Papers

Effects of plastic residues and microplastics on soil ecosystems: A global meta-analysis

Global meta-analysis of 6,223 observations found that plastic residues and microplastics decreased soil water movement by 14%, dissolved organic carbon by 10%, and total nitrogen by 7%, while reducing plant height by 13% and root biomass by 14%. Soil animal body mass and reproduction decreased by 5% and 11% respectively, though soil enzyme activity increased by 7-441%.

A review of advancements in chitosan-essential oil composite films: Better and sustainable food preservation with biodegradable packaging

This review covers how films made from chitosan (a natural material from shellfish) combined with essential oils are being developed as biodegradable food packaging to replace conventional plastics. By reducing reliance on plastic packaging, these alternatives could help decrease the amount of microplastics that migrate into food and are ultimately consumed by people.

Analytical challenges in detecting microplastics and nanoplastics in soil-plant systems

This systematic review found that no universal, efficient, or cost-effective analytical method exists for detecting microplastics and nanoplastics in soil and plant samples, identifying this as the primary barrier to understanding plastic contamination in food systems. Current techniques like Py-GC/MS and vibrational spectroscopy each have significant limitations, especially for the smallest nanoplastic fractions that may pose the greatest health risks.

Microplastic and Nanoplastic Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

This meta-analysis examines how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with plants, finding effects on germination, growth, and nutrient absorption. The findings raise concerns for human health because crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil may take up these particles, creating another pathway for microplastics to enter our diet.

Microplastics exposure causes the senescence of human lung epithelial cells and mouse lungs by inducing ROS signaling

Researchers found that four common types of microplastics all caused premature aging (senescence) in human lung cells by increasing harmful reactive oxygen species, and that an antioxidant treatment could partially reverse this effect. When PVC microplastics were introduced into mouse lungs, the animals showed reduced physical function, increased body-wide inflammation, and accumulation of aged cells, suggesting that inhaling microplastics could accelerate lung aging.

Advancements in Chitosan–Anthocyanin Composite Films: Sustainable Food Preservation with Biodegradable Packaging

This review covers recent progress in developing biodegradable food packaging made from chitosan (derived from shellfish) combined with anthocyanins (plant pigments), which can preserve food freshness while avoiding the microplastic contamination associated with traditional plastic packaging. These films have antibacterial and antioxidant properties and can even change color to indicate food spoilage, offering a promising alternative to single-use plastics.

Discovery and solution for microplastics: New risk carriers in food

This review summarizes the current state of microplastic contamination in food, covering which foods are affected, how to detect microplastics, and how to break them down. Microplastics accumulate through the food chain and have been confirmed in many everyday foods, posing serious health risks. The authors call for standardized detection methods and national policies to monitor and reduce microplastic contamination in the food supply.

A Double‐Edged Sword of Biodegradable Microplastics on the Soil Microbial Carbon Pump

Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics in soil had a double-edged effect: they increased carbon dioxide emissions (contributing to greenhouse gases) but also boosted the efficiency of soil microbes at storing carbon in stable forms. This suggests microplastic pollution in farmland has complex environmental consequences that go beyond simple contamination, potentially affecting both climate change and long-term soil health.

The ant that may well destroy a whole dam: a systematic review of the health implication of nanoplastics/microplastics through gut microbiota

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics disrupt gut bacteria in various organisms. The findings show that plastic particle exposure consistently alters gut microbiome composition, which in turn affects the host's immune function, metabolism, and overall health. These gut bacteria changes may be a key pathway through which microplastics harm human health.

Cellular absorption of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization and the toxicity to RAW264.7 macrophage cells

Researchers tested how polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface coatings affect immune cells (macrophages) and found that positively charged amino-coated particles were the most toxic. All types of nanoplastics were absorbed into the cells, but the amino-coated ones caused the most cell membrane damage, oxidative stress, and cell death through a mitochondrial pathway. This matters because it shows that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, not just their size, determines how dangerous they are to immune cells that serve as the body's first line of defense.

Uptake and Accumulation of Nano/Microplastics in Plants: A Critical Review

This review summarizes the latest research on how microplastics and nanoplastics are taken up by food crops through roots and leaves. Nanoplastics can penetrate plant cell walls more easily than larger microplastics, and the water-pulling force of transpiration is the main driver moving particles up through the plant. These findings are important for food safety because they confirm that plastic particles in contaminated soil can end up inside the fruits and vegetables people eat.

Effect of cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics on the growth, antioxidant content, ionome, and metabolism of dandelion seedlings

This study examined how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, and found that the combination worsened the toxic effects on dandelion seedlings beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The findings highlight that nanoplastics can change how heavy metals behave in the environment, potentially increasing the amount of toxic metals that enter the food chain through contaminated plants.

Considering microplastic characteristics in ecological risk assessment: A case study for China

Scientists measured microplastic contamination in agricultural soils in Northeast China and found concentrations ranging from 300 to 12,800 particles per kilogram. Most particles came from textiles and packaging, with rayon and PET fibers being the most common types. Risk assessment models showed varying levels of ecological concern, and the study emphasizes that multiple characteristics of microplastics, not just their quantity, need to be considered when evaluating environmental risk.

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Toxicity to Zebrafish: Dysregulation of the Brain–Intestine–Microbiota Axis

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted the brain-gut connection in zebrafish at environmentally realistic concentrations, affecting growth, gut health, and brain chemistry. The nanoplastics altered neurotransmitter levels, particularly reducing a dopamine-related compound, and changed the balance of gut bacteria in ways that correlated with brain changes. These findings suggest a pathway by which nanoplastics in food and water could affect both digestive and brain health through the gut-brain axis.

Unraveling the ecotoxicological effects of micro and nano-plastics on aquatic organisms and human health

This review summarizes the growing body of evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic organisms and, through the food chain, potentially human health. The tiny plastic particles absorb toxic pollutants and pathogens from the water, acting as carriers that deliver these harmful substances into the bodies of fish, shellfish, and other organisms. The review highlights that both direct plastic toxicity and indirect chemical exposure through contaminated seafood pose risks to human consumers.

The forgotten impacts of plastic contamination on terrestrial micro- and mesofauna: A call for research

This review highlights the overlooked impact of microplastics on tiny soil organisms like mites, springtails, and nematodes that play critical roles in keeping soil ecosystems healthy. Ingesting microplastics can harm their development and reproduction, which disrupts nutrient cycling and soil food webs. Since these organisms help maintain the soil that grows our food, their decline from plastic pollution could have cascading effects on agriculture and human nutrition.

Microplastics caused embryonic growth retardation and placental dysfunction in pregnant mice by activating GRP78/IRE1α/JNK axis induced apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress

When pregnant mice were fed polystyrene microplastics, their embryos showed growth delays and their placentas were damaged through a specific stress pathway involving the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell's protein-processing center. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure during pregnancy could interfere with fetal development by triggering cell death in placental tissue.

Assessing the combined impacts of microplastics and nickel oxide nanomaterials on soybean growth and nitrogen fixation potential

This study tested how polystyrene microplastics and nickel oxide nanoparticles affect soybean growth and nitrogen fixation in soil. Microplastics alone reduced photosynthesis, plant hormones, and the beneficial root bacteria that help plants capture nitrogen from the air. While this is a plant and soil study, it demonstrates how microplastics can disrupt agricultural ecosystems that humans depend on for food production.

Polystyrene microplastics induced female reproductive toxicity in mice

Researchers exposed female mice to polystyrene microplastics for 35 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the ovaries, where they caused inflammation and oxidative stress. The microplastics reduced egg quality by lowering protective antioxidants, disrupting mitochondrial function, and altering calcium levels in the cells. This study provides evidence that microplastic exposure could harm female fertility by directly damaging the ovaries and the eggs they produce.

Microplastics as an emerging threat to plant and soil health in agroecosystems

Association of specific gut microbiota with polyethylene microplastics caused gut dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to opportunistic pathogens in honeybees

Honeybees fed polyethylene microplastics (the type used in food packaging) showed disrupted gut bacteria and became more vulnerable to disease-causing pathogens. The larger 100-micrometer particles caused the most harm, physically damaging the gut lining and displacing beneficial bacteria. This research demonstrates how microplastic contamination in the environment can weaken important pollinator species by compromising their gut health and immune defenses.

Meta-analysis for systematic review of global micro/nano-plastics contamination versus various freshwater microalgae: Toxicological effect patterns, taxon-specific response, and potential eco-risks

A meta-analysis of 1,071 observations found that nanoplastics cause more severe cell membrane damage than microplastics, while microplastics more strongly inhibit photosynthesis in freshwater microalgae. Among polymer types, polyamide caused the highest growth inhibition, polystyrene induced the most toxin release, and diatoms were the most sensitive algal group while cyanobacteria showed exceptional resilience.

Effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on the physiology and metabolic profiles of dandelion

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and two "biodegradable" plastic alternatives affected dandelion plants when mixed into soil. All three types of microplastics stunted plant growth and caused oxidative stress, with conventional polyethylene being the most toxic -- showing that even so-called biodegradable plastics can harm plant health and soil ecosystems.

Short-term exposure to ciprofloxacin and microplastic leads to intrahepatic cholestasis, while long-term exposure decreases energy metabolism and increases the risk of obesity

Mice exposed to both nanoplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin developed liver problems that worsened over time: short-term exposure caused bile buildup in the liver, while long-term exposure disrupted energy metabolism and increased the risk of obesity. The combination of the two pollutants was more harmful than either one alone. This is concerning because people are routinely exposed to both microplastics and antibiotic residues through food and water.