Papers

Do Added Microplastics, Native Soil Properties, and Prevailing Climatic Conditions Have Consequences for Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Soil? A Global Data Synthesis of Pot and Greenhouse Studies

This meta-analysis examined how microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, which are key to soil fertility. The results show that certain types of plastics — especially smaller, fiber-shaped particles — can significantly alter soil chemistry, potentially affecting crop growth and soil health.

Unveiling the detrimental effects of polylactic acid microplastics on rice seedlings and soil health

Researchers found that even biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics significantly harmed rice plants at high concentrations, reducing root and shoot weight by roughly half and disrupting photosynthesis, while also altering soil enzyme activity and bacterial communities. These findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are harmless to agriculture and raise questions about their impact on food crops that humans depend on.

Unveiling the microplastics degradation and its transformative effects on soil nutrient dynamics and plant health – A systematic review

Detection and degradation of microplastics in the environment: a review

This review covers methods for detecting and breaking down microplastics in the environment. Microplastics persist in ecosystems and pose potential risks to both human health and wildlife. The paper highlights the need for better tools and strategies to address this growing pollution problem.

Taurine decreases arsenic and microplastic toxicity in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) through functional and microstructural alterations

Foliar application of taurine significantly reduced arsenic and microplastic toxicity in broccoli by boosting antioxidant enzyme activity, improving membrane integrity, and restoring anatomical structures. Plants treated with taurine showed less oxidative damage and lower arsenic uptake, suggesting taurine as a practical intervention for protecting crops grown in contaminated soil.

Could soil microplastic pollution exacerbate climate change? A meta-analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential

The first meta-analysis linking soil microplastic pollution to greenhouse gas emissions found that microplastics increased overall emissions, with the strongest effect being a 60% increase in methane. Polyethylene caused the highest methane emissions, phenol-formaldehyde had the greatest global warming potential via nitrous oxide, and greenhouse gas emissions rose sharply when soil microplastic content exceeded 0.5%.

Interactions and effects of microplastics with heavy metals in aquatic and terrestrial environments

This review explores how microplastics absorb toxic heavy metals from the environment and what happens when organisms ingest these contaminated particles. In the acidic conditions of an animal's digestive system, metals can separate from the plastic and accumulate in body tissues. Since heavy metals can concentrate on microplastics and then transfer up the food chain, this combination poses a compounded health risk to wildlife and potentially to humans who eat contaminated seafood.

Impact of plastic mulching as a major source of microplastics in agroecosystems

This review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down into microplastics over time, making farmland a major source of soil microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, affect plant growth, and be taken up by crops that humans eat. The study highlights the need for better end-of-life management of agricultural plastics and more research on how farm-sourced microplastics enter the food chain.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: An assessment of physiological and health responses in Catla catla fingerlings after polystyrene microplastic exposure

Note: This article has been retracted. The study reported that feeding polystyrene microplastics to Catla catla fish reduced growth, impaired blood health, decreased nutritional quality, and caused intestinal damage. Higher concentrations of microplastics led to worse outcomes across all measures. While the retraction means these specific results should be viewed with caution, the general concern about microplastic effects on farmed fish remains supported by other research.

Polystyrene microplastics exposure in freshwater fish, Labeo rohita: evaluation of physiology and histopathology

Researchers fed freshwater fish varying levels of polystyrene microplastics for 90 days and found dose-dependent damage to blood health, growth, and organ tissues. Higher microplastic concentrations caused more severe harm to the liver, kidneys, gills, and intestines. The study highlights that microplastics in freshwater systems can accumulate in fish and cause significant health problems, raising concerns about food safety for communities that rely on freshwater fish.

Toxicity evaluation of polypropylene microplastic on marine microcrustacean Artemia salina: An analysis of implications and vulnerability

Researchers prepared polypropylene microplastics and tested their toxic effects on the marine crustacean Artemia salina at different life stages. They found that the particles accumulated in the organisms' digestive tracts and caused significant mortality, particularly in the earliest developmental stages. The study demonstrates that polypropylene microplastics pose a real threat to small marine organisms that form the base of ocean food webs.

Impacts of microplastic accumulation in aquatic environment: Physiological, eco-toxicological, immunological, and neurotoxic effects

This review summarizes how microplastics build up in fish and other aquatic life, causing damage to their immune systems, nervous systems, and overall health. When fish eat microplastics, the particles move up the food chain and can eventually reach humans through seafood consumption. The authors also discuss strategies for removing microplastics from water and reducing plastic pollution.

Adverse multigeneration combined impacts of micro(nano)plastics and emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment

This review examines how micro and nanoplastics combined with other pollutants can cause harm not just to exposed organisms but also to their offspring across multiple generations. The transgenerational effects include changes in growth, reproduction, and gene expression that persist even without continued exposure. This suggests that microplastic pollution could have long-lasting impacts on wildlife populations beyond what single-generation studies reveal.

Adverse health effects and mechanisms of microplastics on female reproductive system: a descriptive review

This review describes how microplastics, particularly polystyrene, can reach and accumulate in the female reproductive system through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Animal studies suggest these particles may disrupt ovarian function, hormone balance, and fertility through oxidative stress and inflammation. While human evidence is still emerging, the research raises important questions about microplastic exposure and women's reproductive health.

RETRACTED: Assessment of polystyrene microplastics as dietary additives in aquaculture species, Catla catla: Alters growth, feed utilization, nutritional composition, hematology and gut histopathology

Note: This paper has been retracted. It reported that feeding polystyrene microplastics to a freshwater fish species reduced growth, nutritional quality, and caused gut damage in a dose-dependent manner. While the specific findings should be treated with caution due to the retraction, the general concern about microplastics accumulating in aquaculture fish and affecting their nutritional value and safety for human consumption remains supported by other research.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica, Silver-Silica, and Zinc Oxide-Silica Nanoparticles for Evaluation of Blood Biochemistry, Oxidative Stress, and Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats

Researchers synthesized silica nanoparticles combined with silver and zinc oxide and tested their effects on rat blood chemistry and liver health. The nanoparticles caused dose-dependent changes in liver enzymes and oxidative stress markers, with the silver-silica composite showing the strongest effects. This study contributes to understanding how engineered nanoparticles interact with biological systems, relevant to the broader field of particle toxicology.

Microplastics in wastewaters and their potential effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota

This review of over 200 studies found that microplastics from wastewater are contaminating both aquatic and land environments, especially when treated wastewater or sewage sludge is used for irrigation. The microplastics can harm fish, soil organisms, plants, and microbial communities, and they serve as carriers for other toxic pollutants. The findings highlight that wastewater is a major pathway through which microplastics reach farmland and, ultimately, human food and drinking water.

Interactive effects of polystyrene microplastics and Pb on growth and phytochemicals in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and lead on mung bean plants. They found that when both pollutants were present together, the damage was more severe, reducing plant weight, impairing photosynthesis, and disrupting chlorophyll production and enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to create amplified harmful effects on crop plants in contaminated agricultural environments.

Reproductive and metabolic toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics in adult female Wistar rats: a mechanistic study

Researchers gave female rats polystyrene microplastics orally for 45 days and found disruptions to both metabolic and reproductive hormone levels, including increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, and altered sex hormones. The microplastics also caused liver fibrosis and elevated inflammatory markers. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure may contribute to metabolic and endocrine disruption in mammals.

Mechanistic insight into interactive effect of microplastics and arsenic on growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and soil health indicators

Researchers tested how different types of microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddy soil, finding that biodegradable PLA microplastics actually increased arsenic uptake by rice plants by up to 39%. In contrast, conventional polyethylene microplastics slightly reduced arsenic absorption. This is an important finding because as agriculture shifts toward biodegradable plastics, they may inadvertently increase the transfer of toxic heavy metals from soil into food crops.

Toxicological assessment of dietary exposure of polyethylene microplastics on growth, nutrient digestibility, carcass and gut histology of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings

Researchers fed Nile tilapia fish diets containing different amounts of polyethylene microplastics and found that higher levels significantly reduced growth, nutrient absorption, and body composition. Fish exposed to the highest microplastic concentration (10%) showed severe gut damage visible under a microscope. Since tilapia is widely farmed for human consumption, these findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination affecting both fish health and the safety of farmed seafood.

Rhamnetin alleviates polystyrene microplastics-induced testicular damage by restoring biochemical, steroidogenic, hormonal, apoptotic, inflammatory, spermatogenic and histological profile in male albino rats

Researchers studied whether the plant compound rhamnetin could protect against testicular damage caused by polystyrene microplastics in rats. Microplastic exposure caused significant harm to sperm quality, hormone levels, and testicular tissue through oxidative stress and inflammation. Co-treatment with rhamnetin restored many of these markers, suggesting it may help counteract some of the reproductive harm associated with microplastic exposure.

Enhancing spinach growth and soil microbial health under sulfadiazine and polypropylene exposure through zinc fortification

Researchers found that zinc oxide nanoparticles can effectively reduce the toxic effects of antibiotics and polypropylene microplastics on spinach plants grown in contaminated soil. The zinc treatment lowered oxidative stress markers by 18-28% while boosting the activity of protective enzymes in roots and shoots. The study suggests that zinc supplementation could be a practical strategy for improving crop health in soils polluted with microplastics and pharmaceutical residues.

Linking effects of microplastics to ecological impacts in marine environments

This review examines how laboratory-scale findings on microplastic toxicity can be connected to ecological-level impacts in marine environments. Researchers highlight that microplastics affect marine organisms through ingestion, chemical leaching, and by serving as vectors for pathogens and invasive species. The study emphasizes the need for more ecologically realistic experiments to bridge the gap between controlled laboratory studies and real-world environmental conditions.