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Papers
119 resultsShowing papers from Carleton University
ClearPeople need freshwater biodiversity
This paper catalogs nine essential services that freshwater biodiversity provides to people, from food and clean water to climate regulation and cultural value. While not directly about microplastics, freshwater ecosystems are increasingly threatened by microplastic pollution, which can harm the aquatic organisms that provide these critical benefits to human communities.
Animal migration in the Anthropocene: threats and mitigation options
This review examines the many human-caused threats facing migratory animals worldwide, including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, disease, and overexploitation. While broadly focused on wildlife conservation, the paper is relevant to microplastic research because plastic pollution is identified as one of the threats affecting migratory species across aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial environments. The review emphasizes that these threats often interact in unpredictable ways, making the combined impact worse than any single stressor alone.
Automated Machine-Learning-Driven Analysis of Microplastics by TGA-FTIR for Enhanced Identification and Quantification
Researchers developed an automated machine-learning system to identify and measure microplastics using a combination of heat analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The system can distinguish between different plastic types more accurately and faster than manual methods. Better detection tools like this are important because reliable measurement of microplastics in food, water, and the environment is essential for understanding human exposure levels.
Microplastics in the digestive tract of Gryllus pennsylvanicus crickets in a biosolid – treated agricultural field
Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of over half of wild crickets collected from agricultural fields in Ontario, Canada, where sewage-based fertilizer had been applied. The crickets appeared to break down larger plastic pieces into smaller fragments, potentially spreading microplastic contamination further through the ecosystem. This shows that insects living in farm fields are ingesting microplastics and may be contributing to the movement and breakdown of plastic pollution in the food web.
Nanoparticle Effects on Stress Response Pathways and Nanoparticle–Protein Interactions
This review examines how nanoparticles interact with proteins and affect stress response pathways in biological systems, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. Researchers found that the effects of nanoparticles depend heavily on their type, dose, and the local tissue environment, with some interactions being beneficial and others harmful. The findings underscore the importance of understanding protein-nanoparticle interactions for accurately evaluating potential health risks.
Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity
This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in freshwater environments, covering sources, distribution, and ecological impacts in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Researchers found that freshwater microplastic contamination is widespread globally but that standardized sampling and analysis methods are still lacking. The study calls for more consistent research approaches so that contamination levels across different water bodies can be meaningfully compared.
Future-proofing the emergency recovery plan for freshwater biodiversity
This paper outlines a global emergency recovery plan for freshwater biodiversity, which is declining faster than in any other ecosystem type. The plan identifies six priority actions including improving water quality, restoring habitats, and controlling invasive species. Reducing pollution, including microplastics and other contaminants entering freshwater systems, is a key component of the proposed recovery strategy.
Protecting and restoring habitats to benefit freshwater biodiversity
This paper reviews how protecting and restoring freshwater habitats can help reverse the steep decline in river, lake, and wetland biodiversity. Human activities like damming, agriculture, and urbanization have fragmented and degraded these ecosystems at alarming rates. While not focused on microplastics specifically, the review is relevant because reducing pollution, including plastic waste, is a key part of freshwater habitat restoration strategies.
The impact of microplastics on tissue-specific gene expression in the tropical house cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus
Researchers fed microplastics to tropical house crickets and measured gene expression changes across four different tissue types. They found that microplastic consumption triggered unique responses in each tissue, with notable changes in genes related to stress, immunity, metabolism, and even cancer pathways. The study demonstrates that microplastic exposure affects different organs in distinct ways, highlighting the complexity of how plastic pollution impacts living organisms.
State of knowledge on current exposure, fate and potential health effects of contaminants in polar bears from the circumpolar Arctic
Researchers reviewed decades of data on chemical contamination in polar bears and found that legacy pollutants like PCBs, chlordanes, and PFOS — many of which enter food chains via plastics and industrial runoff — remain the primary chemical threats, disrupting thyroid hormones, immune function, and lipid metabolism. While banned pollutant levels are slowly declining, newer fluorinated compounds (PFCAs) are rising in some populations, underscoring how industrial chemicals continue to accumulate in Arctic apex predators.
Identification of microplastics extracted from field soils amended with municipal biosolids
Researchers developed a method for extracting and identifying microplastics from agricultural soils that had been treated with municipal biosolids, a common fertilizer derived from wastewater treatment. They found a variety of plastic polymer types in the soil, confirming that biosolid application is a pathway for microplastic contamination of farmland. The study provides a reliable technique for tracking how microplastics cycle through agricultural environments.
CE-UV/LIF Analysis of Organic Fluorescent Dyes for Detection of Nanoplastics in Water Quality Testing
Scientists developed a method using capillary electrophoresis with fluorescent dye labeling to detect nanoplastics in drinking water. They were able to identify PET nanoplastics from commercially bottled water with an average size of around 88 nanometers. The study provides a new analytical tool for detecting plastic particles too small for conventional methods, helping improve water quality testing.
Microplastics and anthropogenic microparticles in surface waters from Yellowknife Bay, Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada
Scientists collected surface water samples from Yellowknife Bay in Canada's Great Slave Lake to measure microplastic and other human-made microparticle contamination. They found anthropogenic microparticles present in this sub-Arctic freshwater system, contributing some of the first data on microplastic pollution in northern Canadian lakes. The study highlights the importance of monitoring freshwater systems in remote regions, given their connections to Arctic marine environments.
One hundred research questions in conservation physiology for generating actionable evidence to inform conservation policy and practice
A collaborative effort identified 100 priority research questions across 10 themes in conservation physiology, including pollution, human-wildlife interactions, and climate adaptation. The study suggests that conservation physiology is well positioned to identify mechanisms behind population declines and test intervention strategies, providing actionable evidence to inform biodiversity management and policy decisions.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Freshwater and Terrestrial Environment: A Review
This review critically analyzes the current state of research on micro- and nanoplastic pollution in freshwater and terrestrial environments. Researchers examine how these particles are transported through soil and water systems, their environmental fate, and their ecological impacts on living organisms. The study identifies significant knowledge gaps in the field, particularly around the characterization of nanoplastics and the long-term effects of plastic particle accumulation in non-marine environments.
The future of sub-Saharan Africa’s biodiversity in the face of climate and societal change
This review assesses the conservation threats facing sub-Saharan Africa's biodiversity in the context of projected population growth, economic expansion, and climate change. Researchers highlight how environmental pollution, including emerging contaminants like microplastics, compounds existing threats to the continent's ecosystems.
Ingestion of Microplastic Fibres, But Not Microplastic Beads, Impacts Growth Rates in the Tropical House Cricket Gryllodes Sigillatus
Researchers fed microplastic fibers and beads to tropical house crickets over their development to compare the effects of different plastic shapes on growth. They found that fiber ingestion significantly reduced growth rates, while bead ingestion had no measurable impact. The study suggests that the shape of microplastic particles matters for their biological effects, with fibers potentially causing more harm to terrestrial insects than spherical particles.
Small-Size Microplastics in Urban Stormwater Runoff are Efficiently Trapped in a Bioretention Cell
Researchers conducted a two-year field study showing that bioretention cells, a type of green stormwater infrastructure, effectively captured microplastics as small as 25 micrometers from urban runoff. The system retained over 80 percent of small microplastics, with fibers and fragments being the most commonly trapped types. The findings suggest that existing urban green infrastructure can serve double duty as a practical tool for reducing microplastic pollution in waterways.
Current State of Microplastic Pollution Research Data: Trends in Availability and Sources of Open Data
Researchers analyzed data sharing practices in the microplastics research community and found that less than a third of published articles included a data sharing statement. Of the datasets found in online repositories, most were provided as supplementary material rather than in dedicated data repositories, suggesting that the rate of open data sharing lags behind the rapid growth in microplastics publications.
Monitoring litter and microplastics in Arctic mammals and birds
This review evaluates approaches for monitoring litter and microplastic ingestion in Arctic mammals and birds, assessing both the strengths and limitations of using wildlife as pollution indicators. Researchers found that while some species provide useful data on spatial and temporal pollution trends, monitoring programs need to be carefully designed to account for species-specific feeding behaviors and habitats. The study emphasizes the importance of standardized methods for tracking plastic pollution's impacts on Arctic biodiversity and the communities that rely on these animals for food.
A global review of contaminants in True Geese
Researchers conducted a global review of contaminants found in true geese (genera Anser and Branta), compiling data from 56 journal articles and other sources published between 2000 and 2024. The study found that geese face relatively low risk from most legacy pesticides and metals, with lead being a notable exception, and identified emerging contaminants including microplastics that warrant further monitoring.
How much should we care about insect–plastic interactions?
This review examines the complex interactions between insects and plastic pollution, covering how insects encounter, ingest, and are affected by microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment. Researchers also explored the potential role of certain insect species in degrading plastic waste. The study highlights that while insects may contribute to plastic breakdown, their exposure to plastic particles poses ecological risks that warrant further investigation.
Quantification of microplastics in complex environmental matrices using a tiered approach with modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC)
Researchers developed a method using modulated differential scanning calorimetry to quantify microplastics in biosolids and soil, achieving 1.4-2.5 times higher sensitivity than conventional thermal analysis with detection limits as low as 7 micrograms per gram. They demonstrated an average recovery rate of 93% for four common plastic types extracted from biosolid samples. The study suggests this thermal approach, combined with complementary spectroscopic techniques, provides a reliable and cost-effective tool for measuring microplastics in complex environmental samples.
How many microplastic particles are present in Canadian biosolids?
Researchers quantified microplastic particles in Canadian biosolids from wastewater treatment plants across multiple provinces, providing broader national estimates of microplastic concentrations that enter terrestrial ecosystems through agricultural land application.