachate, while advanced recycling technologies are still too expensive for widespread use. Better management of plastic waste is directly linked to reducing microplastic pollution and its associated human health risks.

The role of particle shape in computational modelling of granular matter

Seawater‐Degradable Polymers—Fighting the Marine Plastic Pollution

This review explores the development of polymers specifically designed to degrade in seawater as a strategy to combat marine plastic pollution. Researchers highlight several promising materials that break down in ocean conditions, though they note these are best suited for applications where plastic loss to the sea is unavoidable rather than as a replacement for proper waste management.

Effect of an antidepressant on aquatic ecosystems in the presence of microplastics: A mesocosm study

In a three-month experiment using near-natural pond ecosystems, researchers found that microplastics changed how aquatic food webs responded to the antidepressant fluoxetine, altering plankton growth and microbial decomposition rates. The interaction between microplastics and the drug produced different effects than either pollutant alone. This study shows that microplastics can change how other common water pollutants affect ecosystems, making real-world impacts harder to predict.

Advancing river monitoring using image-based techniques: challenges and opportunities

This review examines advances in using cameras, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence to monitor rivers, covering applications from flood tracking to water quality assessment. While not focused on microplastics directly, these image-based monitoring tools could be adapted to detect and track visible plastic pollution in waterways. Improved river monitoring technology is an important step toward understanding and reducing the sources of microplastic contamination in freshwater systems.

Biopolymer-based nanocarriers for sustained release of agrochemicals: A review on materials and social science perspectives for a sustainable future of agri- and horticulture

This review examines how biopolymer-based nanocarriers can deliver fertilizers and pesticides more efficiently in agriculture, reducing the need for excessive chemical applications. Unlike conventional plastic-based delivery systems, these biodegradable carriers do not generate persistent microplastic pollution in farmland. The study also considers the social and economic factors that influence whether these environmentally friendly alternatives can successfully compete with conventional approaches.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Raman Spectroscopy Integrated With Polarized Light Microscopy for Calcium Pyrophosphate–Associated Arthritis

Researchers tested a technique combining Raman spectroscopy with polarized light microscopy to improve the identification of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in joint fluid, which cause a painful form of arthritis. They found that the combined approach was highly accurate and outperformed standard polarized light microscopy alone, which often misidentifies crystal types. The study suggests this technology could help doctors more reliably diagnose crystal-related joint diseases.

Adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of water-soluble polymers (PVP and PEG) on kaolin and montmorillonite minerals

Researchers studied how water-soluble polymers like PEG and PVP — sometimes called "liquid plastics" used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industry — bind to soil mineral particles, finding that hydrogen bonding and molecular weight both control how much polymer sticks to the mineral surface. Understanding how these soluble plastics move through soil is important for assessing their risk to groundwater and ecosystems.

Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Formation and Deposition: Where Do we Stand and What Does the Future hold?

This review summarizes recent advances in understanding calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease, a common but understudied joint condition that becomes more prevalent with age. Researchers highlighted progress in clinical classification criteria and imaging techniques, while noting that basic research into why these crystals form and accumulate has been slower. The study calls for more investigation into the underlying mechanisms to improve diagnosis and treatment options.

Navigating the continuum between adaptation and maladaptation

Mapping sustainable options in the fashion industry: A systematic literature review and a future research agenda

This systematic review examined 187 studies on sustainable practices in the fashion industry, which is a major contributor to microplastic pollution through synthetic textiles. Researchers classified sustainable solutions across the purchase, use, and disposal phases of clothing and identified key gaps in current knowledge. The study suggests that addressing fashion industry practices is critical for reducing textile-related microplastic contamination in the environment.

Full Rotational Dynamics of Plastic Microfibers in Turbulence

Researchers conducted experiments on the rotational dynamics of elongated plastic microfibers in turbulent conditions. The study provides new data on how these microplastic fibers spin and tumble in turbulence, which is important for understanding the motion, settling, and dispersion patterns of microplastics in ocean environments.

Optimization of crystal plasticity parameters with proxy materials data for alloy single crystals

Researchers developed a method to better calibrate computer models that simulate how metal alloys deform at the grain level by using experimental data from multiple similar materials as a reference. The approach improves the accuracy of predictions for how metals will behave under stress, which is important for engineering applications in aerospace and manufacturing.

Characterization of Nanoparticles in Drinking Water Using Field-Flow Fractionation Coupled with Multi-Angle Light Scattering and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed methods using field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering and mass spectrometry to characterize nanoparticles in drinking water. The study addresses the lack of standardized techniques for detecting submicrometer particles, including nanoplastics, highlighting the need for better analytical tools to monitor emerging water contaminants.

Fully Degradable Polyphosphoester Cubosomes for Sustainable Agrochemical Delivery

Researchers developed fully degradable porous polymer cubosomes made from polyphosphoester-polylactide block copolymers for controlled-release delivery of agricultural fungicides. The study found that these microplastic-free carriers showed strong antimycotic activity, adhered to plant leaves even after simulated rain, and completely degraded into lactic acid and phosphate, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic-based agrochemical carriers.

Beyond Mechanical Recycling: Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

This review examines chemical recycling processes — including pyrolysis, solvolysis, and gasification — as alternatives to mechanical recycling for plastic waste, comparing their technical readiness, environmental performance via life-cycle analysis, and commercial development status.

The effect of groyne field on trapping macroplastic. Preliminary results from laboratory experiments

Researchers conducted laboratory channel experiments showing that groyne fields paired with vegetation deflect floating macroplastic litter and increase its retention time, suggesting that low-flow zones with vegetation are optimal sites for plastic trapping infrastructure in rivers.

Creating a circular healthcare economy

This paper examines the concept of creating a circular healthcare economy to address the environmental impact of the healthcare sector. The study suggests that transitioning from a linear to a circular model in healthcare could help reduce waste generation, carbon emissions, and resource consumption while maintaining quality of care.

From ultra to nanofiltration: A review on the fabrication of ZrO2 membranes

Researchers reviewed advances in manufacturing zirconia (ZrO2) ceramic membranes used to filter water and industrial fluids, highlighting that their superior chemical resistance, low fouling, and long lifespan make them attractive for water treatment and food processing, though achieving very small pore sizes for nanofiltration remains challenging.

Evaluating the Efficiency of Enhanced Coagulation for Nanoplastics Removal Using Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry was used to quantify fluorescently labeled nanoplastics removal during enhanced coagulation-flocculation water treatment, demonstrating that this technique enables accurate detection and process optimization for nanoplastic removal in drinking water treatment.

Editorial: Achieving SDG 6: Remote Sensing Applications in Sustainable Water Management

This editorial introduces a collection of remote sensing research supporting Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water), presenting four studies that use satellite and Earth observation data to monitor water bodies, detect contamination, and support sustainable water management globally.

Acceleration of Biodegradation Using Polymer Blends and Composites

This review examines how blending biodegradable polymers with other materials can tune both physical properties and biodegradation rates, noting that many biodegradable plastics degrade far more slowly than claimed. The authors stress that biodegradation claims require rigorous validation under realistic environmental conditions.

Raman Spectroscopy Reveals Microparticles in Synovial Fluids of Patients With Suspected Implant‐Related Complications

Raman spectroscopy was applied to synovial fluids from 10 patients with suspected implant-related complications and successfully identified microparticles including polymer and metallic wear debris, suggesting it could simultaneously diagnose both mechanical failure and infection in prosthetic joints.