Papers

Microbial education for marine invertebrate disease prevention in aquaculture

This review examines how manipulating the microbial communities of farmed shellfish and crustaceans can help prevent diseases in aquaculture. While not directly about microplastics, the paper is relevant because microplastic contamination in aquaculture environments can disrupt the beneficial microbiomes of farmed species, making them more vulnerable to disease. Healthier aquaculture organisms also mean safer seafood for human consumption.

A machine learning algorithm for high throughput identification of FTIR spectra: Application on microplastics collected in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers developed a machine learning method to automatically identify the chemical composition of microplastics from FTIR spectroscopy data collected during the Tara Mediterranean expedition. The algorithm performed well for common polymers like polyethylene and was applied to classify over 4,000 unidentified microplastic spectra. The study demonstrates that automated identification tools can significantly speed up large-scale microplastic pollution surveys while maintaining acceptable accuracy.

Changes in the Floating Plastic Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea in Relation to the Distance to Land

Researchers analyzed the composition, size distribution, and abundance of floating plastic debris in the Mediterranean Sea in relation to distance from land. The study found that the highest plastic concentrations occurred both far from shore and within the first kilometer of coastline, revealing a complex spatial distribution pattern for floating microplastics in semi-enclosed seas.

First national reference of microplastic contamination of French soils

Researchers established the first nationwide reference data for microplastic contamination in French soils by analyzing 33 samples from diverse land uses across the country. They found microplastics in virtually all samples, with agricultural and urban soils showing the highest concentrations, and identified polyethylene and polypropylene as the most common polymer types. The study provides an important baseline for tracking future soil contamination trends in France.

Discussion about suitable applications for biodegradable plastics regarding their sources, uses and end of life

Researchers critically evaluated the scientific basis for biodegradable plastics as a solution to plastic pollution, concluding that no plastic biodegrades universally across all ecosystems, that treating the environment as a waste treatment system is unacceptable, and that compostable plastics require dedicated collection infrastructure to deliver on their environmental promise.

Continents of plastics: An estimate of the stock of microplastics in agricultural soils

Researchers estimated for the first time the total amount of microplastics in the world's agricultural soils, finding between 1.5 and 6.6 million tonnes globally. This is one to two orders of magnitude higher than the estimated amount floating on the ocean surface. The study highlights that farmland, especially in regions using plastic mulch and sewage sludge as fertilizer, may be a larger reservoir of microplastic pollution than the oceans.

Small microplastics have much higher mass concentrations than large microplastics at the surface of nine major European rivers

Researchers compared large and small microplastic concentrations at the surface of nine major European rivers using standardized sampling protocols. The study found that small microplastics (25-500 micrometers) had much higher mass concentrations than large microplastics, with ratios up to 1,000 times greater in some rivers, suggesting that current monitoring focused on larger particles may significantly underestimate total microplastic pollution.

Mission Tara Microplastics: a holistic set of protocols and data resources for the field investigation of plastic pollution along the land-sea continuum in Europe

Researchers present a comprehensive set of sampling protocols from the Tara Microplastics mission, which investigated plastic pollution along nine major European rivers by measuring microplastic concentrations, microbial communities, and biophysicochemical parameters along salinity gradients.

Microplastics (≤ 10 μm) bioaccumulation in marine sponges along the Moroccan Mediterranean coast: Insights into species-specific distribution and potential bioindication

Researchers found that marine sponges along the Moroccan Mediterranean coast bioaccumulate small microplastics (10 micrometers or less), with species-specific differences in accumulation patterns, suggesting certain sponge species could serve as bioindicators for microplastic pollution monitoring.

Microplastic contamination of packaged meat: Occurrence and associated risks

Microplastics in edible mussels from a southern Mediterranean lagoon: Preliminary results on seawater-mussel transfer and implications for environmental protection and seafood safety

Scientists measured microplastic levels in mussels and seawater from a southern Mediterranean lagoon in Tunisia, finding polyethylene as the dominant type, and estimated daily human intake through mussel consumption to be below current risk thresholds but warranting continued monitoring.

A Pan-European study of the bacterial plastisphere diversity along river-to-sea continuums

Researchers conducted a large-scale study of bacterial communities living on microplastic surfaces along river-to-sea pathways in nine major European rivers during the Tara Microplastics mission. They found that microplastics can transport freshwater bacteria into marine environments, representing a potential dispersal mechanism for microorganisms across ecosystems. The study highlights that the plastisphere community composition shifts along the river-sea continuum.

How scientific networks can help advancing both scientific knowledge and public policies: the case study of the “Plastics, Environment and Health” network

This paper describes the French interdisciplinary research network on plastics, environment, and health, which was established in 2019 to coordinate research across ecotoxicology, chemistry, physics, and social science. The network has facilitated collaborations, standardized methods, and produced policy-relevant findings on plastic pollution across soil, air, water, and human health impacts.

Chemical composition of microplastics floating on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea

Chemical composition analysis of microplastics floating on the Mediterranean Sea surface showed a relatively homogeneous polymer distribution dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene, with particle size influencing mass and number concentration distributions.

Agricultural versus urban soil: Differences in microplastic profiles for a better understanding of the sources and fate

Researchers compared microplastic profiles between agricultural and urban soils, examining differences in particle type, shape, polymer composition, and abundance driven by distinct contamination sources in each land-use context. Agricultural soils showed microplastic inputs primarily from irrigation water and biosolids, while urban soils reflected different source signatures.

Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity

This study evaluated the relative influence of plastic debris size, shape, chemical composition, and environmental conditions on the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics (the plastisphere). Results showed that multiple plastic properties and environmental factors jointly shape which microorganisms colonize plastic surfaces in the marine environment.

Microbial Diversity and Activity During the Biodegradation in Seawater of Various Substitutes to Conventional Plastic Cotton Swab Sticks

This study examined microbial community composition and biodegradation activity in seawater during degradation of several biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic cotton swabs, finding that material type shaped which microbial taxa were enriched and that degradation rates varied substantially across substitute materials.

Generation of synthetic FTIR spectra to facilitate chemical identification of microplastics

Researchers generated synthetic FTIR spectra of microplastics using computational methods to augment training datasets for automated spectral identification algorithms. The synthetic spectra closely matched experimentally measured spectra, and classifiers trained on augmented datasets showed improved accuracy for identifying underrepresented polymer types in real-world samples.

Sunlight and marine weathering of poly(oxymethylene): Evolution of the physico-chemical properties

Researchers subjected the engineering polymer poly(oxymethylene) to sunlight and simulated marine weathering conditions and tracked changes in its physico-chemical properties over time, studying how this less-studied plastic degrades and generates microplastic particles in environmental settings.

An integrative assessment of the plastic debris load in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers analyzed over 75,000 plastic pieces collected across the Mediterranean Sea during the Tara expedition, estimating roughly 650 billion plastic particles float on its surface, with the highest concentrations near northwestern coastal regions, and found that most plastics are in an advanced state of fragmentation from repeated stranding and resuspension.

Seasonal patterns of microplastics in surface sediments of a Mediterranean lagoon heavily impacted by human activities (Bizerte lagoon, Northern Tunisia)

This study characterized microplastic contamination in commercial fish feed and cultured salmon, finding particles in both feed pellets and fish intestinal tissues. Polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate were the most frequently identified polymers, linking contamination to feed processing equipment.

Why is there plastic packaging in the natural environment? Understanding the roots of our individual plastic waste management behaviours

This review explores why individuals mismanage plastic packaging waste, finding that the disconnect between discarding behavior and its visible consequences is a key factor, as is the deep historical rootedness of waste disposal habits in different cultures. The authors argue that policies to reduce plastic littering face fundamental behavioral constraints that require approaches beyond simple regulation.

Method Validation: Extraction of Microplastics from Organic Fertilisers

This paper validates a standardized laboratory method for extracting microplastics from organic fertilizers such as compost, sewage sludge, and manure — materials that are widely applied to agricultural fields and are known to introduce microplastics into soils. The validated protocol uses hydrogen peroxide digestion followed by sodium iodide density separation, achieving recovery rates above 95% for particles larger than 315 micrometers. However, a secondary analysis suggested recovery rates drop significantly for particles smaller than 250 micrometers, highlighting a limitation. Standardized extraction methods are critical for generating comparable data on how much microplastic contamination is entering farmland through organic amendments.

Characterization of microplastics in the surface waters of an urban lagoon (Bizerte lagoon, Southern Mediterranean Sea): Composition, density, distribution, and influence of environmental factors

Researchers characterized microplastics in the surface waters of Bizerte Lagoon in Tunisia, documenting composition, density, and spatial distribution while finding that environmental factors including wind direction, rainfall, and proximity to urban inputs significantly influenced microplastic concentration patterns in this semi-enclosed Mediterranean coastal system.